On A Survivor's Tale, The Happiest Man on Earth, and Rise and Kill First
Books that changed my thinking, my behaviors, and my life
Hello all!
Here is your weekly dose of goodness:
1. Memoir
Maus
Summary
A graphic novel about….The Holocaust. Two short books, one unforgettable story.
This is the story of two lovers who survived one of the most terrible times in human history. They relied on each other, and even under the worst of circumstances, they persevered together. And it was also the story of the aftermath, the damage done and the trauma inflicted upon those who did manage to survive and the generations that followed.
Quote: No, darling! To die it's easy... But you have to struggle for life!
Quote: People came back and told us. But we didn't believe.
Quote: People haven't changed ... Maybe they need a newer, bigger Holocaust.
Author: Arthur Spiegelman
Themes: Memoir, Holocaust, History
My personal notes from the book
2. Memoir
The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor
Summary
Ready for an incredible story? A story of devastation, survival, and joy–it is the story of Holocaust survivor Abraham Salomon Jakubowicz, also known as Edward Jaku. Eddie calls himself the “happiest man on earth.” In this memoir he shares his wisdom and reflects on how he has led his best possible life, talking warmly and openly about the power of gratitude, tolerance, and kindness. If you need a reason to make a change in your life…you may find it in this book.
Advice: If you are not free in your heart, don’t take away your children’s freedom. I always tell my children, ‘I brought you into this world because I wanted to love you. You owe me nothing but that. All I need from you is your affection and respect.’ This is what I’m proud of – my family is my achievement.
Insight: I still can't understand how people with whom I went to work, with whom I studied and played sport, could become animals like that. How was it that Hitler could make enemies of friends, turn civilized men into inhuman zombies? How is it possible to create such hate?
Insight: Perhaps you do not love your job, or you work with difficult people. You are still doing important things, contributing your own small piece to the world we live in. We must never forget this. Your efforts today will affect people you will never know. It is your choice whether that effect is positive or negative. You can choose every day, every minute, to act in a way that may uplift a stranger, or else drag them down. The choice is easy. And it is yours to make.
Quote: There are always miracles in the world, even when it seems dark.
Quote: Here are the lines I try to live by, and which I like to include when I speak publicly: May you always have lots of love to share, Lots of good health to spare, And lots of good friends who care.
Quote: In my mind, this is really the best revenge, and it is the only revenge I am interested in – to be the happiest man on Earth.
Author: Eddie Jaku
Themes: Memoir, Holocaust, History
My personal notes from the book
3. History
Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations
Summary
The book reads like a Mission Impossible movie. But the events, characters and killings are real. The book's title is inspired by a statement in the Talmud: "If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first". This is an exceptional 750-page work, a humane book about an incendiary subject. It is filled with moral quandaries, and apropos for current events.
Insight: The lessons that the new Jews of Palestine learned from the Holocaust were that the Jewish people would always be under the threat of destruction, that others could not be relied upon to protect the Jews, and that the only way to do so was to have an independent state. A people living with this sense of perpetual danger of annihilation is going to take any and all measures, however extreme, to obtain security, and will relate to international laws and norms in a marginal manner, if at all.
Insight: Israel’s reliance on assassination as a military tool did not happen by chance, but rather stems from the revolutionary and activist roots of the Zionist movement, from the trauma of the Holocaust, and from the sense among Israel’s leaders and citizens that the country and its people are perpetually in danger of annihilation and that, as in the Holocaust, no one will come to their aid when that happens.
Quote: We cannot prevent the murder of workers in the orchards and of families in their beds, but we have the ability to set a high price for our blood. -Moshe Dayan
Authors: Ronen Bergman
Themes: History, Israel
My personal notes from the book
That’s a wrap. Thanks for reading!
Please continue to share with me the books that changed your life!
Best,
Adam
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I will definitely read Maus this weekend! Thanks for the recommendations.