Lets Make Things Better, Gidon Lev
Lets Make Things Better, Gidon Lev
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Let's Make Things Better
A Holocaust Survivor's Message of Hope and Celebration of Life

Author: Gidon Lev, Julie Gray

Narrator: Yuval Dor, Julie Gray, Gidon Lev

Unabridged: 7 hr 50 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Balance

Published: 11/12/2024


Synopsis

“To me, hard times are like hide-and-seek—where is the solution, where is the hope? We can never give up looking for these things because they are just waiting to be found.” —Gidon Lev

On May 8, 1945, when he was just ten years old, Gidon Lev was liberated from a Nazi concentration camp after four nightmarish years. Twenty-six family members, including Gidon’s beloved father and grandparents, were murdered in the Holocaust. Only Gidon and his mother survived.
From the depths of despair, a little boy who had lost so much was determined to build a life filled with adventure and love. And that is exactly what he did. Today, a spritely and cheerful octogenarian and father of six, Gidon speaks to celebrities and diplomats all over the world and has taken social media by storm—all with his signature candor, charm, and wisdom.

Just what makes this Holocaust survivor, rascal, and dogged optimist tick? Sharing remarkable stories from his extraordinary life, Lev reveals his secrets of happiness and fulfillment. From reconciling with the sometimes painful past to embracing this singular gift called life, Gidon has never taken a day of his life for granted—and neither should we.

“You don’t get the life you want,” Gidon says, “you get the life that you get.”

Let’s Make Things Better is the story of an indomitable spirit whose cheerful determination to never give up is just what we need during these uncertain times. Now more than ever, Gidon Lev has important lessons for us all about life and how to live it well: having the courage to stand up to hate, living for the moment, believing in ourselves, nurturing loving and caring relationships, and always, always believing that a better world is something worth fighting for.
 

Reviews

Goodreads review by Betsy on November 13, 2024

"I am not a rich person or a politician or a well-known world leader," says 89-year-old Gidon Lev. "I'm just Gidon Lev, an everyday guy who has, many times in my life, tried to make things better." In 1938, when he was three years old, Gidon Lev and his mother, father, grandma and grandpa fled their......more

Goodreads review by Germaine on January 06, 2025

Sigo a @mrgidonlev en Instagram desde hace ya tiempo. Recomiendo a todos que hagan lo mismo. Su manera de vivir la vida y de llenar todo de optimismo y alegría es una cualidad que, aparte de inspirar, me hace pensar en gente que me rodea y admiro que encarna lo mismo. La manera de narrar su historia......more

Goodreads review by Darcia on November 12, 2024

Gidon Lev is an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor, and his zest for life is exactly the emotional boost I needed this month. As I read LET’S MAKE THINGS BETTER, I swear I felt his joy radiating off the pages. Yes, the content is often heartbreaking. Gidon grew up in a concentration camp. He lost most of......more

Goodreads review by Mehtap on February 02, 2025

Gidon Lev erzählt in „Let’s make things better“ seine außergewöhnliche Lebensgeschichte – von seiner Kindheit als Holocaust-Überlebender bis hin zu seinen Erfahrungen und Einsichten in der modernen Welt. Doch dieses Buch ist weit mehr als eine klassische Überlebensgeschichte. Zwar widmen sich die er......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on February 02, 2025

Just finished this beautiful book. It was like sitting at the feet of someone and just listening to them talk. It's a mix of hearing reminiscences from Gidon's life and his perspective on what's happening in the world now, alongside hope and positivity that we can all do our part to make this world......more


Quotes

“By sharing his inspiring life story, Holocaust survivor Gidon Lev reminds us that the human spirit is larger than even the most severe and unjust trauma. Through one of history’s darkest nights, he preserved his brightness and warmth.”
 —David Von Drehl, author of the New York Times bestseller The Book of Charlie

"A book by Gidon Lev and Julie Gray is cause for celebration. Few contemporary writers offer us a vision of hope more compelling than this extraordinary duo. In “Let’s Make Things Better,” they have written both a beautiful memoir and a powerful manifesto for a life of meaning, a much-needed reminder that humanity is still worth believing in and fighting for."—senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, author of the New York Times bestseller, “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor.”, Yossi Klein Halevi

“In a clear and compelling way, Gidon Lev tells his fascinating story of survival, a story of hope that began to kindle when he was held in a Nazi concentration camp. Readers will feel empowered by Lev’s adventures and his companionate voice.”
 —Oded Adomi Leshem,, author of Hope Amidst Conflict