"Night" by Elie Wiesel

Well, now I know why Oprah said that this book should be required reading for everyone on the planet. And I also know why anyone with "the Holocaust" in their family history is so very anxious for the world to know what happened there, and also to never forget what happened there.

We studied that period of history in high school, and over the years, I've read articles about Holocaust survivors. But this book goes deeper.... into the soul of a 'survivor' because Elie Wiesel really was a survivor. It grieves me to think -- to know -- that the 1940s weren't so very long ago. How could mankind be so cruel, so heartless, so vile, so compassionless? I read the history books, I knew what happened. This book, however, makes you feel what happened.

I had to put the book down before I got to the tenth page. I also had to put the book down twice more before I got to the 25th page. It is that powerful.

I am thinking of a quote from Randal, the 'winner' of this past season's "The Apprentice" show. He said something like this--- "Strive first to understand, rather than strive to be understood."

Reading this book, I can now say "I understand.... I understand.... it is all much clearer, and much more powerful than anything I read in my 10th grade history books."

And I agree with Oprah. Everyone on the planet should read this book.