The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Rating:
Summary: Good Thought Provoking Read
Review: As the 5 people Eddie meets in heaven walk him back through his life, they help him see that his life did have value and wasn't as worthless as he thought. It sort of reminded me of It's a Wonderful Life, the old Jimmy Stewart movie, by answering the classic, "What if I'd...." for Eddie. This book does an excellent job of making you reflect on your life and the effect your words and actions have on others. It also shows that we are connected to each other in ways most of us have never imagined. It reminded me that we are not the first to touch this earth; there were others here before us. The presence of these earlier visitors continues on in their unknown brushes with our lives. The world goes in a circle and we are part of that circle as is every other person in our own personal sphere and the world.

Great book, easy read, you should try it and see what it does for you.

Rating:
Summary: The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Review: I enjoyed the book. I can't rave about it but I found it to be an enjoyable, if short, read.

Parts of the book are very touching. For example, when Eddie meets his fourth person I began to tear up (thinking about what I would do when I reach that stage in my life). Other parts are just strange. I'm still trying to figure out why Eddie meets his first person.

The fifth person Eddie met was a surprise to me. Not because he met that person but because of the bearing that meeting has on a conversation Eddie has earlier in the book (with his second person).

To me, the book ended rather abruptly. I didn't get a good sense of completeness or resolution. Almost as if the writer didn't know how to end the story.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Because You Feel Good
Review: The Five People You Meet in Heaven is fantastic. What I like most is that it leaves you feeling good. I loved The Da Vinci Code and My Fractured Life, but neither one were huge pick-me-ups. While excellent books, they didn't leave me with that little kid happiness in my heart that makes you want to skip even though you're in a business suit. That's the feeling you're left with after reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Is it in the same "literature class" as Da Vinci, Fractured Life, or even Middlesex? Maybe not. But it's a fantastic book for other reasons, and I think that is what counts sometimes. It's okay to read a little of both - some books for literary value and others to feel good.

Rating:
Summary: "Everything happens for a reason..."
Review: This book was very easy to read and had many worthwhile lessons. I found I was rereading parts of the book simply to review the main lessons. The book is about a man named Eddie who dies while working at an amusement park. The obvious cycle in this book is the cycle of life. It starts out with Eddie's death, but once he reaches heaven, he feels young again. His body ages as he meets the five people in heaven who are waiting to teach Eddie five lessons about life. I also noticed the circles within the lessons from the five people. The five people are Eddie's mentors as he makes his way through his process in heaven. The first person he meets teaches him the lesson that all of our lives here on Earth and in heaven are connected. Our actions have reactions for someone else, whether it is positive or negative we may not even know. The second person teaches him that sacrifice is "something you pass along to someone else." You can't feel negatively about the events in your life. The third person teaches him that forgiveness is much better than holding a grudge. You need to understand the reason why you were angry and the reason why you need to let it go. The fourth person teaches him that love continues through life an death. Finally the fifth person teaches him that wherever the path leads, he was meant to follow it. He worked at the Pier because he was supposed to work there. He was supposed to take care of the children, and make sure they are safe. He realized that his actions affected children and adults in his lifetime and in the future. Because of his observations and his mentoring Dominguez, the rides will continue to be safe and maintained. Eddie completed his first cycle in heaven and is waiting to start the next one when he becomes the person one will meet in heaven. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will read it from cover to cover again many times. The lessons are worthwhile and apply to anyone. Being a mentor is an example of touching someone's life. Through our wisdom, we can either help improve their lives or make it worse. If we focus on the positive, the impression we'll make will be ten-fold.

Rating:
Summary: Light, maybe even trite, but satisfying anyway
Review: Many of the one-star critics raise a valid point about Albom's fable, that is it very light and intellectually undemanding. Sure, but that's the beauty -- and the limitations -- of a fable. In fact, that Albom has taken a likeable everyman and crafted a very easy read out of his death and journey to meaning is a terrific achievment. A very interesting contrast, and certainly a deeper and darker one, is Peter Hillary's IN THE GHOST COUNTRY, a story about a man who goes to hell (of sorts) and meets his dead friends and family there, and thereby confronting a lifetime of loss. It's a true story too, and those who found Albom's book too slight for their tastes will probably get a lot out of it.

