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Browse Books
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All rights reserved © abook 2025
Leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about courage. In Dare to Lead, renowned researcher and storyteller Brené Brown dives deep into what makes truly brave leaders. Drawing from years of study and powerful real-world insights, Brown shows how vulnerability, empathy, and trust are not weaknesses but essential tools for resilient leadership. With practical strategies and grounded research, she offers a guide to building stronger teams, navigating hard conversations, and leading with heart in a rapidly changing world. If you're ready to replace armor with authenticity and lead from a place of connection, this book is your blueprint.
Have you ever wondered what it truly means to choose happiness when life presents you with unimaginable darkness? What does it look like to transform the deepest pain into a beacon of hope for others? In a world where we often feel powerless against circumstances beyond our control, there exists a profound truth waiting to be discovered. The quality of our lives is not determined by what happens to us, but by how we choose to respond to what happens to us. This is the story of a man who faced humanity's darkest hour and emerged not bitter, but radiant with joy. His journey reveals that even in our most challenging moments, we possess an extraordinary power to shape our experience and touch the lives of countless others. The principles he discovered through surviving the unthinkable offer us a roadmap to genuine fulfillment, meaningful relationships, and lasting impact.
Happiness is not a destination you arrive at, but a daily decision you make regardless of your circumstances. True happiness comes from within and represents a conscious choice to focus on what brings meaning and joy rather than dwelling on what causes pain or frustration. When Eddie Jaku emerged from the concentration camps, weighing only 28 kilograms and suffering from cholera and typhoid, he faced a pivotal moment. Lying in that German hospital bed with a mere 35 percent chance of survival, he made a promise to God that would transform his entire life. He vowed that if he lived, he would become an entirely new person and dedicate every remaining day to living life to the fullest. The nurse named Emma had whispered his grim prognosis, but instead of surrendering to despair, Eddie chose hope. This decision didn't happen once but continued every single day thereafter. When Eddie finally held his first son Michael in his arms, he felt his heart heal completely and his happiness return in abundance. From that moment forward, he made a daily promise to be happy, polite, helpful, and kind. He chose to smile because he discovered that when you smile, the world smiles with you. The path to daily happiness begins with a morning ritual of gratitude. Upon waking, acknowledge three things you appreciate about your life, no matter how small. Throughout the day, consciously look for moments of beauty, acts of kindness, or reasons to feel thankful. When challenges arise, ask yourself what this situation might teach you or how it could help you grow stronger. Remember that happiness is not about avoiding difficulties but about maintaining your inner light during dark times. Practice responding to setbacks with curiosity rather than anger, and treat each obstacle as an opportunity to develop resilience. Your daily choice to focus on hope over fear creates a ripple effect that touches everyone around you. The most powerful truth Eddie discovered is that happiness doubles when you share it. Make it your mission to bring joy to at least one person each day, whether through a genuine compliment, a helping hand, or simply your presence and attention.
True friendship represents the greatest treasure you can possess in life, providing the emotional fuel necessary not just to survive difficult times but to thrive through them. Genuine friendship means finding someone who reminds you to feel alive and choosing to be that same source of life for others. In the hellish conditions of Auschwitz, Eddie's survival depended entirely on his friendship with Kurt Hirschfeld. They had met earlier in Buchenwald and formed an unbreakable bond that sustained them through the darkest chapter of human history. Every evening after their brutal work details, they would meet and walk together, sharing whatever meager food they could find. When Eddie found extra potatoes from cooking for the prisoner doctors, he would fill his pockets and share them with Kurt. When Kurt worked as a shoemaker inside the camp and received better rations, he saved portions for Eddie. Their friendship became a lifeline that extended far beyond material sharing. During one of the monthly inspections where prisoners were selected for death based on their physical condition, Eddie and Kurt would meet afterward to confirm the other had survived. It was a miracle every month, and their mutual relief sustained their will to live. When Kurt was beaten by an SS guard while bringing soup to Eddie in the hospital, they cared for each other's wounds using snow and whatever medical supplies they could find. Building deep friendships requires intentional investment in others' wellbeing. Look for opportunities to offer practical help, emotional support, and genuine presence to those around you. Practice active listening by giving people your full attention without immediately trying to solve their problems or share your own experiences. Small, consistent acts of kindness create stronger bonds than grand gestures. Be willing to be vulnerable with trusted friends by sharing your authentic struggles and dreams. Friendship deepens when both people feel safe to reveal their true selves. Also, celebrate others' successes with genuine enthusiasm, and offer comfort during their difficult seasons without judgment or unsolicited advice. The most important lesson Eddie learned is that one good friend can be your entire world. Focus on cultivating a few deep, meaningful relationships rather than trying to maintain many superficial connections. These friendships will become the foundation for every other form of happiness in your life.
