Philip Pullman’s new novel follows ‘The Golden Compass’ heroine into young adulthood

The Alchemist is a story of transformation. But rather than transforming lead into gold, Paulo Coelho teaches us, through the story of a shepherd boy who has the courage to follow his dreams, the power of transformation for our lives.

Coelho is a Brazilian novelist who has published over 30 literary works, from the 1980s to the present. In 1986 he walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage road and had a spiritual awakening that inspired the direction of his work going forward. To date, The Alchemist, published in 1988, is Coelho’s best-known work, and it was an international bestseller.

In this guide, we’ll summarize the story of the shepherd boy and the alchemical lessons he learns, and we’ll compare some of the ideas to other philosophical and spiritual traditions and beliefs, such as Vedantic philosophy, Sufism, and the law of attraction.

On Writing is Stephen King’s musings on his craft—about how he discovered writing, what he learned about it, and his advice to you as a writer. Part memoir and part practical advice, it’s a personal look at one of the bestselling authors of all time.

Learn how Stephen King got his start by writing as a teenager, then struggled as an early writer until his breakthrough book Carrie. Then learn his key tips on writing good fiction, including how to develop a realistic story and characters, why you must avoid adverbs, and how to make it in the writing business.

You may not know it yet, but your life is full of stories worth sharing. So argues oral storytelling champion Matthew Dicks in Storyworthy—a guide to discovering, crafting, and sharing great personal stories. Drawing on his experience telling stories on stages around the world and teaching storytelling to diverse groups of people, Dicks offers insights on how to shape ordinary moments into stories that spark profound human connections.

In this guide, we’ll cover Dicks’s ideas in four parts. First, we’ll explain why everyone should learn how to tell their stories. Next, we’ll outline Dicks’s advice on deciding which stories to share. Then, we’ll explain how to combine all the elements of a good story. Finally, we’ll cover Dicks’s tips for memorizing, practicing, and sharing your story on stage. Throughout, we’ll supplement Dicks’s advice with tips from experts on writing, psychology, public speaking, and more.

Shooting selfies on vacation. Posting Facebook updates on our kid's graduation from pre-school. Garnering awards and promotions to add to our LinkedIn profiles. Guess what, America? We've become self-obsessed. In David Brooks’s The Road to Character, the New York Times columnist suggests we take a good hard look at ourselves and remember that we weren't always so narcissistic.

Brooks outlines the moral shift that took place after World War II when we transitioned from honoring humility, self-discipline, and public service to worshiping at the altar of "the Big Me." He also reminds us that our current self-focus isn't even making us happy. To help us recalibrate our moral compasses, Brooks details the lives of war heroes, civil rights activists, advocates for the poor, writers, and deep thinkers who've tackled the work of building moral character, then outlines a 15-point plan to help us live more virtuous—and ultimately happier—lives.

In The God Delusion, University of Oxford biologist and anti-religion activist Richard Dawkins seeks to demystify religion and discredit faith. He explores the unlikelihood of God’s existence; how evolution by natural selection explains the centrality of religion to the human experience; and how religion promotes immoral values, impoverishes the human mind, and provides justification for intolerance and persecution. He argues that ultimately, we as humans must free ourselves from our self-imposed shackles by destroying faith and religion and positively embracing the full potential of our species.

Humans are social creatures. But at times, many of us feel the urge to run away to the woods and be alone with our thoughts—as Henry David Thoreau did at Walden Pond. Thoreau, an essayist and a key figure in the Transcendentalist movement, is still read and revered—but not for daring feats of wilderness survival. (In fact, he built his cabin within walking distance of his mother’s house and was rumored to have returned often for clean laundry and fresh pie.)

Instead, we still read a book published more than 160 years ago because of what Thoreau accomplishes on the page. Watching the seasons pass, Thoreau articulated his philosophy that you can build a more meaningful life not through constant work and endless consumption, but through living in harmony with the natural world and with your values. In this guide, we’ll explore how Thoreau spent his time at Walden Pond, why he moved to the woods, and how you can find a bit of Walden in your own life—no handbuilt cabin needed.

In The Madness of Crowds, Douglas Murray argues that Western society is consumed by an ideology that’s obsessed with social justice and identity politics. This ideology insists that certain groups (notably women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ individuals) endure widespread prejudice and oppression, and that they should therefore receive sensitivity, accommodations, and apologetic behavior from the social majority. Murray believes this ideology is hard to challenge without suffering public ridicule and shaming.

Ultimately, Murray argues that we need to combat this ideology, restore constructive opportunities for civic disagreement, and depoliticize our personal identities. Otherwise, our society could become even more fragmented and chaotic, and conceivably violent.

In this guide, we’ll examine the development of this harmful ideology, its effects, and its internal contradictions. We’ll also explore ways to detoxify society and reduce the influence of this ideology. In our commentary, we’ll compare Murray’s ideas to those in other books that discuss wokeism, intersectionality, and identity politics, such as The Coddling of the American Mind and American Marxism.

Storytelling is an elusive art—you may have found yourself moved to tears by a story without fully understanding why. This makes writing fiction a tricky endeavor. Is it possible to learn how to capture and communicate this kind of emotional magic? Arguably, yes. The same basic storytelling principles apply no matter what kind of story you want to write—whether it’s a hilarious short film, a heart-wrenching novel, or a chilling horror audio drama.

For this Master Guide, we’ve collected and distilled advice from successful authors and storytelling experts, including Stephen King, Robert McKee, and Lisa Cron. You’ll learn how to structure your story in a way that makes sense to audiences, use your characters to communicate your story’s theme, and convey your unique voice through your storytelling.

No matter your current skill level, William Zinsser believes anyone can practice the craft of writing. On Writing Well offers a back-to-basics approach, focusing on honing essential writing skills rather than trying to employ complex stylistic techniques. Even if you’re not a professional writer, you’ll often find yourself in a position where you need to express an idea with words, and whether you’re crafting an email or a resume, you can apply Zinsser’s principles of simple, clear, and engaging writing. This book explores how to approach the discipline of writing and effectively put your ideas into words.

In this guide, we’ll explore Zinsser’s principles of simplicity, clarity, and identity, how to achieve each of them, and the specific challenges of creative nonfiction genres. Along the way, we’ll examine how his principles align with or differ from other writing experts, and we’ll provide actionable tips so you can apply Zinsser’s ideas to your writing.