[Lewis Hamilton’s answer to “If you could pick just one book to read”]: “The Alchemist” (by Paulo Coelho). I can read that quite often.
Lewis Hamilton
F1 Pilot
“The whole thing about empowerment of yourself and having your visions become a reality and the more and more that you dream and actually talk about something that you want to do, it can become true,” James said. “That was one of the one things I got out of it. As complex as that book is and as deep as that book is — it is so, so deep — I was able to figure out a way to translate it to my life at that point in time where I was like, oh I can remember when I was the 11-year-old kid and I was telling myself ‘Why me?’ some days and I was always telling myself ‘Okay, let’s change the narrative of why me, why us, why are we put in this position? Let’s change the narrative.’ ”
Lebron James
Basketball Player
Noh Hong-chul picked “The Pilgrimage” as a “Book of his life”.
Noh Hong-chul
South Korean entertainer
The tennis player Karolina Pliskova mentioned on her Instagram that “The Alchemist” is the best book she has read and that she has re-read it several times.
Karolina Pliskova
Tennis player
(Answer to What’s the last truly great book you read?)
“The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. I like it because it is hopeful and inspiring. It tells the story of a boy who embarks on a journey to find a treasure, but as he goes along, he learns from every part of his journey and every person he meets. In the end, he finds his treasure in a very interesting place. His story tells you that you should believe in yourself and continue your journey.”
Malala Yousafzai
Nobel Peace Prize 2014
“We believe in the words of Paulo Coelho, one of your most famous writers: ‘With the strength or our love and our will we can change our destiny as well as the destiny of many others.”
Barack Obama
US President
“Mr. Coelho’s talent as a writer and his exceptional ability to touch the lives of men and women across boundaries and cultures makes him a powerful Messenger.”
Ban Ki-Moon
UN Secretary – General
“Though he doesn’t consider himself a spiritual guide, Paulo Coelho has been one of my great teachers. I still keep The Alchemist beside my bed and am always meeting others who do the same.”
Oprah Winfrey
Talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist
“Paulo Coelho knows the secret of literary Alchemy.”
Kenzaburö Öe
Nobel Prize of Literature
“Paulo Coelho, you have become the alchemist for millions of readers. Your books do good because they stimulate our capacity to dream, our desire to search, and to find ourselves through this search.”
Philippe Douste-Blazy
Former French Minister of Culture, France
“From that book I learned to always follow my own path through life. I try to make my own story as complete as possible, to meet the challenges that lie ahead of me. And my firm belief is that I do a better job as a football coach if I dedicate myself completely to it.”
Manuel Pellegrini
Soccer Manager and Coach
“When I’m on the set with young actors and sometimes you meet people in life who you feel are a little confused and they want to be re-centered, there are two books that I always recommend. One of them is Siddhartha . . . and the other is The Alchemist. I’ve used them in other situations as well when teenage sons or daughters of friends of mine have a question or two. They are very basic, rich, philosophical allegories. I always recommend they take the afternoon off and just read it in one hit.”
Russell Crowe
Actor
“I like Coelho’s most recent novel, Veronika Decides to Die. It really touched me deeply.”
Umberto Eco
Writer
“I am not a strong reader, but there are a few books I do care a lot about, such as those by Coelho, The Alchemist, which I have read and reread, and The Manual of the Warrior of Light.”
Tiziano Ferro
Songwriter and Singer
“Paulo Coelho in The Alchemist, which is my favorite book, talks about the whole of the universe, and it’s contained in one grain of sand. For years I’ve been saying that, and now it’s really starting to expose itself to me. My own grain of sand has been story. The next ten years will be my peak of innovation in filmmaking and just as a human being.”
Will Smith
Actor
“The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, is a brilliant, magical, life-changing book that continues to blow my mind with its lessons. I’ve never, ever encountered a book that would so consistently have me read a passage and be so moved and changed that I would just set the book down and think about what I just learned. It’s a remarkable tome.”
Neil Patrick Harris
Actor