The alchemist by Paulo Coelho

First thing I did was look into dictionary for the meaning yes you would have come across in your school  but alas as you get older your memory fades of course..lol..Alchemy means the transformation of metal to gold by nature it is a philosophical tradition related with intellectual power from time immemorial..

Every time  Santiago sleeps under sycamore tree, he is troubled by a dream where a child tries to show him a hidden treasure near pyramid...He goes to a gypsy woman to interpret his dream , she asks him to set on the journey to pursue his dream..Thus begins his journey that transcends places right from his home in Spain to lively Tangeries's market and finally to desert in Egypt where his destiny awaits him...
Though Santiago's parents sent him to school to study language and religion he chooses to become a shepherd that would match his aptitude of curiosity travelling far and wide learning things on his own...In course of the journey he  meets Fatima a beautiful maid falling in love she encourages him to pursue his dream as he is hit by dilemma between his destiny and love...He once even loses all money that forces him to work in a carpet shop in Tangeries ,but he turns out to be the lucky charm.. His ideas slowly transforms the business into profit from loss, he runs on to Englishmen who are in search of a universal language..Finally he moves to desert in Egypt where he encounters the Alchemist.....Among all the characters Santiago get to meet, the golden one is of course the alchemist who has discovered the secret about philosopher's stone...

Santiago's character is that of a determined headstrong and curious boy who wants to taste everything around....In short the book tells you to listen to yourself and follow your dreams..It says life is full of omen that will lead to your destiny just watch out carefully..It says that the world itself has a soul of its own and when person's and the world's soul are in sync, magic happens or in other words you do what you are destined to be and for that one has to start with following instincts..I wish the end was more detailed, somehow I felt it ended all of a sudden..