Rating: Summary: Life as a jewel faceted with questions Review: The only problem for Mitch Albom is that Tuesdays With Morrie strikes such a natural and profound chord with the reader -- wisdom gained from talking to a generous man on his deathbed, so to speak -- that his new book The Five People You Meet In Heaven can seem slight or whimsical by comparison. Really, both books are worthwhile because they are the result of Albom turning his gentle and curious eye to different facets of the same problem: why we are here and what to do about it. Morrie was a real person, Eddie (the old war veteran who dies trying to save a little girl and goes to ehaven to find his life amounted to a great deal) is a fictional creation, and can seem a bit ghost-like in comparison to Morrie. The meaning of life isn't a punchline. The search for it has no ending. It's a life's work. And that's why there's also this word-of-mouth buzz that's building about another book, called In The Ghost Country. It's the story of a man who ventures through hell and meets the ghosts of his mother and sister and many good friends, many who died at his side over the years. And the twist is: IT'S A REAL LIFE STORY. People are starting to see a connection between Mitch Albom's meditations and fables and with Peter Hillary's In The Ghost Country, because of where they go. They read very very differently. Where Albom has a folksy honesty, even in his magical realism, Hillary's book has the stark and evocative beauty of myth. And yet it's a true story. It's great to see some books out there making headway with the big questions about the human condition.
Rating: Summary: A Story of Life Review: ¡§Tuesdays with Morrie¡¨ offers answers to any person in search of the secrets of life. The book stresses how one can be educated about life by others, especially elders, in addition to our own experiences. Furthermore, if one is positive then one will be able to see the learning opportunities behind one¡¦s difficult moments. Consequently, bad events change from only being about suffering to being about valuable life lessons. Mitch Albom¡¦s novel is an example of how to face life with courage and how to learn about life from one¡¦s hard times. The novel is a true account of a student and his professor¡¦s conversations about life. Not long after Mitch¡¦s college graduation, he was inspired to throw himself deeply into his career. Gradually, Mitch lost contact with his mentor and professor, Morrie Schwartz, with whom he had a tight relationship. Through a coincidence, Mitch became reunited with his college professor and from that point, they agreed to meet on Tuesdays to discuss life. The novel describes their time together as they talk about life and its secrets. ¡§Tuesdays with Morrie¡¨, might be considered a self-help book, but it is not. The novel is quite different from other books that cover life¡¦s issues since its format is simple, direct and it does not make one feel as if they are being preached to. In addition, the book¡¦s topics are easy to relate to since they are practical and universal. Morrie¡¦s character is very inspiring since he has an optimistic and courageous attitude towards life, in spite of his obstacles. I learned a lot from Morrie¡¦s experiences, which have made me think about the meaning of life more. The main theme of the book is to love, forgive and live positively. Unlike most people, Morrie chose to look beyond his obstacles, have a positive attitude and express his love for his family and friends. Consequently, he was able to live happily and created an example for every reader to follow. The book is an emotional journey that I strongly recommend everyone to take.
Rating: Summary: Incredible story of a brave "teacher to the end" Review: Nothing can truly be written in a review of "Tuesdays With Morrie" that will do justice to the man on which the story was based. Morrie, a professor at a small college, has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Rather than let it push him into depression and darkness he embraces his fate and uses it to teach life lessons to his favorite pupil of decades past (Mitch Albom, the author). Every Tuesday Mitch drives or flies to see Morrie, and every Tuesday he walks away a better man for the experience. Though his body withers away, Morrie never truly dies because his life lives on in the people he touches. It's a truly moving story, and you'll be glad you took the time to read it.
Rating: Summary: life lessons from a shameless opportunist Review: I read this insipid book and it's about the only hour of my life I wish I could have back. Mitch Albom strikes me as a soulless man who needed to be kicked in the head with the idea that being a fantastically "successful" sports writer or sportscaster or sports lawyer (or whatever irrelevant profession he was totally obsessed with) was ultimately less important than being a father or husband to the people who tolerated him. And then when he finally did get kicked in the head with that message by a dying former teacher (who also tolerated him) who imparted it to him, the moron writes a vapid, obvious little book about the wisdom of the man, all couched in a reminder that he himself Mitch Albom took time out of his life to go visit the old guy EVERY TUESDAY and retrieve the little morsels of wisdom from him just for us. The whole time I was reading that book, I was pretty sure that the advice probably was somehow profound when it left the Morrie's mouth, but by the time it landed on Albom's ears, it became really simplified and petty-- like (drum roll).... "Money might buy you a car but it won't buy you happiness!!!" -- and unfortunately transposed into the key of money-making opportunism. I think maybe Morrie was trying to help Mitch Albom out of his own, individual, uniquely desperate moral mess but of course Mitch Albom just saw it as collateral knowledge to pass on to become... a SUCCESSFUL sports-something-cum-"author." I'm pretty sure Mitch Albom sucked all the profundity right out of anything Morrie had to say, and Morrie's quiet legacy is better off without Mitch Albom blundering around the English Language on his behalf. Too bad Morrie didn't write a corresponding book about the visits. He could have called it "Tuesdays Wasted with an Obtuse Man who misses all my points, big and small." However, wasn't Hank Azaria in the TV movie? That redeems it a little. Some people find this book life-changing and inspiring. So is the back of the Cheerio's box, and it's not so self-aggrandizing. Don't tell me he wrote another book?
