List Price: $16.99 Details

Save: $3.73 (22%)

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime & FREE Returns

FREE delivery Wednesday, October 6 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon

Or fastest delivery Today. Order within 9 hrs 13 mins

In Stock.

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

$$13.26 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from	Amazon.com
Sold by	Amazon.com

Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Return policy: Returnable within 30 days of receipt

1-Click ordering is not available for this item.

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery October 12 - 14 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon

Select delivery location

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Vivé Liber Books LLC

Fulfilled by Amazon

Add to List

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Share <Embed>

Other Sellers on Amazon

$11.23
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Sean Franklin St

$7.49
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: GreenIceMedia

$12.00
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: TRENDING DEALS ! ~~ RED-TAG Deals for Our Loyal Customers~~~ Fast Hourly Shipping and Quick Delivery ~~~

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Author

Zak Ebrahim

The Terrorist's Son: A Story of Choice (TED Books) Hardcover – September 9, 2014

by Zak Ebrahim (Author), Jeff Giles (Contributor)

292 ratings

Part of: TED Books (24 books)

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$7.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$13.26

$7.49

$1.34

Paperback

"Please retry"

—

$28.88

—

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$8.21

$9.99

$4.22

An extraordinary story, never before told: The intimate, behind-the-scenes life of an American boy raised by his terrorist father—the man who planned the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

What is it like to grow up with a terrorist in your home? Zak Ebrahim was only seven years old when, on November 5th, 1990, his father El-Sayyid Nosair shot and killed the leader of the Jewish Defense League. While in prison, Nosair helped plan the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. In one of his infamous video messages, Osama bin Laden urged the world to “Remember El-Sayyid Nosair.”

For Zak Ebrahim, a childhood amongst terrorism was all he knew. After his father’s incarceration, his family moved often, and as the perpetual new kid in class, he faced constant teasing and exclusion. Yet, though his radicalized father and uncles modeled fanatical beliefs, to Ebrahim something never felt right. To the shy, awkward boy, something about the hateful feelings just felt unnatural.

In this book, Ebrahim dispels the myth that terrorism is a foregone conclusion for people trained to hate. Based on his own remarkable journey, he shows that hate is always a choice—but so is tolerance. Though Ebrahim was subjected to a violent, intolerant ideology throughout his childhood, he did not become radicalized. Ebrahim argues that people conditioned to be terrorists are actually well positioned to combat terrorism, because of their ability to bring seemingly incompatible ideologies together in conversation and advocate in the fight for peace. Ebrahim argues that everyone, regardless of their upbringing or circumstances, can learn to tap into their inherent empathy and embrace tolerance over hatred. His original, urgent message is fresh, groundbreaking, and essential to the current discussion about terrorism.

Print length

96 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Simon & Schuster/ TED
Publication date

September 9, 2014
Dimensions

5 x 0.6 x 7 inches
ISBN-10

1476784809
ISBN-13

978-1476784809
See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Gary S. Thorpe M.S.
100
Paperback
$17.99
Traci Chee
292
Hardcover
$15.99
John Steinbeck
6,609
Paperback
$18.17
67
Hardcover
$35.98
Ken Kesey
5,993
Mass Market Paperback
$9.99
Kathryn Stockett
16,570
Paperback
$11.20

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

John Steinbeck
6,609
Paperback
$18.17
Gary S. Thorpe M.S.
100
Paperback
$17.99
Traci Chee
292
Hardcover
$15.99
Marc Kushner
303
Hardcover
$10.99
Pico Iyer
644
Hardcover
$10.99
Lidia Yuknavitch
191
Hardcover
$11.99

Special offers and product promotions

Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ebrahim’s life is an eloquent plea to terrorists — indeed, to anyone who commits violence out of bigotry and hatred — to stop and consider the impact on children. His tale speaks to the suffering of children everywhere — in Gaza, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria — who are caught up in the raging intolerance of adults. In emotional detail, the terrorist’s son takes us through the traumas of his life — school bullying, social withdrawal, feelings of suicidal worthlessness — that dogged him from the moment his mother awakened the boy in his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pajamas to inform him that something was horribly wrong and they had to flee immediately from their home in Cliffside Park, N.J." ― Washington Post

