Rating: 
Summary: So Disappointed--germainehawkins.com
Review: It was one of the most disappointing books I have read in a long time. I am a christian which obviously means I believe in heaven and was looking forward to a book that would allow me the opportunity to ponder my affect on the lives of others and the greater meaning of my life. However, I found the book hard to follow, not well written, and did not provide and form of a reality check for me. I waited for a climatic moment with each person that he met in heaven and each passed with a disappointing conclusion. I have not read Tuesdays with Morrie and will never read another book by Mitch Albom.
Rating: 
Summary: Equal to "Morrie"
Review: Like most people, I first became aquainted with Mitch Albom via TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. Loved the book--loved the movie. And what a great thing it is that Albom is not a one book author, for he's given us another great read--THE FIVE PEOPLE. As always, his books are inspiritational and complete, and parts of THE FIVE PEOPLE have the ring of truth, the way some other classics do. My only problem with this book is that I keep giving my current copy away to friends and have to keep buying another one--at least it's good for sales!Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD
Rating:
Summary: Poignantly, touchingly, and sentimentally great!
Review: The book tells a beautifully scripted story of an old man named Eddie who meets his demise at an amusement park and subsequently ascends the stairway to heaven. There he is met by five people.
1. Adolph Hitler
2. Hannibal Lecter
3. Frankenstein
4. His also deceased twin brother, Larry
5. Satan
Each one having a profound effect on Eddie and the way he views his previous, tangible existance. Satan and Frankenstein show Eddie all the misdeeds of his mortal life and, just when it seems like all is lost, Hannibal and Hitler open up a time portal and send Eddie back into Earthly Existance so he can make up for his past misdoings. But, Hannibal and Hitler make a grave mistake and send Larry, not Eddie back to the land of the living. Comedy ensues as Larry has a tough time pulling off being his twin brother! Do you think Eddie's girlfriend can tell the difference?
Rating:
Summary: It didn't just open my eyes... it opened my heart & mind
Review: Amazing. This book is incredibly well-written and well-thought out. I finished it in a 4 hour sitting, as I just could not put it down. Being a 20 year old female, who has often questioned life since my mother died 12 years ago, this put a lot of things in perspective. It showed me the importance of living, that I DO matter and that I DO effect others on a day to day basis. I learned that forgiving is okae, people die for a reason, that the most simple task may have a huge outcome, etc. etc. I suggest anyone who has ever questioned their existance, to read this book. It'll give you a new insight on this thing we like to call life.
Rating:
Summary: The New Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Review: Hallmark greeting card sentiments litter this book, posing as philosophical profundities. Why would anyone want to believe that heaven exists as some kind of therapeutic analysis meant to explain your earthly existence. What is the point? You're dead already! Albom fuses a little Buddhist Karma philsophy with Jewish mysticism to create this banal concept of heaven. I sure hope I don't end up there!
Rating:
Summary: Best Book I Read In Weeks
Review: I just read this book and I just loved it because I thought it was so good the way Eddie was just so helpful to other people even though he thought he was another "meaningless existence". Instead, he was like a hero when he goes to heaven and meets five people. I just couldn't stop reading The Five People You Meet In Heaven and I look forward to the next sequel so that we can learn about what the magic trolls do to him when he is returned to earth as the Sultan of Islamabad.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This book was not only a quick and enjoyable read, but reminded me of some of life's most important lessons which are too often overlooked. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a feel-good read which might provoke more than a little subsequent quiet introspection.
Rating:
Summary: Metaphysically connecting the dots
Review: If you're looking for a good afterlife fantasy that is neither overly sentimental nor religiously bombastic, then I think you'll really enjoy this novel. While within the heaven of each of his antagonists, the protagonist Eddie -- who's led a "meaningless" life -- comes to appreciate that his earthly actions have had a ripple effect that he could not have predicted. Particularly moving, in my opinion, was the opening tale about the man with the blue skin; it is the most succinct example of the novel's theme. Particularly gruesome, in my opinion, was the author's description of war; the effect is necessary, however, to convey the physical and mental abuse inflicted upon soldiers in battle. Particularly enjoyable, in my opinion, was the author's technique of using subtle plots twists; these give the reader brief "aha" moments throughout the book. In a climate where New Age spirituality and fundamentalist Christianity are engaged in an appalling conflict to brainwash the reading public, this book stands out as an example of level-headed literature which, I think, is quite ironic for a fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational in a realistic way.
Review: I received this book, shocked by how short it was. I read it in under two hours, gripped by the concept Mitch Albom had about what heaven might be like. I hope he's right, because this is a beautiful idea of a possible afterlife. I would accept death peacefully, instead of fearing it, if Albom's theory turned out to be precise. This is the story of an elderly man's journey through his first step in heaven. He learned many lessons taught by people who had effected his life in various ways and had passed away before he had. I feel like I was lucky to learn the same lessons he learned, almost as if this book was a gift from God himself. I don't typically read self-help or spiritual books, and I wouldn't place this novel in either category. It is purely fictional, and introduces a very unique question that grabs both you and the elderly man. This question isn't answered until the end. Many times I wanted to read the last few pages to get the answer to the question, but I felt like I would have cheated myself and the knowledge that I gained by reading every page and not skipping to the end. It is a light book, not filled with deep thoughts or throbbing feeling. I'm also not a serious reader, usually chick literature and comedic nonfiction are all that I indulge in. This was recommended to me by a friend who teaches Psychology at Columbia University. I have to thank her, for now I will always immediately take her advice on any book, despite my initial hesitance.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring
Review: Lizzie Horton,reader:
This is a fantastically well written novel-showing that though you think your life meant nothing and that you were nothing, that is not the case. You do touch those around you. Deeply so. This book is high on emotion and takes makes you wonder about your own life and just what will be waiting for you.
Also recommending: Life Of Pi, Shes's Come Undone,Color Purple,Nightmares Echo
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