Unstoppable: Siggi B. Wilzig’s Astonishing Journey from Auschwitz Survivor and Penniless Immigrant to Wall Street Legend

Unstoppable portrays the spectacular story about a Holocaust survivor and his journey to becoming the CEO of a multibillion-dollar commercial bank and a “New York Stock Exchange-listed oil company”. How did a man who barely survived in a deadly Nazi concentration camp go on to thrive and become a name to reckon with in America’s business world? Find out how Siggi B. Wilzig was forced to think on his feet and learn some useful skills to escape being thrown into the gas chamber as a teenager in Auschwitz, worked for the US Army Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) for a chance to capture some of his former Nazi oppressors, and went from selling neckties door to door to dealing in millions of dollars and being the first person in history to sue the Federal Reserve in this outstanding book by Joshua M. Greene.

Siggi B. Wilzig’s story is proof that the human spirit is resilient against any challenges, no matter how testing they are. I can’t imagine myself eating less than seven hundred calories of food that is worse than pigs’ food per day and being forced to work laboriously just to stay alive. My problems suddenly seemed minuscule when I pictured the trying times experienced by Siggi in Auschwitz. His incredible achievements, despite his terrible past, inspired me to stop making excuses and make the best of the chances life deals me instead. Even when faced with antisemitic parties and Holocaust deniers, Siggi never gave up on his goals or stopped informing people about the Holocaust.

Author Joshua M. Greene creates such a detailed and vivid book that it is hard to believe Siggi didn’t write it himself. It was easy to picture myself in some events because I was able to understand the protagonist’s mindset—like when Siggi decided, in a split second, to volunteer to sing and dance for his oppressor even though he might get killed for performing poorly. Additionally, other people’s (including Siggi’s family) opinions about him are included in the book—which gave me an all-encompassing view of the protagonist. When I read about Siggi’s initial refusal to support his son’s (Sir Ivan) dreams of singing professionally, it reminded me of my dispute with my father concerning the same issue. The pictures in the book further clarify the environments and events.

I disliked nothing about Unstoppable, and I strongly recommend it to readers who wish to unravel the story about a Holocaust survivor and his experiences after and how he dealt with the memories and loss and kept going in spite of them. As Unstoppable is the most compelling and moving biography I’ve read this year, I wouldn’t be forgetting it any time soon.