The Archer

Every once in a while, a book comes along and soothes your soul, encourages your heart, and leaves you full of hope and a renewed sense of purpose.If you follow books by Paulo Coelho, that feeling comes fairly frequently.Coelho’s new book, The Archer, was the encouragement I didn’t know I needed this month. I was first introduced to his work when I was gifted a copy of The Alchemist in high school, and since then, I will regularly turn to his books when I need something to put my heart at peace.The Archer does just that. The story is about a man named Tetsuya, who was once a famous archer, a man who comes to challenge him, and a boy who witnesses the challenge. After the challenge, the boy asks Tetsuya to teach him the ways of the bow, and how he too can become a master. The book comprises of Tetsuya’s advice and wisdom for the boy–wisdom that extends beyond archery and can be applied to the lives of all who read it, advice that we can each integrate into our own crafts and passions. We can all be masters, if only we try.Especially with being a newly self-published author of my first book, and admittedly some of the discouragement and frustrations that come along with that which I occasionally feel, I needed to read Coelho’s words. It was the encouragement and balm for my soul I didn’t even know I needed when I first picked it up. It’s a quick, easy read — I got it done in a little over an hour while my husband drove us home from visiting family for Thanksgiving — but its impact lasts much longer. It’s also visually lovely, the illustrations within it beautiful and simple.Definitely an excellent read, and good for anyone who is striving for their goals and dreams. I give it a well-deserved five-star rating.

I found this small compact book very much chalk full of wisdom with a different type of yoga explained with living life in changing how you see God, intuition, and wisdom itself. I loved the artwork accompanied with the fictional story of a man teaching a way to see and live his path to another. Beautiful writing that is very much Paulo Coelho and, in my opinion, no one can match in the art of 'his' style. If there was a higher rating system, The Archer would be higher than 5 stars. My favorite part is when you find out where everything goes inside the bowstring. Read this book, you won't regret it!A book of supreme spiritually for everyone to enjoy.On to the next!!!

This story was nice but the way they describe the details for each step for an archer was great and game me an inspiration to keep doing what i love and that is Archery

I gave this book to my client's son who is passionate about archery. He has used archery as a metaphor to describe his college applications process and found the book to be very inspirational.

This was a gift, but the person said she like a lot

Having read a few Coelho books now I’m catching on to his method. Though this is the most transparent of them, it is similar to the Manuscript Found in Accra in that it is a philosophy-slash-self-help book embedded in a fictional parable. The difference between this and Manuscript however, is while that book had Coelho’s message embedded in his story, in the Archer, it’s more like it was book-ended.He sets the scene of the story, then literally tells you his pearls of wisdom, then you’re at the epilogue. While I’m not dismissing the teachings he presents in the book (with some lovely woodcarving-style artwork I might add. This is a very pretty book) I feel the presentation of what he is trying to say is a bit lazy. A lot of telling rather than showing. I could see this book making its way on to a lot of CEO’s office book shelves as the book that inspired them to climb that corporate ladder because of it being an inspirational while at the same time accessible read.My main issue is the presentation of the content I feel requires a lot more introspection to find the wisdom within rather then just one day tripping over a master who is happy to tell you the mystery of the universe in an hour and then giving you permission to head out and make your mark on the world. Maybe it is that simple and the student has to be ready to take it in, but I’m a bit skeptical. I would recommend Zen and the Art of Archery over this. The Archer serves more of a cliff note version of that book.

It might be easier to explain Paulo Coelho’s The Archer by stating what it is not. It’s not a book on spirituality despite many spiritual passages. It’s not an introduction to Eastern or Western religions though it draws inspiration from both. It’s also not a guide to meditation even though it’s written in a meditative spirit.Instead it’s more a guide to life or what the ancients called ethics. By using the extended analogy of archery, Coelho means to impart a way of living to the reader: essentially, the need to treat life as a goal driven endeavor where proper preparation is necessary to attain mastery.According to Coelho one should choose goals but know that one will never perfectly hit the target. One must cultivate allies who take their practice as seriously yet joyfully as you do. It is necessary to alternate relaxation and pressure just as a properly strung bowstring.It’s hard to think of anyone who would object to this kind of advice. The major objection will be that all of this is obvious, we all learned this as kids, etc. But, like many teachings, the difficulty is not in skimming through the book in fifteen minutes, it’s in putting into practice the lessons Coelho imparts. If one carefully makes the maxims and lessons of this book their own, it’s hard to imagine not undergoing a significant improvement in one’s life experience.Highly recommended to all who seek reminders and wise advice on the art of being human.

