An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography

Because I'd done all mentioned in my review title, I opted to borrow rather than purchase this book on the assumption that what few new things I'd learn really wouldn't merit the expense. How wrong I was. I can't count the number of times I wished the book were mine so I could underline one of Mr. Ruseabagina's memorable ways of seeing the situation and people in it. In explaining why he maintained contact with an old friend who was among those leading the massacre, for example, Ruseabagina wrote, "People are never completely good or completely evil. And in order to fight evil, you sometimes have to keep evil people in your orbit. Even the worst of them have their soft side, and if you can find and play with that part of them, you can accomplish a great deal of good." The absence of braggadocio in this passage is characteristic of Ruseabagina and the story he tells, something else that is pretty astonishing, given what he did. Ruseabagina also did a masterful job of explaining the history of Rwanda that led to the genocide. Finally, his description of his childhood home and the beauty of the land is quite poetic and can be sampled via the "Search Inside" feature. In sum, so well-written, informative and thought-provoking was the book that I bought a copy and am currently re-reading it in order to underline the many things in it that I do not want to forget. Note: The audio book, which I bought for my mother, is indeed a treat to listen to.

"Our time here on the earth is short, and our chance to make a difference is tiny. For me the grinding blocks of history came together in such a way that I was able to take what fragile defense I had and hold in place for seventy-six days. If I was able to give much it was only because I had some useful things from my life to give. I am a hotel manager...my job never changed, even in a sea of fire." - Paul Rusesabagina According to Paul Rusesabagina, there was nothing extraordinary about his actions during the Rwandan genocides in 1994. "Over and over people kept telling me that what I did at the Milles Collines was heroic, but I never saw it that way, and I still don't. I was providing shelter. I was a hotel manager doing his job. That is the best thing anyone can say about me, and all I ever wanted. And that's really the best I have to give." To this day and despite the overwhelming success of the recent film Hotel Rwanda that brought his heroic deeds international attention, Rusesabagina insists that he was just an ordinary man doing what he thought was right in a time of national crisis. Although he is right in saying that he should not be treated as superhuman, there is a certain amount of awe and respect with which we must look upon Rusesabagina and those like him, and recognize the immense amount of courage it took for him to do what he did. Using his strength in character, ability to negotiate with any person or party despite what side they were on, and utmost faith in the power of words to produce a workable outcome, he managed to save the lives of approximately 1,268 friends, relatives and strangers by creating a safe but incredibly fragile asylum for them at the Hotel Milles Collines during one of the most volatile and deadly times in Rwandan history, with he as their protector. For 76 days, Rusesabagina used whatever resources he could find to prevent the hotel from being ambushed or destroyed completely. He kept a secret black book of the names and telephone numbers of people high up in power (in Rwanda and elsewhere) to call in case of an emergency. He offered bribes of cognac and money to blood-hungry colonels who had committed countless killings that day in order to prevent a midnight raid on the hotel that night. He wisely understood that "the cousin of brutality is a terrifying normalcy" and therefore he kept his enemies as close as he kept his friends. "If sitting down with abhorrent people and treating them as friends is what it took...then I was more than happy to pour the Scotch." In his intelligently written and incredibly moving autobiography, Rusesabagina not only shares his memories of the horrifying period spent trapped inside the Hotel Milles Collines in a straightforward and non-sensational manner, but also he explains the historic significance of the bloody skirmish between the Hutus and the Tutsis and dispels a few ardent myths surrounding its origins. He hints that the nationwide slaughter was not a product of

Well written, provocative and emotionally captivating. "An Ordinary Man" should be required reading for everyone, especially young adults - our future generation. I had the pleasure of meeting Paul Rusesbagina when he spoke at a local college on April 10th to a crowd of over 1000. He is humble, bright and compassionate. He escaped death at least half a dozen times during the spring of 1994. I can only wonder if God's plan was not only for him to save 1268 lives, but to bring the whole issue of genocide to the forefront of the minds of the hundreds of thousands who will read this book. I bought his book on the spot and have been consumed by it for the past week. I've stayed up late; I began researching genocide and I've been lost in deep thought and prayer for those who were murdered and those who are being murdered by genocide as you read this. I plan on reading it again, more slowly in a few months in order to digest all of his ideas, opinions and suggestions. History was presented to me in a boring manner in high school, but the movie "Hotel Rwanda" and now this book, have caused me to stop what I am doing and take a good hard look at the whole issue of genocide. Not only genocide, but I can see how the power elite (high level politicians in our country) try to build a case with rhetoric and faulty arguments to get Americans to unknowingly agree with some ludicrous and dangerous beliefs, such as support for the current war in Iraq and possible aggression toward Iran. In 1994, I remember listening to radio commentary that suggested that the US stay out of Rwanda's affairs and I agreed because that's the case that was built and that's what I heard on the radio. Now I know differently. Imagine if the US stayed out of the affairs of the Nazi holocaust - would there be 6 million more deaths in the 1940's? Because of this book, I have a renewed interest in history. And please, media, don't let me hear you say "ethnic cleansing." The term is genocide. As far as I'm concerned, Paul Rusesabagina is on the level of Mother Teresa and has a lot in common with her - an ordinary man who was just doing what he could, using peaceful means. And today, Paul heads a foundation that helps the displaced orphans (500,000+). Read this book as soon as you can and take heed - genocide is something that is ongoing in the Congo and Sudan, and may erupt again in the near future, if not in Rwanda, then somewhere else.

Paul Rusesabagina, the inspiration for the Oscar nominated film, Hotel Rwanda, is not an ordinary man but an extraordinary one. He is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Civil rRghts Museum's 2005 Freedom Award - rightly so. During the 1994 bloodbath in Rwanda that resulted in the slaughter of some 800,000 people, he sheltered over 1,200 in the luxury hotel that he managed. It all began with the shooting down of a plane carrying the Rwandan and Burundian presidents. Utter madness almost immediately ensued. When Rusesabagina turned to U.N. representatives for assistance their response was all but ludicrous. How he managed to endure some 100 days of utter devastation and at the same time save the lives of others is a tale of heroic proportions. Here, in An Ordinary Man we're able to hear his story in his own words for the first time. He is candid about the details of that dreadful 100 days, as well as his personal views of actions that might have been taken by international peacekeepers. Voice performer Dominic Hoffman offers a riveting narrative of an this courageous man's story during this nightmarish time in world history. - Gail Cooke

I heard Mr. Rusesabagina speak on April 4th at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and was fortunate enough to buy an autographed copy of the book. The writing is amazingly beautiful, and every page is filled with ideas that, if followed, will make us all better people. I'm on chapter two at the moment and preparing for the grisly details to come... but am astonished at the hope and spirituality evident even in the face of such ugliness. Paul Rusesabagina is a saint for modern times, and I would recommend not waiting for the paperback edition of this book.... it is destined to become a classic.