The deepest suffering can become the source of your greatest contribution to the world when you choose to transform your pain into a mission of healing and hope for others. Rather than allowing trauma to define you negatively, you can use it as the foundation for creating meaning and positive impact. For decades after the Holocaust, Eddie remained silent about his experiences, believing the memories were too painful to revisit and might only hurt his children to know the truth. However, as he aged, he began asking himself a crucial question: why was he still alive when so many others had perished? Initially, he thought perhaps the wrong people had been chosen to survive, but gradually he realized he had been given a responsibility to speak about what happened and help educate the world about the dangers of hatred. His first public speaking experience was at a Catholic church, sharing his story with friends who had invited him. Though difficult, this experience helped him emerge from his shell and recognize the power of his testimony. In 1972, he joined with twenty other survivors to form what would become the Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, working to establish the Sydney Jewish Museum. Eddie began speaking to thousands of schoolchildren, politicians, professionals, and military officers, spreading his message of hope and human resilience. The transformation of pain into purpose begins with honest acknowledgment of what you have endured. Allow yourself to feel the full weight of your experiences without minimizing their impact or rushing to find meaning. Seek support from others who understand similar struggles, whether through formal support groups or trusted relationships. Gradually explore how your experiences have given you unique insights, empathy, or strength that could benefit others facing similar challenges. Consider volunteering with organizations that address issues related to your own struggles, or simply being available to listen to and encourage others in your community. Share your story when you feel ready, starting with safe relationships and potentially expanding to broader audiences if that feels authentic to your healing journey. Remember that your willingness to be vulnerable about your pain can provide hope and healing to others who are struggling. Eddie's transformation teaches us that when we use our suffering to serve others, we discover that what we share is not our pain, but our hope.
Your legacy is not measured by what you accumulate for yourself, but by how much love, kindness, and positive impact you contribute to the world around you. Small acts of kindness create ripple effects that extend far beyond what you can see or imagine. Eddie's father, Isidore, taught him this principle long before the Holocaust began. Every Friday night, Eddie's mother would bake three or four loaves of challah bread, though their family only needed one. When six-year-old Eddie asked why they made so many, his father explained that the extra loaves would be taken to the synagogue for Jews in need. Isidore regularly brought friends home for dinner, telling Eddie that if you are fortunate enough to have money and a nice house, you can afford to help those who don't have these blessings. This lesson proved prophetic during Eddie's darkest hours when strangers' kindness literally saved his life. During his escape walk through French villages, poor farmers who had little themselves would call out to offer him breakfast and force him to take bread for his journey, knowing they were risking their lives to help a Jewish refugee. In the concentration camps, civilian workers would secretly leave food for him in the factory toilets, and his father's old friend from World War I provided extra meals that kept Eddie strong enough to survive. Start building your legacy today by looking for small opportunities to help others without expecting recognition or reward. This might involve helping elderly neighbors with groceries, volunteering at local organizations, mentoring young people in your profession, or simply offering genuine encouragement to those who seem discouraged. Practice generosity not just with money, but with your time, attention, and emotional energy. Listen to people who need to be heard, offer practical help to those facing challenges, and celebrate others' achievements with sincere enthusiasm. Make it a daily habit to perform at least one act of kindness, whether for family members, strangers, or anyone in between. Pay attention to opportunities to make others' days brighter through compliments, assistance, or simply showing up with presence and care. Eddie discovered that kindness is the greatest wealth of all because small acts of kindness last longer than a lifetime. When you build a legacy of kindness, you create a garden of goodness that continues growing long after you are gone, touching lives you may never know about.
The most profound lesson woven throughout this remarkable journey is that life becomes beautiful when you choose to make it beautiful, regardless of the circumstances you face. This choice is yours to make every single day, and it represents the most powerful form of freedom available to any human being. As Eddie learned through the deepest suffering imaginable, "happiness does not fall from the sky; it is in your hands." The path to a meaningful life lies not in avoiding pain or accumulating possessions, but in choosing love over hate, hope over despair, and service over selfishness. Every act of kindness, every moment of genuine friendship, and every decision to transform pain into purpose creates ripples of healing that extend far beyond what you can imagine. Your life has the potential to be a miracle not because of what happens to you, but because of how you choose to respond to what happens to you. Starting today, make the conscious decision to smile, to show kindness to others, and to tell the people you love that they matter to you, because in doing so you honor the best of humanity and create a legacy of light that will continue long after you are gone.
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By Eddie Jaku