Praise for Outwitting History

"Lansky’s allegiance isn’t merely to words on paper. It’s to the values that those words, and the people who lived them through centuries of oppression, represent. And his persistence in the face of—at least at first—almost universal indifference has turned out to be more than the mitzvah of one idealistic—one might say meshuge—man. Near the end of Outwitting History, Lansky quotes Singer as saying, 'Yiddish has not yet said its last word.' Thanks in part to Lansky, he’s probably right."

- Washington City Paper

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Read more of this review in The Jewish Week.

“This is a synchronistic year for American Jewry. It is 350 years since the first Jews arrived in North America. This year is also the 100th anniversary of the birth of Isaac Bashevis Singer, the Nobel Laureate who helped give Yiddish at least a temporary infusion of CPR. And now Lansky has written his memoirs, precisely titled Outwitting History. It's a marvelous yarn, loaded with near-calamitous adventures and characters as memorable as Singer creations.”

- The New York Post

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“Aaron Lansky, 49-year-old founder of the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, has kept the once-flickering flame of Eastern European Jewish culture burning brightly in America and throughout the world for more than 25 years, while projecting boundless good humor, chutzpah, and an almost elfin lightness of being."

- The Jewish Ledger

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“Aaron Lansky is a man on a mission. And his quarter-century of dedication to finding and preserving Yiddish books has become a strikingly successful cultural rescue project... His book, Outwitting History, recounts his experiences with passion, pathos and humor and reads like a rousing adventure story.

- The Minneapolis Star Tribune

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“Whatever form Jewish history takes, this haunted but stubbornly hopeful book makes clear there will be a place in it for Yiddish...”

- The Kansas City Star

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“All of this, of course, is inspiring. A mother could be proud. But the real reason to read the book is to remind yourself of the value of a great idea, Jewish or otherwise, (even if you are the only person who has it or believes in it) and of the impact of enthusiasm on productivity. Much has been written about how one person can change the world, but on this planet, where we are bombarded daily by intractable and seemingly insoluble problems, it's hard to stay convinced... The stories here fill up your spirit.”

- The Minneapolis Star Tribune

"In his first book, Lansky charmingly describes his adventures as president and founder of the National Yiddish Book Center. Lansky’s account of salvaging books is both hilarious and moving, filled with Jewish humor, conversations with elderly Jewish immigrants for whom the books evoke memories of a faraway past, stories of desperate midnight rescues from rain-soaked dumpsters, and touching accounts of Lansky’s trips to what were once thriving communities in Europe. The book is a testimony to his love of Judaism and literature and his desire to make a difference in the world."

- Publishers Weekly

"[An] engaging first-person account of how some committed young people rescued from history's dustbin more than a million books published in Yiddish. . . . Lansky unfolds a tale of rare emotion and devotion. . . . A rollicking ride in company with a man who has performed an enormously important public service."

- Kirkus Reviews

"What Aaron Lansky has accomplished with the National Yiddish Book Center over the past quarter-century is nothing short of miraculous. I have always regarded him as the Johnny Appleseed of the book world, a passionate advocate for preserving something precious and worthwhile, one who takes affirmative, decisive steps to spread the bounty about the land. Outwitting History is inspirational, and a must read for bibliophiles."

- Nicholas A. Basbanes, author of A Gentle Madness, Patience & Fortitude, and A Splendor of Letters.

"Lansky's story is an exciting and moving account of the just-in-time resuscitation of Yiddish's vibrant literary heritage. Oh, how I loved this book!"

- BookSense (Elaine Sopchak, The Book Rack & Children's Pages, Essex Junction, VT)