University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

R. S. Oropesa Professor of Sociology & Demography

Book Title: The Alchemist

Author: Paulo Coelho

Selection Statement:

Ah...the pressure of putting one's tastes on display for public consumption...I have selected this simple fable about a boy who travels from Spain through Northern Africa to the Egyptian pyramids in search of treasure. The Alchemist has a soft spot in my heart because it stimulated pleasurable daydreams and it offered a moral that is worth remembering: One should not lose sight of the ultimate destination, but the rewards of a journey are tied to the effort that one expends and the sites that one sees along the way. This is worth keeping in mind, even if it is not always true.


Year: 2004