First off, this book did NOT make me forget about death. It did the exact opposite of that. 
 Not something I would ever pick up on my own, but it taught me an awful lot about: 1. World War II on the Pacific front 2. How to escape a shark attack 3. Running 4. Flying bombers 5. The ability of the human spirit to survive against all odds. 
 When the U.S. is at war with another country, citizens start to think of everyone in that country as our enemy. This has always made me cringe. But now I understand how hard it would be (as a soldier) to see people as individuals and not as a larger-than-life, across-the-board, unstoppable enemy. 
 Favorite Quotes 
 The first thing people tended to notice about Phillips was that they hadn't noticed him earlier. 
 It was awful, awful, awful...If you dig into it, it comes back to you. That's the way war is. 
 Louie never left himself a moment to think of the war. "I just thought I was empty and now I'm being filled."