Rating: Summary: GREAT! Review: This one of the best books I have ever read. I couldn't put it down. I have read it several times over and over again. A must read for anyone. The play is not bad neither!
Rating: Summary: Worth reading, but not without drawbacks. Review: The appeal of this book seems to stem from the process of placing one's self in Morrie's place, gathering a sense of his circumstances via the narrative, and gaining an admiration for his reaction to those circumstances since none of us would ever want to face them ourselves. In that respect, it uplifts and inspires. Morrie's personality seems naturally engaging as various bits of conversations are related between himself, the author and others. This was a man who tried to live life to it's fullest before life decided to betray him. In this respect, I believe there is something here for everyone who reads this book and I do recommend it. However, I do have two problems with it. The first problem is that the power of it's message is reduced by redundancy. Though repetition can be a powerful form of communication, it can reach a point of diminishing returns where you, as the reader, begin to wonder when the author will say something he or she has not already said several times previously. At this point, repetition actually hinders the presentation and this is what happens in Albom's writing style. The second problem is that Albom writes in an occasionally overdramatic fashion. Now I, personally, tend to balk at overdramaticism because I feel that it tends to be used when the person telling the story does not trust that the story can hold it's own without extra embelishment. This story can hold it's own - but it is overdramaticised anyway. Albom sometimes puts so much space between his phrases that you feel as if you are supposed to think these are earth shattering pronouncements. Now, don't get me wrong, I do believe that you sometimes have to ellucidate a story by having the occasional flare for the dramatic but this book overdoes it. Morrie seemed to be a dramatic enough person on his own without some of the extra attempts at drama and, in this respect, the book gets in it's own way. Thus, I give it three out of five stars.
Rating: Summary: Wonderful! Review: The woman at the book store recommended I read this book before Albom's "5 People You Meet in Heaven". I'm glad she did. This is a wonderful introduction into the writing style of sportswriter Albom. Brilliantly, and movingly, paced, this book takes you on what is really the ultimate journey for us all. Morrie approaches death with unquestionable courage, but not the "stiff upper lip" kind. He uses his last remaining months celebrating his life. He does so by doing what he had always done...he teaches. And Mitch Albom is his main pupil. Through their remaining time together, Mitch learns what he has been missing in life, even as he witnesses the death of someone he loves as a father-figure. As Morrie dies, it is apparant that Mitch is beginning to finally live. This is definitely one those books you keep. To re-read and to lend out. Enjoy.
Rating: Summary: Wonderful Story Review: What a truly wonderful, touching story! Morrie's personality really shines through and you can see why so many people were looking to spend time with him. He had a bright outlook on life and living life to its fullest. He encourages you to enjoy everything and everyone around you and put the material things aside. We can all learn a lesson from him. So glad that Albom has shared Morrie's story with the world.
Rating: Summary: Great Gift Review: My husband and I received this book as part of our Christmas gift from my mother. When I finished reading it I decided it was the best part. If you only read one book this year, make it Tuesdays with Morrie.
Rating: Summary: Tuesday's With Morrie Review: This year for my seventh grade Language Arts class, we were supposed to choose a book and then critique it. I chose Tuesdays With Morrie after selecting it from a dusty bookshelf in my brother's room. Personally, I loved the book; it had a deeper meaning of life that i had never considered before. Some of my favorite quotes from the book have stuck with me like the one, "Love eachother or perish," The book is about a former college student, and his favorite professor. It all begins sixteen years after graduation when Mitch Albom finds himself watching his beloved college instructor on Nightling with Ted Koppel. Morrie has become a victum of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, leaving his body withered and sagging. Mitch visits Morrie one day and what starts as a reunion of old friends turns into the project of a lifetime. Now, I don't want to spoil anything, but the lessons that Morrie teaches to Mitch on their Tuesdays together will stay with him all of his life. I would recommend this book to anyone. If you are looking for enlightenment, deep thinking, and a true story, you've come to the right book. On a scale from one to ten, i would give Tuesdays With Morrie a nine and a half.
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