The Happiest Man on Earth audiobook

In the few hours it took me to read this book I made a new friend, his name is Eddie, and I am sharing his story with you because I believe it deserves to be heard. We not only need to understand how he survived, but people also need to hear how he values friendship and kindness.The Happiest Man on Earth is a story of survival.It’s barely imaginable.I am not going to go deeper into Eddie’s story because he is the only person that can tell it accurately. I can tell you that he shows strength, he is a survivor, he’s was a wonderful friend, a devoted son and husband, loved father and a man with a life-changing story that needs to be heard.For a full review head to https://littlebigreads.com/2020/07/28...

OH MY GOD.I am SO GLAD I read this book.There's a story here - a fascinating survivor's tale - but most of all there is hope, and love, and above all, kindness.This is the story of a man who suffered through great tragedy and hardship, who spent years fighting one day at a time just to LIVE, and who came through it all with an unbreakable spirit.It's absolutely inspiring.I hate war stories, because it pains me so deeply to read about people suffering, but there is so much inextinguishable light in Eddie's story that I just couldn't stop reading. No matter all of the horrible things he endured, he was able to appreciate the precious moments and use those to find the will to go on.What an incredible man.This story is filled with heart and light and HOPE and the message that kindness is one of the most valuable things we all have to give, and it costs us nothing but rather doubles our stores when we give it. The story is a quick read, though incredibly emotional. Things are told quite simply, but that doesn't affect the feeling of the story - you will easily become immersed in Eddie's story and I don't think anyone could possibly read this and not be moved by it.I hope many people read Eddie's story and take away that message of the value of kindness and the importance of hope. Especially in these troubling times when so many people are driven by fear, hatred and greed.What a beautiful soul. Thank you for sharing your hope.RIP Eddie Jaku12/10/21With many thanks to Macmillan for sending me a copy.

I wasn’t quite ready for another Holocaust survivor book. I’ve read a few and sought out the well-crafted films, but thought I had had my fill for a while.A friend gave me Eddie’s memoir for Christmas. I put it aside for a later date, but his photo on the book cover, his kind face, his inviting, all-knowing smile kept throwing me a hook.“MY DEAR NEW FRIEND” – these are his opening words. They speak volumes to the character of this man. Eddie takes his new friends back to his dark times, his survival, his losses, but also offers hope for the future, as many of the Holocaust survivors have done, yet he offers some extra layers. There’s little I can add to the thoughtful reviews already on Goodreads. I invite you to check them out.I’m very glad I took the hook.

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! The Audiobook is 3 hours and 47 minutes >>>>>>>>>>WOW!And I'm Jewish --I know these stories -- but??? Really? Saliva as a disinfectant…… And a letter opener to remove a bullet… 'nough said -- A REMARKABLE short TRUE story -- "EDUCATION is a LIFESAVER"

