| My comments on the book | | | | three of the four main characters in the book: |
| FOLLOW MY DREAM – BUT WHICH ONE? | | | | Igor, a Russian millionaire, who believes that you can kill |
| One of the recurrent themes of my books is the | | | | if you have a good reason for that – like avoiding |
| importance of paying the price of your dreams. But to | | | | human suffering, or bringing back the attention the |
| what extent can our dreams be manipulated? For the | | | | woman he loves. |
| past decades, we lived in a culture that privileged | | | | Hamid, a fashion magnate, who started with good |
| fame, money, power – and most of the people | | | | intentions, till he got caught by the very system he was |
| were led to believe that these were the real values | | | | trying to use. |
| that we should pursue. | | | | Gabriela, who – like most of the people today – |
| We all should be a “winner”. Not in the sense of | | | | is convinced that fame is an end by itself, the supreme |
| someone who finally wins what is important to his/her | | | | reward in a world that praises ccelebrity as the |
| life. Not in the sense that happiness is the most | | | | supreme achievement in life. |
| valuable gift on Earth – and it can be attained here | | | | As I finish writing these pages, there are currently |
| and now, when your work fulfills your heart. We should | | | | several dictators in power. One country in the Middle |
| be a winner in the sense that the system portraits a | | | | East has been invaded by the world’s only |
| successful person: celebrity, influence, photos in glossy | | | | superpower. Support for terrorist groups is growing. |
| magazines, behaving like the masters of the universe. | | | | Fundamentalist Christians have the ability to elect |
| Yes, you may reach the goal society has fed you – | | | | presidents. The spiritual search is manipulated by |
| but will you be satisfied? Will you be whole? Will you | | | | various sects each claiming to possess ‘absolute |
| be in peace? This cycle of possession never ends | | | | knowledge’. Whole cities are wiped from the map |
| – because the moment that you think that you have | | | | by Nature’s fury. According to research carried out |
| reached your goal another desire creeps in. And how | | | | by a reputable American intellectual, all the world’s |
| can you find rest when it is the hunt that moves | | | | power rests in the hands of six thousand people. |
| you? | | | | There are thousands of prisoners of conscience on |
| While people are connected – omniscient thanks to | | | | every continent. Torture is once again deemed |
| their mobile phones and GPS – they all speak the | | | | acceptable as an interrogation method. The wealthier |
| same words, fight for the same goals, and crave the | | | | nations are closing their borders. The poorer nations |
| same things. How could it be otherwise? If fashion | | | | are witnessing an unprecedented exodus as their |
| exists it is precisely because you can mold the desire | | | | inhabitants leave in search of El Dorado. Genocide |
| of the masses – or how else could a bag, a dress | | | | continues to be committed in at least two African |
| impose itself as necessary? | | | | countries. The economic system is showing signs of |
| In a world of invisible yet unsurpassable “diktats”, | | | | break-down, and great fortunes are beginning to |
| where a few puppeteers pull the strings of the many, | | | | collapse. Child slavery has become a constant. |
| instill in other people’s dreams the pursue of | | | | Hundreds of millions of people live below the poverty |
| superficial things, there seems to be a rising feeling, a | | | | line. Nuclear proliferation is accepted as irreversible. |
| silent despair that creeps in. | | | | New diseases emerge. The old diseases have not yet |
| Greed to have, greed to be seen, greed to prevail, | | | | been brought under control. |
| even greed to kill, if you think it is for a good cause | | | | But is this a portrait of the world I live in? |
| – like love, for example. | | | | Of course not. When I decided to take a snapshot of |
| What we don’t know is that, behind the scenes, the | | | | my own times, I wrote this book. |
| real manipulators remain anonymous. They understand | | | | So please join me in this journey into a world that is |
| that the most effective power is the one that nobody | | | | coming to an end. You will see glittery, glamour, and |
| can notice – until it is too late, and you a trapped. | | | | blood – but don’t see this book as a thriller: it is a |
| This book is about this trap. | | | | crude portrait of where we are now. We are part of |
| Soon after I finished writing “The winner stands | | | | the solution, if we go back to the real values of life, |
| alone”, the financial market collapsed. Will this lead | | | | being “follow your dream” the most important of |
| us again to the real values? I really don’t know. | | | | all. Not the dreams of the Superclass. Not the dreams |
| What I do know is that we cannot continue to allow | | | | of our parents, or our partners. We should be what |
| our dreams to be manipulated like they are as for | | | | we always wanted to be. |