Written in the form of an autobiography, it describes the life of the eponymous narrator Robinson Crusoe. After surviving a terrible shipwreck, Crusoe discovers he is the only human on an island far from any shipping routes or rescue. At first he is devastated, but slowly, with patience and imagination, he transforms his island into a tropical paradise. For twenty-four years he lives with no human companionship until one fateful day, when he discovers he is not alone... The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe is of the most popular books ever written in the English language, published in innumerable editions and translated into almost every language of the world. Based on the real-life experiences of the castaway Alexander Selkirk, the book has had a perennial appeal among readers of all ages especially the young adult reading public who continue to find inspiration in the inventive resourcefulness of its hero.