There are some people who I believe are put on Earth to make a difference. In my opinion, Eddie Jaku, was one such man! His memoir, The Happiest Man on Earth, was both heartbreaking and inspiring. I was unaware of Eddie Jaku’s inspirational story until I saw a friend on Goodreads had reviewed his memoir. Eddie’s character, thought process, determination and resourcefulness were always qualities Eddie and others tended to depend on. These qualities that Eddie processed went beyond the limitation of his age and circumstances. I listened to the audiobook of The Happiest Man on Earth that was brilliantly narrated by Raphael Corkhill. The narration pulled me into the life Eddie and his family were dealt. It made me feel their love for one another, the fear they felt and experienced, Eddie’s love and respect for both his father and mother, the resolve that was required for Eddie and his father to make the split second decisions they needed to make to ensure life over death and the strength it must have taken to have survived the atrocities of the Holocaust.Eddie grew up in Leipzig, Germany. He loved everything about Leipzig and was a proud German citizen. Eddie considered himself German first, German second and Jewish last. His family was not very religious or devout. They observed Shabbat and kept kosher. Eddie had his Bar Mitzvah when he turned thirteen. Right after his Bar Mitzvah, Eddie’s father decided that it would be a good idea for Eddie to learn a trade. Eddie was sent far from his house to study complicated and advanced medical machinery. Eddie pretended to be an orphan. He had to hide his Jewish affiliation since anti-semitism was on the rise in Germany. Eddie proved to be one of the best students in his class. Shortly before the end of his instruction, Eddie decided to travel home to see his family. Unfortunately, Eddie had chosen to arrive on the night that became known as Kristallnact or The Night of Broken Glass. Shortly after he arrived at his family’s home, Eddie was beaten by Nazi soldiers and sent off to Auschwitz. Over the years Eddie endured the atrocities of starvation, illness, fear, constant hunger, merciless murders either by the gas chambers, bullets or by hanging and being treated worse than animals by the Nazis. Auschwitz took everything away from Eddie but not his spirit. Eddie’s knowledge of machines saved him from death on more than one occasion. He never forgot to thank his father every time this happened for his wisdom and foresight to push Eddie to learn about them and receive an education. Eddie had one close friend in Auschwitz. That friendship also made his deplorable life a little brighter at times. Eddie promised himself that if he was to survive the nightmare he was living, he would smile everyday for the rest of his life. When Eddie was finally liberated from the horrors of the Holocaust, it took a while for him to adjust to being free. He kept his memories of the Holocaust buried deep inside him. Eddie married, immigrated to Australia and had two sons. Over time, Eddie felt ready to share his story. He spoke to large groups, to school age children, to anyone that would listen. Eddie kept his promise to himself. He smiled everyday. Eddie Jaku had survived the Holocaust and that was something to smile about. I gained such admiration for Eddie Jaku after listening to him recount his life, which included the good moments and the agonizing painful memories of the Holocaust. Eddie Jaku would have been a person that I wished I could have encountered and befriended during his lifetime. He had such a positive outlook on life despite all he had been through. The Happiest Man on Earth was thought provoking and so inspirational. I applaud Eddie Jaku for sharing his story. Many Holocaust survivors find this difficult to do. Many experience survivor’s guilt. Many were not even able to tell their own children about all that they had lived through. I am grateful that Eddie Jaku was able and willing to tell his story. This is a time in history that must never be forgotten. Future generations must be told these stories so that another Holocaust can never be repeated. The Happiest Man on Earth was emotionally draining and yet it lifted my spirits as well. It was about friendship, family, love, gratitude,tolerance, kindness, remembering, strength, courage, fear and so many senseless deaths. I highly recommend the audiobook of The Happiest Man on Earth if you have not had the opportunity yet to listen or read it.

I am so lucky that I read this book. I learn to be grateful that I can live in a peaceful world nowadays. Thank you Eddie for telling his story for us.We must be grateful if we are living in a free and democratic world. We must stand for human rights and freedom of speech. There are not free.

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com4.5 stars‘Through all the years I have learned this: life can beautiful if you make it beautiful.’As soon as you open The Happiest Man on Earth, a 2020 Pan Macmillan Australia publication, you will gain a new life coach in Eddie Jaku. Eddie, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, is a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. Eddie is also a Holocaust survivor, with an infectious mantra on happiness that should be followed by all citizens of the world.A German citizen of Leipzig, Eddie Jaku was born to a Jewish family. This embracing family fold wanted the very best for their children, so when Eddie came of age, he was sent away to study mechanical engineering. Without this early education, Eddie would never have managed to come out of World War II alive. When Eddie was just nineteen years old, he was transported to a concentration camp. Through a period of over seven years, Eddie survived two concentration camps, prison farms, factory work as a prisoner and the notorious death march, just before liberation. In this time Eddie was subjected to many evil acts of violence and brutality, but he also witnessed moments of kindness. Despite the loss of his family, friends and home, Eddie lived to tell his tale. Although it took decades for Eddie to share his story with others, he is now one hundred percent committed to educating the world about survival, resilience, hope, peace, acceptance, kindness and happiness. Eddie knows that he owes it to the millions of Jewish people who didn’t survive the Holocaust to share their story.The Happiest Man on Earth has been categorised as a historical autobiography but I see this text as a kind of life guidebook, inspiring the reader to embrace joy, happiness and friendship. It is a humanitarian based tale that will ensure that you never take your life for granted again. Although many of us in Australia and the world are currently facing trying times, The Happiest Man on Earth delivers a timely reminder, that life is what we make of it. Life can be endured and survived, but we can also grasp onto those important moments of hope to carry us through the dark times.Told in a first person style format, over fifteen very moving, inspiring and surprising chapters replaying Eddie Jaku’s life story, The Happiest Man on Earth is an incredibly honest account of this pillar of strength’s world. The tone Eddie takes to his book is warm, embracing, personalised, grounded, simple and factual. There are so many dark moments, but these are interchanged with Eddie’s appreciation for the simple things in life. These include a kind gesture, memorable encounters with friends and his sheer survival instinct. We follow Eddie’s early life in Leipzig, through to his student days, his arrest, two concentration camp experiences, prison postings and the death march that eventually set him free. From his medical recovery, to the assistance Eddie provided to other Holocaust survivors, through to his marriage, the birth of his son, the move to Australia and eventually ending in Eddie’s current role as an inspirational speaker, The Happiest Man on Earth covers a lot of ground in a compact format. I read Eddie Jaku’s book in just an afternoon, it was impossible to put it down and I came away feeling grateful, thankful and inspired.Let The Happiest Man on Earth into your life for an afternoon, or an evening and hopefully you will come away with the same feelings I did of not just utter heartbreak, but of a newfound appreciation for life. I will leave you with these parting words from Eddie Jaku.‘Happiness does not fall from the sky; it is in your hands. Happiness comes from inside yourself and from the people you love. And if you are healthy and happy you are a millionaire.And happiness is the only thing in the world that doubles each time your share it. My wife doubles my happiness. My friendship with Kurt doubled my happiness. As for you, my new friend? I hope that your happiness doubles too.’*Thanks extended to Pan Macmillan for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.*Book #8 of the 2020 International Male Author Challenge.

