The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho is a poetically simple book about following one’s dreams – their own Personal Legend. Here we follow the story of a shepherd named Santiago who had recurring dreams of a hidden treasure near the pyramids of Egypt. Reluctant at first, he met "mythical" people who all point him in the direction of his treasure thus he sold his flock, set out and traveled from his home country of Spain to Morocco to Egypt - learning about the language of the Universe along the way. What started out as a boy’s dreams of travel and adventure became a man’s quest to fulfill a Personal Legend and find the treasure within. It talks a lot about omens and how one should be able to recognize and heed them. I read, heard of and actually know of people who believe in signs (be in form of songs, coincidences etc…) I had a friend who, undecided whether to pursue a relationship asked for a sign in the form of pink roses in the church confessional, when she went to church, lo and behold! there was a pot of pink roses in the confessional!!!....this made me think… how come I never come across such signs? I am afraid I might have been too dumb and ignorant that I have missed it… but then again I have never asked for any specific signs……. Hhhmmmmmmmmmmm….. It also made me wonder whether I have forgotten what my real Personal Legend is… qouting from the book: "Eveyone, when they were young, knows what their Personal Legend is... at that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. they are not afraid to dream, and to yarn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend"... ... well my only dream in life since I was a kid – like Santiago is to travel… and I guess being here I am on the right track in fulfilling my dream!! What made reading the book all the more enjoyable was that I could more picture the events and images in my mind's eye vividly as I am more or less on the same environment… I know of date and palm trees, of hooka (shisha), heard the calls to prayers five times a day, of veiled ladies, of men wearing white linen traditional dresses and have experienced the dessert (camping for two nights!) though not as harshly as Santiago did, and I have yet to see an oasis... ... I loved the book and have re-read it many times...it's a lovely simple story that wakens your soul... Noteworthy lines in the book : Maktub – which is explained in the book to mean “it is written…” When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it… To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation. It is the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting ...at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the worlds greatest lie. ...there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, its because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. Its your mission on earth.