Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson, 25th Anniversary Edition
by: Mitch Albom (0)
Ā āA wonderful book, a story of the heart told by a writer with soul.āāLos Angeles Times
Ā āThe most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.ā
Ā Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.
Ā For Mitch Albom, that person wasĀ his college professorĀ Morrie Schwartz.
Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldnāt you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?
Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older manās life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final āclassā: lessons in how to live.Ā āThe truth is, Mitch,ā he said, āonce you learn how to die, you learn how to live.ā
Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrieās lasting gift with the world.
The Reviews
Tuesdays with MorrieMitch Albom is a friendly sort of average insightful guy in regards to the Human Condition. And when we, mere mortals, out here read his works - it touches the average man/woman and young person with an intensity that makes us actually think and consider various inner convictions and ideals. I see no need to fill volumes of worthless pages with iconoclastic rambling rhetoric to relate such a simple story as this or please those with a self-righteousness condescension to anyone who likes them that makes their negative reviews completely suspect. To those who find it too simplistic to be meaningful it would seem they are among those "useful idiots" identified in recent literature.Before hitting the send button...I usually sit and ponder the book holistically for its intrinsic value and effect on me and others that might be willing to give it a chance.And that is why I am completely taken aback by the negative reviews of the Albom books especially "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" created by him and also how they compare that work to this one or this to another so poorly. It is just mind boggling how anyone can herald one with positive praise and then the other with negativism or treat both of them as miserable failures.And my lord, the extremes on these book reviews for this simplistic series of thought provoking submissions seem to go from Condemnation as if it were the words of Satanic himself - to the other extreme that Mitch's words are Angelic Music playing in some mystical background. Yet in truth neither is correct or `spot-on'.His revelations are in no way negative but neither are they divinely found in the cosmos floating around like free spirited thoughts of Godlike omnipotent creatures that can be trapped with a butterfly net of Morrie's death. Certainly we can find these concepts and self-discovered truths throughout history and literature that he found near death - `everywhere' - and even in the pew book holders of our local churches; if we bothered any more to investigate that great guide to spiritual well being and the great light of truth. It is called "The Bible".But if you do not like that - there are thousands of equally profound writings to be sure. But wow, can't some of these people just read a short story for what it is? My goodness, if one can find wisdom in a newspaper peanuts cartoon - or in Beadle Bailey or Garfield - surely one can give Mr. Albom some slack here!Of course most of the negatives are obviously political, anti-religious and socially engineering motivated haters, who are morally challenged, self-centered, jealous egotist of the left persuasion, or at least they would seem so. A in reverse the other side is too ready to praise a mere simple story of death as prophetic in nature.For my part I am on the side of the Angels however because "To be cursed by the devilish hate-mongers who seem to hate everything about this book, and Mitch or anyone else who puts their fingerprints on its pages - Is to be truly blessed" in the words of `Kwai Chan Cane' in the old film "Kungfu".Most of us are in the middle of that "pulling in opposite directions" thing Morrie speaks of in the book. These Albom books are not classics, not epics nor are they the voice from the burning bush - for Pete's Sake. No one expects them to be...except the naysayers. I am no fan of the Oprah Winfrey minion squads who live and breathe on her every word or whim. Nor do I run out and buy her book recommendations. I did not even know until I read a negative review she had anything to do with it. And if you really want to attack someone for making a buck off of pain and suffering - try her and her buddy Dr. Phil!These books do tend to take people to places where they do not want to go or fear to go - and they force them to go there if you give them a chance and read them through. They make you think of mortality, death, disease, deterioration of one's senses and flesh, of loss and tragedy and heaven and what comes after life and how we live, interact and conduct ourselves while here on this earth and if it is in its own simple way or through simple tales and stories...SIMPLE...so what?In some cases they take us to places that find Morrie being a downright scoundrel in his younger years to one group - and a hero to another. Radicalism on one hand makes him into a fraud to the reality of fundamental truths and real intellectual civilized awareness and to honorable insight - and makes him look like an unprofessional buffoon. And yet on the other hand a driving force for social change in his own mind; some of it good and a lot of it bad from my read and his generation helped cause the destruction of civil society in the process.Yet one senses that Morrie was simply human and had everyone else's flaws and weaknesses and he was almost like an "Absent Minded Professor" in some respects and in some of the chapters. And in one...he actually fit the bill where the author calls him "Foolishly Naive" in "The Professor Part II".But this book and Albom's others are easy, enjoyable reads. Yes, saddening in a sort of good way - and fascinatingly thought provoking and interesting in others. This one challenges you inside and out to just step back and take a look at your own life, your actions and in actions and do what Socrates thought was so important in life; to do some Self-Examination