Die aktuellste und gleichzeitig vllt. letzte Zeitzeugenerfahrung zum Holocaust. Sieben Punkte für einen oft beklemmenden und informativen Erfahrungsbericht eines Leipziger Juden, der Buchenwald und Auschwitz sowie einige Fluchten durch Europa und zum Schluss sogar einen Todesmarsch überlebt hat. Schlussendlich baute sich Jaku mit Ehefrau und dann zwei Söhnen ein neues Leben in Australien als u.a. Immobilienmakler auf. Ich werde meinen beiden 6. Klassen in Ethik in der nächsten Woche zwei längere Passagen vorlesen, die das Leben in den Baracken in Auschwitz thematisieren. Zuletzt schauten wir den Jungen im Pyjama, da passt dieses Buch gut. Jaku, Jahrgang 1920, schildert die Zustände, etwa das Schlafen nackt im Winter ohne Decken auf Holzbohlen. Das sind Details, über die ich so nie nachgedacht hatte. Wer außen schlief, war früher tot. Auch die Güte, die ihm im Lager mitunter widerfährt und die er in mutigen Taten ebenso zurückgeben möchte, hat mich berührt. Die Grundfrage und Existenzkrise seines Lebens lautet natürlich: Wie konnte diese hochzivilisierte deutsche Gesellschaft, in der politische Regularien, aber auch Künste und Wissenschaften fundamental verankert waren, innerhalb weniger Jahre oder Monate zu einem Unrechts-Staat der Sadisten und Wegschauer mutieren. Jakus Vater war selbst ein patriotischer Deutscher, dessen Vaterlandsstolz aber keinen Schutz bot: Wie fast alle Mitglieder der Familie starb er durch die Rampensortierung in Auschwitz. Das Wasser im Wein sind für mich einige Versuche der Heldenverehrung persönlicher und nationaler Art. Aber das sind Dinge, die anderen vllt nicht negativ auffallen. Im letzten Viertel bekommt der Bericht dann Schlagseite hin zu optimistischen Slogans, die sicher tief empfunden sind, mir dennoch unangenehm konservativ und banal vorkamen. "Das Leben ist nicht nur gut. Die schlechten Seiten musst du auch nehmen." "Alle Kunden hielten mich für den einzigen ehrlichen Makler Australiens." An wenigen Stellen stehen Aussagen, die mich den vorzeitigen Abbruch haben erwägen lassen; Typ: Selfmade-Kapitalismus meets Paulo Coelho-Kalender. Da zieht sich das Buch plötzlich. Natürlich kann man etwas Positivität in dem Kontext gut gebrauchen und durch einen maximal einfachen Stil liest man das letzte Viertel auch recht rasch durch.Ich bin also gerne Jakus neuer Freund geworden bin und danke ihm für die Schilderung der unermesslichen Erfahrungen. Damit der Holocaust nicht vergessen wird. Die Bewertung hätte ich nicht gebraucht.

Wonderful. Sometimes it takes courage to keep going in horrible situations, but this lovely man proves it is possible and you can still see good in the hard days. We do make mountains out of moll hills sometimes and it’s good to read book that shows you your life is easy compared with those during the Second World War. This lovely man will teach you courage and what it takes to survive. Wonderful