The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This novel tells the tale of Santiago, a young boy who has a repeating dream that leads him to Northen Africa on a quest of discovery. This story speaks of the "Soul of the World" and that the Earth itself wants us to be happy, and to realize one's Personal Legend, their deepest desire, is one's only real obligation. This story tells how each of us have a single mission or goal in life, a Personal Legend, though most of us don't realize it.

Follow your dreams. The boy goes off track once in a while but his dreams stay the same. And in the end he gets what he needs, a reality that is uncomparable to anything. He gets what he has always dreamed to have right where he started.

The writing is simple and clear. It's entertaining and brings a message which does not need to be complicated, except for those who are not ready to see the truth. They are the ones who like their truth heavily veiled and masked, as their self-gratification is in the pursuit. The reality is, the only place you need to look for the truth is in yourself. There is no search required, just your own personal journey. Life does not need to be complicated.

You are not going to get anything valuable from this book unless you are ready for the spiritual knowledge which it contains. Personally, I received deep spiritual messages and peace from reading The Alchemist.

What you search for is usually right there all along, and that the journey you take to find it is about learning lessons and growing as a person. Life is the journey rather than the destination.