A pedagogue, poet and philosopher for all time, chronicler of everyday life, storyteller, essayist, theologian, academician, author of children books, psychoanalyst, Rubem Alves is one of Brazil s most respected intellectuals. A prolific writer his bibliography to date includes more than fifty titles in different languages with a strong autobiographic bent, Rubem Alves is one of the most brilliant craftsmen of the Portuguese language. In his texts the plasticity of the language achieves varying forms and expressions of rare and always surprising uniqueness. Rubem Alves is passionate about life, a compulsive enjoyer of life. He has not written yet all the books he has in his thoughts. Neither has he felt, loved, and played enough, or answered all the letters and messages of his friends. He has not told his grandchildren all the stories that they might imagine, nor experienced all the absences and saudades. Neither has he beheld all the mysteries of the world and of himself… Many of those who admire him believe that he has a secret pact with eternity. Rubem denies that. Eternity requires patience, and he is inveterately impatient. So much so (he says) that if God had asked for his advice the world would certainly be much better (Ademar Ferreira dos Santos).