Disarmed

On January 8, 2009, Izzy Ezagui--a 19-year-old American who had enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)--lost his arm in a mortar attack on the border of the Gaza Strip. In this stirring memoir, full of chutzpah and dark humor, Izzy recounts his tortuous trek through rehabilitation to re-enlistment as a squad commander in the IDF. He became the only one-armed Special Forces sharpshooter. This isn't a typical war chronicle. Izzy eschews macho bluster, steering clear of the usual hero tropes of most war memoirists. He wrote this book for his fellow millennials. Not necessarily those with military ambitions, but for everyone facing life's daily battles. His message is simple- if a self-described "nerd" and "one-armed basket case" like him can accomplish what he set his mind to, then anyone can become a hero in his or her own life. Growing up in a religious household in Miami, his early life, plagued by self-doubt, family drama, and girl troubles, culminated in a life-changing terrorist attack he and his family barely escaped when he was thirteen. His search for direction eventually led him to that explosion on the Gaza border, changing his life forever. In the midst of disaster, he discovered a deep well at his core, from which he could draw strength. Through his motivational speeches across the world, he encourages people to seek their own power, and to face whatever adversity life throws at them. Combining refreshing candor with self-deprecating wit, Izzy's story will provoke readers to live up to their aspirations despite seemingly impossible odds.