地球上最幸福的人

很久没有读到开卷就不能合上的书了。不久前听见有人提到这本书，娃坐在我旁边，他低声告诉我他过生日的时候有朋友送了他这本书。前几天晚上睡觉前去他的房间把书拿来翻开，一口气读了六十多页。第二天晚上晚饭过后继续读，一口气读完。读完后心情久久不能平静，一定要写几句书评。

这本书的作者Eddie Jaku生于1920年的德国，犹太裔。此书讲了他及他的家人在二战期间被迫害，抓起来送到奥斯维辛集中营，受尽磨难和侥幸活下来的经历。他父母五十二岁死在了集中营里。这本书的主体部分讲得是他那时候的经历，非常残酷残忍。

这么多年，我其实一直比较回避看二战时期那些惨绝人寰的文学作品或者电影。这本书，以一个亲历者的笔触，时隔几十年，在他九十多岁的时候，写出来。读的时候，很多时候心都是揪着的。人类，怎么可以这么残忍这么邪恶？

但是作者在记述他的经历里，每一天，他在描述那至暗中一丝丝的善意和希望，支撑着那一天天活下来的愿望。可贵的是他并没有一直活在那个痛苦的茧房里，那是很多经历了奥斯维辛集中营的人一生都没能走出来的心理梦魇。他闭口不谈那段经历几十年，在人生的最后阶段，他做了很多事情还原让人记得那段历史。这本书是沉重的，但是作者朴实无华的叙述的人生智慧与感悟，娓娓道来，让人感动又看到希望。

摘录几段：

“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.” 
― Eddie Jaku, The Happiest Man on Earth 

这一段真的让人感同身受，咱们这个坛子里很多人身体力行默默无闻地做着这一条。

“A field is empty, but if you put in the effort to grow something then you will have a garden. And that’s life. Give something, something will come back. Give nothing, nothing will come back. To grow a flower is a miracle: it means you can grow more. Remember that a flower is not just a flower, it is the start of a whole garden.”

“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.” 
― Eddie Jaku, The Happiest Man on Earth

There are always miracles in the world, even when all seems hopeless. And when there are no miracles, you can make them happen. With a simple act of kindness, you can save another person from despair, and that might just save their life. And this is the greatest miracle of all.” 
― Eddie Jaku, The Happiest Man on Earth

“There are always miracles in the world, even when it seems dark.” 
― Eddie Jaku, The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor

九十九岁的Eddie, 他这样的状态，在这样的年纪，让人佩服。他活了101岁，致敬。