Joshua M Greene is a popular lecturer on Holocaust History and an author whose biographies have sold more than half a million copies worldwide. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his books and films. He sits on the board of Yale University Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies and has served as director of strategic planning for the United Nations Summit of Religious and Spiritual leaders. This all begs the question, why is such a decorated individual talking to me? Well, I interviewed him about his new book entitled Unstoppable. It’s the story of Siggi Wilzig and his astonishing journey from Auschwitz survivor and penniless immigrant to Wall Street legend. Before we get to the book, though, I had to uncork Joshua’s story a bit and learn how he went from being a hippie who got to jam with George Harrison to becoming a Holocaust scholar. Along the way I learned that he and the subject of his latest book share a few things in common, but you will have to listen in to find out what they are I found it fascinating that after being approached to write this book by one of Siggi’s sons, Joshua’s first instinct was to turn him down saying he’s written too much about darkness and it was time to focus on something that brought more light. That was, of course, before he knew Siggi’s story which is at its core a celebration of human ingenuity, a testament to the power of faith, and a tale of triumph in the face of adversity. I know you will enjoy this interview and urge you to pick up Unstoppable, which can be purchased wherever books are sold, though Joshua would urge you to consider buying it at your local bookstore. If you must buy it online, please consider buying it here, at Bookshop.org where a portion of every sale goes to support local bookstores. You can learn more about Unstoppable at https://unstoppablesiggi.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.