'An anthology is not only a collection of texts or poems, but a gift, something we arrange, according to our sensibilities, to give to others' In Inspirations, one of the world's best-loved storytellers turns to the classics, and captures the joy and wisdom of the books he has loved - the books that have inspired Paulo Coelho and his unforgettable work. Arranged in four sections - water, earth, air and fire - which echo the four elements of the Ancients, Coelho's anthology takes us by the hand on a wonderful journey: discovery with Alice through the looking glass; danger with Dracula's thirst for blood; thrills with Jekyll and Hyde in nineteenth-century London; and powerful lust with Venus and her furs, among many others. Coelho shows how lessons can be learned in the most surprising places, and that books from ancient Persia through to post-war Britain can each offer profound insights into our lives, our loves, and the truth in all of our hearts. Selected with an introduction by PAULO COELHO