Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson / Mitch Albom

RATINGS

Overall: 5/ 5 stars

Text Level: Easy

Entertainment: High

Self-Help: High

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Inspirational, Memoir, Philosophy

Page Count: 210

Is this book right for me and my inmate?

This book is great for people looking to find what is important out of life. Love, gratitude, and service to others.

Buy on: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Review By: Alpas (Inmate)

An old, dying professor teaches his old student wisdom-filled lessons accumulated over a beautiful life of ups and downs.

This story of Morrie Schwartz, an old sociology professor with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) teaches us priceless lessons and reminds us of what it means to be human. As Morrie approaches his imminent death, an old student/friend names Mitch returns to his beloved professor. They embark on a ‘last thesis’ about what death is like and what wisdom we can learn from Morrie’s experience. This dialogue between friends is the foundation of this book.

Morrie is one of the kindest people you’ll ever have the pleasure of connecting with. He has quite a few critiques of the world today, and many ideas to live a more full life. According to Morrie, learning to give and receive love is life’s most important lesson. By limiting the amount of time we allow ourselves to feel self-pity, finding the positive of every situation, and rejecting the culture that has us so wrapped up in materialism, money, and image, we can live much more fulfilling lives We all need teachers in our life to help us see the importance of living with a perspective of love. If we live with the perspective of limited time (death), we may come to realize that family, marriage, and forgiveness are the cornerstones of happiness. Along with these, we must learn that devotion to community will help us find purpose and meaning. Living avoiding our emotions, suppressing our love and affection, chasing money, and living in fear of death or aging all lead to a feeling of loneliness and something missing. Love and how we handle our relationships is the real lasting effect that we leave behind. Be present with those you care about, enjoy the moment, and actively listen.

Personally, this beautiful little book has become one of the favorites I’ve ever read. Although much of this book may feel obvious, the sift of perspective, reminder of what’s important, and application of its lessons are where the value lies. I believe that as an inmate, we tend to lose sight of what really matters due to the difficult circumstances we face. I’ve experienced lots of days where I feel apathetic, hopeless, and racing thoughts, that my situation is permanent, and so on. These lessons are the reminders I need to hear to get back on track. Our burdens feel much lighter with this perspective of loving and kind relationships. And it just so happens to be delivered in a masterpiece that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions. I hope this helps you as much as it did me.

Book Quotes

“The truth is, Mitch…Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”

“As long as we can love each other and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there.”