The Happiest Man on Earth

‍​Quick Background

Despite the unimaginable horrors he faced, Eddie Jaku, a 100-year old Holocaust survivor, considered himself "the happiest man on earth."

This short book chronicles his unbelievable journey as a Holocaust survivor, each chapter delivering a powerful life-lesson he learned along the way.

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You should read this book if...

• You're in the mood for a quick but inspiring read
• You're interested in learning about the Holocaust / WWII
• You're feeling down and need a quick perspective-check

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Top 3 Highlights

1) Love as often as you can, while you still can.

"I did not get a chance to say goodbye to my beloved mother, and I have missed her every day of my life. Every night, I still dream of her, and sometimes wake up calling out to her.

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All I ever wanted was to be back with her, to spend time with her, to see her smile. And now, I never would again. She would never smile again. She was gone, murdered, stolen from me.

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There is never a day I do not think that I would give everything I have to see her just one more time.

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If you have the opportunity today, please go home and tell your mother how much you love her. Do this for your mother. And do it for your new friend, Eddie, who cannot tell it to his mother."

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2) When choosing a career, seek to be useful.

"As long as I could work, as long as I was profitable for the Germans, I might survive.

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On three separate occasions, I was taken to the gas chambers and maybe 20 metres before going in, the guard saw my name, number and profession and shouted, ‘Take out 172338!’

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I silently thanked my father, who always stressed the importance of work. He understood it was the way a person contributed to the world, that it is important for everybody to play their part in order for society to function properly.

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As long as my professional skills were essential, I would be safe."

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3) Happiness is not the absence of problems. It's the ability to smile at them.

"I promised when I came out of the darkest hours of my life that I would be happy for the rest of my life and smile, because if you smile, the world smiles with you.

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Life is not always happiness. Sometimes, there are many hard days.

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But you must remember that you are lucky to be alive – we are all lucky in this way.

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Every breath is a gift. Life is beautiful if you let it be. Happiness is in your hands."