There is a simplicity here, a depth that is open and honest. This lesson can be applied to any life, any place. There is joy in mastery. It is both internal and external.

El libro llegó rápido y en buenas condiciones, muchas gracias. Excelente lectura con el autor.

I had found a second-hand copy of this and liked it so much I ordered this new one to gift to a friend. It was perfect! Arrived quickly enough to be able to send to him in time.

Book Review: The Archer by Paulo CoelhoThe Archer by Paulo Coelho is a short but philosophical book that explores the journey of life through the metaphor of archery. The story follows Tetsuya, a master archer who has retired from public life. One day, a young archer comes to Tetsuya, seeking his guidance. Tetsuya agrees to teach the young man, but only if he is willing to learn from his mistakes.Through the course of their lessons, Tetsuya teaches the young archer about the importance of focus, discipline, and perseverance. He also teaches him about the importance of accepting failure and learning from it.The Archer is a beautiful and inspiring book that reminds us that the journey of life is more important than the destination. It is a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.Here are some of the things I liked most about the book:It is concise and to the point. Coelho gets his message across without using unnecessary words.It is philosophical and thought-provoking. The book explores many deep questions about life, such as the meaning of life, the nature of success, and the importance of failure.It is not preachy or didactic. Coelho does not tell you what to do. Rather, he gives you ideas to ponder and reflect on.Overall, I highly recommend The Archer to anyone who is looking for a book that is both inspiring and thought-provoking. It is a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.Specifically, here are some of the generic philosophy of life lessons that I learned from the book:Focus on the present moment.Don't be afraid to fail.Learn from your mistakes.Be patient and persistent.Trust your intuition.Accept yourself for who you are.Enjoy the journey of life.These are just a few of the many lessons that can be found in The Archer. I encourage you to read the book for yourself and discover your own personal insights

Ich habe es am gleichen Abend noch gelesen. Wie erwartet, einfach 🔝.

What a delight to receive Paulo’s latest bestseller via Amazon this week - it is a wonderful book for several reasons. It’s a beautiful keepsake volume with inspiring illustrations by award-winning illustrator Christoph Niemann that are in perfect harmony with the subject of this book: inspirational meditations on Zen and the art of archery.Zen Buddhism can, for those of us growing up in the west, be very difficult to grasp in it’s multiple paradoxes, but this book eases the reader into the very essence of the philosophy through the analogy of archery. As Paulo says in his blog, ‘It is a short book, you don’t need to complicate things. In fact, life is simple. We complicate a lot. And a fable or allegory talks to the hidden parts of ourselves.’Why did Paulo choose the art of archery as the analogy to reveal the life-art of Zen? Besides being a weapon of war, in many ancient texts on Buddhism, listed among the sacred implements is the bow and arrow. The premise is simple; by understanding the art of archery, we can learn the art of Zen - which is the art of life. In addition to this, archery is Paulo’s favourite sports pastime, so he has a knowledge of the intricacies of the skills needed.What can we learn from archery about Zen and the art of life? Through his poetic and soulful thoughts. Paulo offers insights into a number of key lessons from Zen:Know and respect your allies in the contest, while learning from their successes and failures.The bow is your greatest asset and is the source of your energy.Your intention is within the arrow.The object of your focus is the target.How you execute a successful shot - from your posture, through letting fly the arrow, to hitting the target - is the same as the skills you need in life.The Archer will not leave my bedside and my guess is over many years, I will subliminally commit most of the wisdom it imparts to memory. Even if I never become a full time student of Zen Buddhism, I will at least have learned to adopt it’s most essential life enriching lessons by making this book my daily companion.Thank you Paulo!