"[A] book you can't put down. Hearing the story of Zak Ebrahim—the son of El-Sayyid Nosair who, when Ebrahim was just 7 years old, killed the leader of the Jewish Defense League and went on to plan the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center from prison—is one thing. (A gut-wrenching, how-is-this-real-life? thing.) Reading it in intimate, terrifying detail—the confusion, the bullying, the burden—is another. (An even more gut-wrenching, how-is-this-real-life? thing.) The Terrorist's Son... tells a detailed account of Ebrahim's story, shared at a TED talk, of his impossibly brutal childhood and adolescence and how he became nothing like his dad." ― GQ

"In his powerful, affecting memoir (written with former EW deputy editor Jeff Giles), he says, ''My father lost his way — but that didn't stop me from finding mine.'' ― Entertainment Weekly

"The author's father helped plan the 1993 Wold Trade Center bombing. Instead of following in those violent footsteps, Ebrahim now speaks out against terrorism. An astonishing memoir." ― People

About the Author

Zak Ebrahim was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 24, 1983, the son of an Egyptian industrial engineer and an American school teacher. When Ebrahim was seven, his father shot and killed the founder of the Jewish Defense League, Rabbi Meir Kahane. From behind bars his father, El-Sayyid Nosair, co-masterminded the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Ebrahim spent the rest of his childhood moving from city to city, hiding his identity from those who knew of his father. He now dedicates his life to speaking out against terrorism and spreading his message of peace and nonviolence.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster/ TED; F First Edition (September 9, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1476784809
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1476784809
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.6 x 7 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #214,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #347 in Terrorism (Books)
- #1,341 in Religious Leader Biographies
- #5,581 in Community & Culture Biographies

Customer Reviews:
292 ratings

Start reading The Terrorist's Son: A Story of Choice (TED Books) on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Customer reviews

5 star		73%
4 star		16%
3 star		9%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Helen Loftus

Impressive

Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2021

Verified Purchase

The author is proof that even with bad parenting you can excel in life. He was taught to hate but rose above this. His mother was a weak woman who let religion and men run her life and who did not not protect her children from the violence and hate. In the animal.kingdom a mother will kill to protect their offspring but not in humankind. I would like to see a future book on what happened to his siblings and if they also rose above the fray.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

D. Williams

Outstanding book!

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2014

Verified Purchase

I found this a well-written account of a man who was the son of a terrorist and who, despite all the teachings of hatred told to him, chose to see through the bigotry and life a more humane life. It is a witness to how, no matter what religious tradition we may find helpful and choose to follow, it is our responsibility to be critical of it and not let it direct us away from the true responsibility of living a life of understanding, tolerance, compassion, wisdom, and loving kindness--which all major religions are supposed to help us live. It also shows the terrible toll that choosing to live a life of hatred and violence does to the family of those who follow that path and its consequences. I would highly recommend it. It was inspiring to read this story because even though Mr. Ebrahim suffered a lot from the actions of his terrorist father--the worse maybe being the realization that his father loved hating and doing violence to others more than loving him--he still came through it all with a kind heart choosing not to follow bigotry and hatred.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Alisha

Amazing story

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

I bought this book after my daughter saw him speak locally. This is an amazing story of choices! It's a quick read. I finished it in a couple hours. If you're looking for a story about acceptance, choices, and making the most of the life you've been given, I highly recommend this book!

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Princess A

Great book. Cover not the same...

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2015

Verified Purchase

This was actually a really good book. I liked it a lot. I was required to buy this for one of my classes in College (I'm a freshman), not an English class though lol, and then when we got to college we had a big discussion about it. I'm not usually fond of books that are ASSIGNED to me to read, but this is now on my list of books from Assigned Readings that I actually enjoyed and would probably read again. I've just been writing a slew of reviews for things I hadn't reviewed when I got them, so I don't really remember all the details regarding the content of this book (seeing as I read it 4 months ago).

