Read These Fall Books Before the Movies Come Out

This is a wartime tale of Louis Zamperini who, after not only competing in the Olympics but also fighting in World War II, survives a plane crash and spends 47 days adrift on the ocean comes to theaters this December. Based on the trailer, you can expect a stunningly visual film, directed by Angelina Jolie. If you haven't read Hillenbrand's nonfiction account now is the time. First, you might just want to prepare yourself for the horrors that occur to Zamperini in the Japanese POW camps (you can always put the book down if you have to). Second, Hillenbrand's commentary on what we humans need to survive applies to all our lives. "Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food and oxygen," she writes. A truth—like so many in the book—worth underlining.