This had been on my list forever and when I found out Mohamedou Slahi was going to be on 60 Minutes, I bumped it up to read before I watched his first ever interview. I was blown away by the writing in this book. English is Slahi's fourth language, which he was learning as he kept this diary, and it was such a compelling, horrifying, upsetting, heartbreaking read, even with all the redaction. I just can't get over the fact that he had the strength to actually write this.

The audiobook of this is a fascinating listen. The editor talks for about the first hour, but once Slahi started telling his story, I was completely captivated. The redacted parts are noted well and generally don't take away from the narrative. I do wish I could have heard Slahi's poem though.

Given that we're potentially heading into an era of "bringing back water boarding and worse," I think this is a must-read for all Americans - especially those in power in the government.

My heart breaks for what Slahi has has the mental and physical stamina to survive. I think in a similar situation, I likely would have killed myself. The fact that he is still held without charges or trial is an embarrassment to our country. I'm glad his story has been told, but he also needs to be freed.

This is a book every American should read. Whether you believe all of Slahi's story or not, he has an amazing story to tell. For English ending his fourth language and learning it by being in GTMO, his grasp is impressive. This is an easy to read book, which surprised me. He does talk about the torture; as a person who is sensitive to reading anything descriptive, it was not overwhelming to the point I couldn't continue or had to skip it. I wish everyone would read this book.

Ešte vždy som na pochybách, kto klame. Je strašné sa uprostred krásneho slnečného dňa dozvedieť, kde to vlastne žijeme a ako. Po prečítaní knihy ostávajú iba pochyby, strach a viera, že by to stále mohla byť iba škaredá rozprávka, nie skutočný príbeh.