I took off one star because the book sent to me didn't have this cover, and I specifically got this book (as in from this seller and what not) because I wanted one with this black and red cover. The one that was sent to me (it was late getting here too) was the Yellow cover with somewhat reflective angled angles across the front continuing to the back, and that was the one I DIDN'T want to get (I saw other sellers have a picture of the Yellow cover, and I deliberately didn't pick those). Oh well, a book is a book, lol. I love reading, and I read A LOT, so I didn't let it bother me too much. (Here are the pictures of the cover I'm talking about that I got, but didn't want to get)

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Downbeats13

Very powerful. Very good read

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

I was given this book as a summer reading book for my freshman year of college. It was a common reading that all incoming freshmen had to read. This book was a very powerful book on the story of a man who's father was involved in multiple terrorist attacks in the United States. It shows how one man, who was a pretty good individual in society, can be turned around and use religion as a weapon or means to kill people who are different. This man's son, whom was taught by this religious extremist, uses his father as a means to break away from his fathers ways. The stories told in first-person make me feel like I am truly getting to know this man, and experience a touch of his own struggles. This book, only being around 100 pages, is a very easy read, and I recommend it to every person of all faiths and beliefs.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

MEPchll

I cannot imagine what it was like to be a child of such an evil monster

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

I am always fascinated with real people's stories such as this. I cannot imagine what it was like to be a child of such an evil monster. This story shared how the families are fellow humans and suffer as a result of the deeds of these monsters, but it did not completely erase my animosity for the mother. I felt she supported her terrorist husband for too long and allowed herself to be blind to his evil plans. What is it about religions - not just Islam - that allows people to suspend common sense?

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Benny

Loved the book.

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

It's great. A short book, easy to read, and gives a little insight. Read it for my summer homework and it's pretty enjoyable. 100 pages with pretty large font and I bought a version that supposedly has a signature from the author but I'm not sure if it's fake or not. Who cares? It's a book anyways.

Helpful

Hailee

Eye opening

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2016

Verified Purchase

Was assigned this for a summer reading project for a college course and it was so eye opening! Living in America it's sometimes easy to get so caught up in. the media and the over bearing violence in the world that you forget sometimes that the ones commuting violence are real people too and that just makes it so much more heart breaking. This book really makes you think about the families behind these horrible acts and how their lives are changed forever from it as well.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

louisefrank

Uplifting and inspirational

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2016

Verified Purchase

I bought this after watching Zak Ebrahim's Ted talk. It expanded on the talk and filled in more background. It's an inspirational and uplifting book that shows it is possible to overcome indoctrination and become a peace-loving, empathetic human being. There's one thing to be aware of and that is that it is a very short book. My only quibble is that it could have been more detailed and more in-depth.

Dani B

Just couldn't put it down

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

Truly inspiring! The book gives a great insight into how a devoted father gradually turned his back to his own family to support a fundamentalist cause. It is heart-breaking to acknowledge how the wife and children were horribly affected by his choice and how society can be cruel and judgmental to people related to criminals.
More incredible yet, it is how the author manages to pick the very few positive examples he comes across to completely change his life around and leave his past behind. Essential reading.

One person found this helpful

Elisabeth Brookes

A ray of hope

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

This book is a rare gem of honesty and hope presented in a humble and touching way. This man has been through so much pain and yet has managed to escape the bitterness and hate which would be a 'normal' reaction to give us a message of peace. Thank you

Abi

An eye opening experience on the untold stories and suffering of terrorists families.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

A very interesting read on how a person can choose a whole new path regardless of his upbringing to a terrorist father who lost his way and formalised his wife and kids with his acts! I strongly recommend this book.

carl whiting

fascinating

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2014

Verified Purchase

What an absolutely fascinating book honest brave and inspiring how this lad got through this nightmare of a childhood and be able to talk about it is beyond me

See all reviews