February/March Read - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

For the month of February and March, Lina chose the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

This book is going to be something a little different from the genres I usually read - I usually stray away from science and medical stuff, never keeps my interest - but after reading the reviews and synopsis about the book I am looking forward to it. It is much more than science and medical stuff. It further discusses how her family was impacted upon discovering Henrietta's cells being used and their stories, which for me would probably be more the interesting parts that will make me want to further read.

The Alchemist

As I begin this review, I must say that this is not the first time I’ve read this wonderful book. Its actually the third. Believe it or not, I learn more and more from this book each time I read it. I’m a lover of all things magical and fantastical, so this story was easy for me to get into. But more than that, it serves as an inspiration to adhere to my destiny, a restoration of my faith in the most high, and an assurance of the power of love. What about it is most inspiring to me? Everything about this book inspires me. The way Santiago has doubts throughout following his destiny lets us realize that its our human nature to be doubtful but not to let fear and doubt stop us. That I must listen to my heart first (the logical thinker in me screams at this...lol). That you must know that nothing desired will come without work. That you can create the life you want, and all the things in it. So let us dive in.

The Alchemist is a story of a lowly shepherd who after a recurring dream decides to go on a quest to find a hidden treasure. He meets people along the way, and eventually learns alchemy. Alchemy in its simplest form is a way to turn lead into gold. That, enough for me, is a reason to pick it up. Plus, its not a complicated read nor an immense volume of work. Its simple. Yet, you find yourself pausing throughout the book because of all the thoughts, similarities and lessons you learn. There are questions in the back of most copies, so we thought we’d use those as a guide for this review, but before I get into that, I’d like to produce some quotes that really stood out to me.

“And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

How much do we believe in this statement? Do we really look to the universe to provide us with the means to achieve our greatest goals? I’ll give you an example. About a year ago, frustrated with my current living situation, I stumbled upon an ad in Craigslist for a loft apartment. I scheduled an appointment to view it. When I got there, it was the smallest little apartment ever, and I thought, “There no way I can fit all my stuff in here.” I thanked her for her time and made my way back to my car. As I was leaving she said, “Well, I have another apartment that just became available about three days ago. Its not really ready for viewing, but if you want to see it, I’ll show you.” I walked into the apartment and immediately feel in love. Hardwoods, giant fireplaces, 16ft ceilings, tons of space. It was a dream come true. Plus, it was in a neighborhood that I’d always wanted to live in. The universe helped me into something I wanted, because I truly wanted it.

“Here I am between my flock and my treasure.”

This is common, and I know we’ve all been here at some point. The place where you are dissatisfied with life but not uncomfortable enough to change it. Or it could be that there are certain responsibilities you cant forgo in order to pursue your life’s dream. Its so common a lot of people never reach their full potential because of it.

“The boy wanted to believe that his friend had simply become separated from him by accident.”

“In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage.”

Questions:

When he talked about the pilgrimage to Mecca, the crystal merchant argued that having a dream is more important than fulfilling it, which is what Santiago was trying to do. Do you agree with Santiago's rationale or crystal merchant's?

There is an excellent quote that sums up the man’s idea as to why he will never go to Mecca: “Im afraid if my dream is realized, I’ll have no reason to go on living.” Dreams of exotic places, being famous, an author, a millionaire are all dreams that many of us have. Often though, the fear that there will be nothing else to live for keeps us from achieving these very same dreams that are the foremost desires of our hearts. We think, “If I do this, whats left to do?” However, of all the people we know who’ve achieved their dreams, whats one thing common to them? They make more dreams, they realize more dreams. There is always more to live for, because the mind keeps growing, keeps dreaming, keeps achieving.

What is a "Personal Legend?" How does one find their own Personal Legend? What is your own Personal Legend?

A legend can be many things. It can be the story of, as the old folks say, how I got over. It can also be a road map to guide us. It can be a lie we tell ourselves to get through life’s harder times. In this instance, I’ll say our personal legend is both the road map and the story of overcoming. It can define who we are, at the very core, and guide others into seeing who we really are.

Santiago is repeatedly encouraged to read signs and omens/ What do signs and omens have to do with his quest? How are they related to the "universal language?" What kinds of signs and omens have you experienced in your life?

In my own life, I’ve seen many signs and omens, both good and bad, that have encouraged me to go in a certain direction. I’ve faulted myself in the past for not listening to them, but even then I’ve come to learn great lessons. They are related in that when we actively listen to them, the universe is really helping us out. In Santiago’s journey, his learning to see the omens helped him to ultimately achieve his goals.

“Dreams are the language of God,” says the gypsy woman. What might she mean
by this?

In my opinion, our dreams are our subconscious helping us to see forthcoming danger, solving problems and promote our personal dreams and goals. This is unique to everyone, but if God resides within us, can not he reach us most when our inner most mind and heart are in peace and conjunction?

What aspects of the story are the most relevant to you? Has reading this novel changes the way you see your own life? How?

Since is clearly my very personal review of the book, I’ll leave this one for you to comment on. But I will say that I am once again inspired by all this book has to offer, and I hope that reading it will provide you with one of the many lessons in this book.

I hope you guys have enjoyed my review and I look forward to reading your comments. If you’d like to read more like this, I’d suggest The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield.

Current Read: The Alchemist

The Booke Nooke is currently "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.

Lina will be posting a book review along with her answers to guided questions on the blog mid-month to "The Alchemist". Comment on her review and jump in with your own opinions and answers to the guided questions. If you have your own questions you want to throw out there, feel free to do so as well.