I was given this book by a friend and I absolutely adored it. The book consists of ten letters to a young student at a military college in Vienna who wants to become a poet. The student sends his work to Rilke in hopes of getting a bit of criticism, praise and advice. What he got was so much more. He gave life lessons. This book made me think about my life, not only as a writer but also as a person. It's inspirational in a way that few books are, and every letter has some lesson I need to learn to live by. Fun fact: Lady Gaga has a passage from this book on her arm.