Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese-American poet, philosopher, and artist best known for his book The Prophet, a collection of poetic essays about love, work, and the meaning of life. He moved to the United States as a child and became a bridge between Middle Eastern and Western ideas through his writing and paintings. His book has been translated into dozens of languages, and he's often ranked as the third best-selling poet in history, behind only Shakespeare and Lao Tzu.