Rating:
Summary: The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Review: I had heard what a wonderful book this was, but after reading it, I found it sappy and began to think that this is one of those books that people feel obligated to like when really there isn't much there. I definitely wanted to like this book much more than I did, I enjoyed Tuesdays with Morrie, also by Mitch Albom, and I liked the idea of heaven being an exploration of our interconnectedness and an answer to the question "Why am I here?" but it was not the life-altering experience for me that I've heard about from other people.

Things I did like about the book (in addition to it being a quick read) was that it made me think about how you affect others daily, sometimes without ever realizing it. I also liked that the story showed a portrait of a man who hated what his life had become, but in the end (through the mentors he meets in heaven) he comes to find out that he wasn't as worthless as he believed he was (the sappy part).

The mentors were 5 people he had touched/encountered in life, some he affected knowingly, and others he affected unknowingly. The book left me disappointed as it never did answer, for me, what the point of Eddie's life was...nor was I convinced it was not worthless.

Rating:
Summary: Put this one out with the trash!
Review: I was so disappointed with this book! I expected something intriguing & poignant...Something, that even if it was not well-written, it was at least going to be meaningful. Well, at page 70 I was still waiting & by page 140 I just wanted to throw the book in the trash & move on to something WORTH READING!
Every "Person in Heaven" is so self-important & yet, there is nothing to their messages. It even started to feel like I was being condescended to, because who doesn't already know that decisions one person makes directly & indirectly affect many other people?? Only the dopey, boring main character, that's who!
I'd be afraid to give this book to anyone I know for fear they'd feel I've insulted their intelligence.
If you absolutley must see what this book is all about, get it from your local library - And if you just want to get the message it's claiming to contain, then watch "It's a Wonderful Life" for the 500th time. That would be far more satisfying.

Rating:
Summary: The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Review: This book is a thought provoking story of an embittered 83 year old war veteran who searches for the meaning of his life in heaven. This is accomplished through compelling interactions in the afterlife with five persons who impacted his life on earth.

The book is slightly reminiscent of the Jimmy Stewart classic film, "It's a wonderful life". Albom's portrayal of Eddie gives the reader a character that we can all connect to and identify with. Eddie's interactions with the five people in heaven teach the larger meanings of life and leave the reader deeply reflective through these profound lessons.

Albom's writing is descriptive from the outset providing the opportunity to become immersed in the story and eras of Eddie's life. It is a fast read. I never put it down from the time I started.

Rating:
Summary: Willing to Jump
Review: Sappy. Simple. Saccharine. These are words Amazon reviewers have used to describe this book. Thus warned, I gave it a shot.

Weighing in under 200 very light pages, this novella is a work of wonder. Albom uses minimalist prose to gain the greatest effect. I've never read his work before, but I was impressed with his ability to capture character and settings in few words. His people are working class, average joes--people we can relate with. I thought the opening scenes and the war narratives were exceptional.

Sure, the themes here have been explored before. No, Albom doesn't offer any particularly new revelations. He doesn't even try to appeal to any one religious faith. But he does succeed in reminding us of the value of life and the interconnectedness of fate and relationships and God's plan. As the title suggests, the book will require a leap of faith and credibility. If you're willing to make that jump, if you're willing to open your heart to this simple, yet profound tale, you'll be won over by the magical quality of "The Five People You Meet in Heaven."

Rating:
Summary: I was tricked
Review: I liked the idea of meeting 5 people in heaven that had meaning in your life. And the first few pages do get you interested. BUT I read it with my mouth open wondering why anyone would praise this book. Mr. Albom made heaven sound like a place where people hang around waiting to dump guilt on the new guy. I found the war stories ugly and the entire book depressing. So glad that its not my version of heaven!!