Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I had seen The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho in bookshops for many years, and always wondered what it was about. Why is it so famous, and why had millions of copies been sold all over the world? I was intrigued by the title and curious to know why it was often in the 'Mind/Body/Spirit' category in my favourite bookstore, Borders.

Well, I finished reading this book yesterday and am pleased to say I can now answer these questions. The Alchemist is a simple tale about a shepherd boy and his search for meaning. He encounters many obstacles on his journey (Personal Legend) to Egypt, and meets several key characters that teach him many valuable life lessons along the way. These lessons and his own observations of human nature are extremely relevant in today's society regardless of culture. Obviously this is a key reason the book is such a worldwide success.

If a person was struggling to find meaning in their life or the courage to pursue a personal dream, I would certainly recommend this book. It is also worth reading for the little fables and truths along the way.

Rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Click Here for Breast Cancer

The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on "donating a mammogram" for free (pink window in the middle). This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.


http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/


Go on, do it now!

That's my four bucks!

Happy New Year 2006

Happy New Year to you all!!! 2006 has begun, and I'm struggling to believe this is the year I turn 30. I thought I would have all the answers by now, and even though I might not have figured it all out yet, I certainly have an opinion on everything, and you'll definitely find it here this year, so tune in.


That's my four bucks!

Christmas 2005

Yes, Christmas is almost here, and I can't wait. The Christmas lights have been up since November, and all my presents are wrapped and ready to go. If you are reading this blog it probably means you are getting a present, so I hope you like it.



Merry Christmas to all my fellow bloggers out there, striving for 'hits' and 'comments'... make sure you tune into my blog in the New Year, for more exciting and hilarious comments.



For now, it's Merry Christmas!!!

That's my four bucks!

Generosity of a Stranger

Last night I took my sister out to dinner for her Birthday, and after sharing a spectacular 3 course meal together in Southbank, we were both shocked and stunned to learn that our bill had been settled by a stranger! It would seem that the gentleman seated adjacent to our table, with whom we had exchanged polite chit-chat, had settled our entire bill without our knowledge. He left before we learned of the phenomenal gesture, and have no way to thank him for his gift which has restored my sister's faith in the good will of mankind. What an amazing man, and I hope that many good things come his way in the future.


I would like to formally acknowledge the generosity of this stranger.


That's my four bucks!

History & Naming of Blog

Generally when giving an opinion, people refer to this as their 2 cents worth.


This website is entitled My Four Bucks because I always seem to have more than 2 cents to contribute.


This is my four bucks - enjoy!