The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor

By Eddie Jaku

Book Overview

A New York Times Bestseller

In this uplifting Holocaust survivor memoir in the vein of The Last Lecture and Man's Search for Meaning, a survivor pays tribute to those who were lost by telling his story, sharing his wisdom, and living his best possible life.

Born in Leipzig, Germany, into a Jewish family, Eddie Jaku was a teenager when his world was turned upside-down. On November 9, 1938, during the terrifying violence of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, Eddie was beaten by SS thugs, arrested, and sent to a concentration camp with thousands of other Jews across Germany. Every day of the next seven years of his life, Eddie faced unimaginable horrors in Buchenwald, Auschwitz, and finally on a forced death march during the Third Reich's final days. The Nazis took everything from Eddie--his family, his friends, and his country. But they did not break his spirit.

Against unbelievable odds, Eddie found the will to survive. Overwhelming grateful, he made a promise: he would smile every day in thanks for the precious gift he was given and to honor the six million Jews murdered by Hitler. Today, at 100 years of age, despite all he suffered, Eddie calls himself the "happiest man on earth." In his remarkable memoir, this born storyteller 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. Life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful. With The Happiest Man on Earth, Eddie shows us how.

Filled with his insights on friendship, family, health, ethics, love, and hatred, and the simple beliefs that have shaped him, this inspirational story offers timeless lessons for readers of all ages, especially for young people today.

This unforgettable memoir of hope reveals:

A True Story of Resilience: Follow Eddie Jaku's journey from a German teenager through the horrors of Buchenwald and Auschwitz to a 100-year-old man who calls himself the happiest on Earth.Finding Happiness: Discover the promise Eddie made to smile every day, and learn his profound wisdom on the power of gratitude, tolerance, and kindness against unbelievable odds.WWII History: Witness the terror of Kristallnacht and the inhumanity of the Nazi death camps through the eyes of a survivor dedicated to honoring the six million Jews who were lost.Lessons on Gratitude: Learn from a man who lost everything how the simple choice to be grateful can transform unimaginable suffering into a life of joy and purpose.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0063097699
• ISBN13: 9780063097698
• Release Date: August 2022
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Valuable Lessons and Four Reasons to Read

If you are going to read one book about the Holocaust in your lifetime, I'd say pick this one. For one, it teaches valuable lessons about love, perseverance, community, friendship, etc. In fact, each of its 15 chapters begins with a lesson or adage he learned through his experiences as a prisoner, escapee, and despised person at the hands of his neighbors and the Nazi government. The lessons continue when he emigrates to Australia with his family after the war. Examples of lessons are Chapter 3: Tomorrow will come if you survive today. One step at a time; Chapter 5: Hug your mother; Chapter 6: One good friend is my whole world; Chapter 15: What I have to share is not my pain. What I share is my hope. The author also shares that we can choose happiness and hope for our lives and for one another. A second reason this should be your one book on the Holocaust? The author Eddie Jaku is a truly remarkable person. Third: Told in straightforward and simple language, it's a good history lesson about the horrors in our world, which should never ever happen. Fourth: It's a quick and easy, but thought-provoking, read!