when he wrote; "The Unexamined life is not Worth Living!" -That great thinker set the stage for a great mental process - many hundreds of years beyond his own time for people like Mitch Albom and others - who would, on their own initiative, use these philosophies to give us pause in our present lives to make us question just what it is that drives us and what it is that is really the foundation of importance to each of our souls, spirits, everyday lives and for our individual well-being.It is simply pure and unadulterated boulder dash, poppycock and simpleton rubbish to evaluate/review his books badly. The Neanderthals and hypocrites out there - need you to discard anything `heaven like' or `God Fearing' or `spiritual' and only accept a work that avoids these essentials, almost cowardly sometimes in heir manipulative intent to steer around any in depth discussion of these profound questions or force others to detour away from these subjects even when contemplating the mysteries of the Cosmos, the Universe, Life and what comes afterwards.This work is simply - just as good and moving as its brothers or sisters I.E. "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" or "For One More Day". It is not better, it is not worse, it is not superior in any way and it is not the most monumental epic story ever told! It is just a good book, a good tale, a good story and a book that makes you say, within your own heart, mind and soul -"Wow, how would I spend my last days, weeks or months - if I had such a disease or knew my approximate day of death?" And what will it be like - when - I in whatever form I become - float off into that hidden world of existence in realms beyond the skies?A magnificent assertion that Morrie was right about however is that - "Most people do not want to discuss dying or they inwardly believe they are not going too!"For me the best chapter in this book was "The Eighth Tuesday" when they discuss the evils of - and the quest for money and power; because the exchange of a true loving hug of friendship is worth more than "Gold Pressed Platinum" or even the "Power of that supercilious - Ted Turner".I am reading all of this Author's works and they mean a great deal to my thought process recently and more to me now - as I have just survived my fourth major heart attack and did not expect to live through the ambulance ride to the hospital. So they are having a profound effect upon me; one and all.Each has a special meaning to me and each in a different way. And each has touched a nerve in my soul, my mind, my heart and my thinking and touched me in deep emotional ways. I will continue to read them all with joy and a smile and a questioning heart. I have many books on my shelves some intense, some long, some short like these. I find them all fascinating and always give the author the benefit of the doubt on usefulness."Tuesday's With Morrie" has no more or less identifiable flaws in it - then do any other books from any other author. BUT I LIKE THEM ALL! And if the nay Sayers read them all and pick one over the other and call one dribble for mere politically partisanship, or special interest liberalized nonsense reasons or try to hate bait us into condemning any of them because one touches upon a forbidden idiotic progressive theme of God, country, patriotism, spirituality, religion or heaven or the afterlife - then shame on the reader for interjecting their prejudice, condescending attitudes, mentally and literary challenged minds into it.This is pure and simply a good book! Other readers and reviewers may find this book moving or not but to say it is bad is simpleminded.They are wonderfully written and I find benefit to all the themes of Mitch Albom's books. This one has you again wondering who Morrie would be in my life or better yet "How many Morrie-like persons were there in my adventure in this world and this existence"!Again delightfully thought provoking and I thank the author for expanding my imagination, my intellectual pondering and for sharing his vision through Morrie about some of life's many questions - with the world."The Five People You Meet in Heaven" - The best so far"Tuesdays with Morrie" - Second BestI am now already - "For One More Day".JPL
This, along with Atul Gawandi's Being Mortal, is one of the best and sweetest books on end of life. I read this years ago and was drawn to it again last week. I am so glad to have read the wise and generous thoughts in this book.
With a painful ending seen coming from the very beginning, you get to beautifully learn what matters in this one life you have from a wise man as his time comes to an end.
Great read, hard to put down! What a fascinating inspiring story. Happy and sad, though provoking. Thanks to NPR for introducing me!
Had to read this book for my 'Psychology of Death & Dying' class in college, and it really makes you think about how we should approach the end of our lives and how to act around those who we know and love that don't have much time left with us. Very interesting read. :)
Very good book. Have read 3 of his. Good author.
Beautifully written with interestingly enough multiple target audiences. Baby boomers and their parents are beautifully described. In the end it is a description of what is waiting for us all!
My class read this when I was in middle school, and it has stuck with me ever since. I recently saw it on someoneās video and had to buy it. It was as good as the first time and it teaches some hard lessons. :)
Read in one sitting - yes - it was a Tuesday. I can relate - I actually reconnected with my 5th Grade teacher after 50 years. I live in CA and she back home in tiny RI, our 2 visits have been amazing. If I lived in the same state I too would see her weekly!
Great book and reasonable price!
Loved the book! I am sure that I will reread chapters in the book for the remainder of my life. I highly recoomend this book for the young 20 somethings and beyond. I disliked the small soft black font in the newest edition. I will try to find an older edition with larger and clearer font.
As an older man, the story resonates even more with my life and loved ones. I am sending copies to friends who need to be reminded of "life's greatest lesson".Thank you Mitch!
