Nathan Rutstein

From a Gnat to an Eagle: the Story of Nathan Rutstein

A compelling account of a remarkable man and an illuminating portrait of how a person can be transformed through the power of love, dedication, and perseverance in the path of personal spiritual development. The child of Jewish immigrants in the Bronx, Nathan Rutstein was raised in a home devoid of books and ran the streets with gangs as a youth. When he was admitted to college on a sports scholarship, he seemed headed for a career in baseball, but the pursuit of justice particularly racial equality motivated him to apply himself to his studies and aim for something nobler. He emerged from his youth with a deep thirst for personal spiritual growth rooted in the teachings of the Bahai Faith. Though nothing in his upbringing encouraged him to pursue the life of the mind, eventually he became an author, a teacher, and a tireless advocate for racial equality, which became the dominating passion of his life.