My wife and I talked about the book at Christmas dinner. We agreed that it should be required reading by all high school students. It might give them a sense of the hardships that others before us had to go through to keep us free and to preserve the liberties we enjoy that many people take for granted.
It was even hard for me to imagine how this brave man, Louie Zamperini, persisted and endured through so many hardships and still survived. He had his dark times when he returned from the war, including becoming a heavy drinker, but found peace again when he accepted Jesus as his savior through Billy Graham revivals. He had outlived his entire family, including his wife, when he finally passed away in his 90's this past summer. I can't wait to see the movie.
If you ever think you're having an especially bad day, read this book and you will instead count your blessings at how well things are going in your life. Seriously.
I just received it from wifey for Christmas and have barely gotten into it....at this point in my reading, he's still a mischievous thieving laddy!