The Alchemist

"As complex as that book is and as deep as that book is — it is so, so deep — I was able to figure out a way to translate it to my life."

"Its themes of pursuing one's destiny and overcoming obstacles align with Kobe Bryant's Mamba Mentality philosophy of relentless self-improvement and achieving greatness. This tale of personal legend fits an athlete known for his intense drive and focus."

"This book isn’t exactly drug-related, but it involves a spiritual journey. Getting out of drugs has a lot to do with your frame of mind and the ability to become connected to something higher than yourself. Eventually the young boy in this book chooses his own destiny, which is a key tenet of overcoming addiction. He starts to learn that everyone has a purpose and you have to tune in to find it. A lot of people become afraid of listening to their heart and doing the wrong thing. When that happens you start living a mundane life and falling short of your potential. As you gain courage and believe in yourself you get energy from those around you. The Alchemist points out that the key to solving most problems is love. The rehab centre in Mumbai was all about love – how to love yourself, your family and your life. A lot of rehabs get it wrong because they are very punitive. The focus is on discipline and drawing boundaries and cutting things off. The problem is that addicts don’t end up gaining a strength when they leave. They might get away from their addiction for a while but that’s not enough. The addicts might leave feeling hollow and alienated and without the strength to go on. Most rehabs use a punitive approach to heroin, which is why the recovery rate is so low. It’s around 10 per cent globally. Heroin addicts are never considered ‘recovered’ addicts – they are always ‘recovering’, because the moment there is a slip-up it’s back down the black hole. The rehab centre in Mumbai has an 80 per cent recovery rate, which is obviously higher than most others."

"I like it because it is hopeful and inspiring. It tells the story of a boy who embarks on a journey to find a treasure, but as he goes along, he learns from every part of his journey."

"It's a brilliant, magical, life-changing book that continues to blow my mind with its lessons. I've never, ever encountered a book that would so consistently have me read a passage and be so moved and changed that I would just set the book down and think about what I just learned."