Libby: The Happiest Man on Earth, Eddie Jaku

I initially thought this was a novel. The writing has that gentle, reflective quality that feels almost fictional. It was only as I read on that I realised it was a true account, which made it all the more powerful.

There are echoes of Viktor Frankl’s Man's Search For Meaning, but Eddie Jaku’s story stands firmly on its own. After surviving Auschwitz and losing almost everything, he chooses not bitterness, but kindness. Not as a platitude, but as a deliberate way of living.

What struck me most was the simplicity of his message. Happiness is not found in possessions or status, but in decency, gratitude, and how we treat one another. Kindness. 

A profoundly humane book, quietly devastating, and ultimately uplifting.

5/5

Here is what I learned. Happiness does not fall from the sky; it is in your hands. Happiness comes from inside yourself and from the people you love.

Children will go on, and have their own struggles, and their own triumphs, and will grow, and build, and give back to this society that has given us so much. This is why we live. This is why we work, and strive to pass on the best in us to the next generation.

Kindness is the greatest wealth of all. Small acts of kindness last longer than a lifetime.

This lesson, that kindness and generosity and faith in your fellow man are more important than money, is the first and greatest lesson my father ever taught me. And in this way he will always be with us, and always live forever.

And if you are healthy and happy, you are a millionaire.

And happiness is the only thing in the world that doubles each time you share it.