Rating: 
Summary: A must miss
Review: I found Albom"s writing graceless and tiresome. His short, declarative sentences make for very choppy reading. The repetition gives the narrative a sing-song feeling. In reading it, I suffered through 12 of Eddie's birthdays and seven countdowns to his death. The author's so-called profound statements (i.e. ..."because sons will adore their fathers through even the worst behavior".) are false and annoying to read.I find nothing to commend in this book. If I hadn't had to read it for a book club, I never would have bought it, much less finished it.
Rating: 
Summary: A light read
Review: Very nice to read. I was excited to learn who each of Eddie's 5 people were, and what lesson they had to teach him! Some things weren't fully explained, for example, how the Captain died, stepping on a land mine? For the sake of the other soldiers? Not sure. But I was happy to learn the answer to the underlying question Eddie had, at the end of the book. I found him a likeable character, even though he was rough on the outside. I admired the way he loved his wife. It was an encouraging and hopeful book...nice way to think about heaven, learning the answers to our life questions. It did talk about God in parts, so that was good. The focus was after Eddie got to heaven, (assuming he had accepted the gift of Jesus) and some possible explanations for those questions in life that we feel we'll never have an answer to. It was a neat perspective to think that all people are interwoven into each others' lives...kind of like the 6 degrees of separation, and that premise. (That all people know each other through 6 people or less) But the message was a good one, that we all are sharing the same story. Our life may have meaning that is beyond what we know while living it.
Rating: 
Summary: The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom
Review: This book is a must read for everyone. It will touch you in so many ways, and each of its chapters will make you think about those who have touched your life. It will inspire you to think about how you act, love, live and treat others. An inspirational and feel good book. I now wander who my five people will might be.
Rating:
Summary: Makes You Thing
Review: All I have to say is WOW! The entire time I was reading it, I kept thinking it needs to be made into a movie, and I hope it does! I am in high school and although this is a short book, I was hooked and couldn't stop reading it. My mom was reading the book and then my dad picked it up to read it too (which is pretty rare). My dad actually finished before my mom. Anyway they both suggested that I read it, and I wasn't hesitant, but didn't know when I would find time (through homework, church activites...). I started reading it one night and when I got home from school the next day, I had to finish it! The amazing this about this book is that it really makes you think about your own life. You ask yourself questions such as (without giving events away), "Who do I need to forgive?", "Has my life been spared at the expense of someone else?", "Who's life have I affected?", "Who's life has affected me?", and most importantly, "Who would I meet in heaven?". Some people may not like this kind of a book, but I would still highly recomend it to everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: What you already know about heaven
Review: The book tries hard to be touching and sincere. And it succeeds in doing that. But if you are hoping to expand your spirituality, explore your ideas of heaven, or, in fact, do anything else except read a soft book about a unknown topic and come away with a slightly gauzy, filmy view of heaven, buy another book. I read it because it got such enormous hype, a lesson I apparently haven't learned yet, and will probably meet again in heaven and have explained to me.
It may be appropriate to read to a child of about six to eight, who is interested in knowing what happens when we die, if you are not an "ashes to ashes" kind of person.
I'm just not the right person for slow-pitch, sweet heaven stories. The central theme is that five people in your life touched you in ways you didn't understand at the time, and that you touched others in way you didn't understand either. In heaven you understand it all. Connectivity explains the rest. I found it unsatisfying even as a simple, sweet story that teaches us to be kind to everyone. If I have to spend the first portion of eternity finding the five people and have them explain their connection to me, and the next part of eternity waiting for others to die so I can explain my part in their life, I'm not going to be buried in sturdy shoes and a good book--but not this one.
Rating:
Summary: Five People Who Bore You In Heaven
Review: Reading the NY Bestsellers List can sometimes lead you to books that sound interesting but turn out to be a complete waste of time. The idea was an interesting one; you die, you meet five people who teach you wonderful insights on your life that you overlooked while you were on earth. However, that would work much better had the main character led a corrupt life in the corporate world or had actually overlooked something in his life (which would have been cliche but much more believable). This was not the case in this book. Eddie seemed to be a man who had some ghosts in his past but overall was a very loved man and a led a very quiet life. This made the lessons he learned almost seem redundant. To top it off, the writing was very poor. It wasn't much of a page turner and at many points, it was very predictable and bland. If you really want to learn some life lessons that enlighten you, pick up his other book, "Tuesdays With Morrie."
Rating:
Summary: A Gentle Take on Tragedy
Review: The best way to describe "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" is "pleasant". That sums it up rather nicely. It is a short book. It didn't even put a dent in my evening to read it. At the same time, it was long enough to tell the story it needed to tell. I didn't feel cheated by the shortness of the book, actually rather appreciative. The use of flashback is reminiscent of "My Fractured Life," although with an obviously more gentle take on tragedy, although no less moving. The tenderness is reminiscent of "The Secret Life of Bees," but without the length. All together, a pleasant experience to read.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: What a waste of an evening. This book can be judged on several levels - all of them bad. It is poorly written, philosophically shallow, theologically trite, and only mildly amuseing. Mercifully, I got through it quickly. I would give it 0 stars if the option were available.
Rating:
Summary: Author over-rated
Review: I must admit that I read this book because of its sales rank, and also because I read the author's another book, "Tuesdays with Morrie." I read "Tuesdays with Morrie," because of its sales rank, and its overall favorable reviews, and because a very close friend of mine read it. My impression: both books and the author are way over-rated. I more or less agree with another reviewer, Dr J E Robinson's view that this is an either you love it and you may even cry while reading it type of book, or you may, just like me, have no feeling/reaction to it. First, I don't find the author a good story teller. Obviously, he tried hard to be one, but in my opinion, he failed. This book can be written in half its length without losing anything except some revenues, as the book is much shorter. Second, the whole story reflects only the author's view/interpretation/inspiration of what life is about. And I find some of his views quite shallow. My guess is, for those who are really really touched by this book, probably they might have shared one or some experience of the story's character, Eddie's. Overall, I can believe that this story is written by a college freshman as a term paper.
Rating:
Summary: Touching, quick read
Review: Don't let the title mislead you. Although this book describes what a man named Eddie experiences in heaven after his death, the story itself is more about Eddie's life than his after-life. Read it as the story of how an ordinary man's life touched and changed the lives of others in relatively extraordinary ways. It's a super-quick read, and if you like literature that falls on the more touchy-feely side, you'll like this.
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