Hi, I have watched from the very first episode. After the season finale I was instantly struck by the similarities between "Lost" and a book I read years ago called "Lost Horizon". In the book, survivors of a plane crash in the Himalayas are rescued by sherpa and taken to a secret valley called Shangri-La. Shangri-La is a place like no other. People don't age there. There is a huge mansion similar to a monastery and, there is a, "dali llama" for lack of a better word. One of the survivors wants nothing more than to rescue everyone and get them back to civilization and their lives. Another wants to stay because every need is met there. The one leader who is intent on leaving is approached by the "dali llama" to become his successor (the guy is 300 years old) but the offer is refused. The survivors do leave and get back home; however, the leader (could be Jack) spends the rest of his life trying to find Shangri-La. Of course, no ordinary people have ever heard of it. It is not on any maps, etc. Does anyone wish to discuss this further?