book review - "Tuesdays With Morrie"

“A teacher to the last” - the perfect words to describe him. He was Morrie Schwartz, a college professor who taught the author, Mitch Albom, the subjects of sociology and psychology during his college days. This book was Morrie’s last class which had only one student but many lessons to teach and learn – all this during his last fourteen Tuesdays, which recorded on tape and finally culminated into this one book, that changed millions of lives everywhere.

Mitch forgot the last promise he had made to Morrie on his graduation that he would keep in touch. Sixteen years later, life gave Mitch his last chance to get back what he lost, in the form of an interview on the famous show “Nightline” where he saw his professor once again, but withered. He had fallen prey to ALS (amytrophic lateral sclerosis). Now one could only see Morrie shriveling, losing out on all the little – little things that make one independent. If one could sum up the feelings they had for Morrie when they saw him, it was pity.

But did Morrie feel pity for himself? Morrie never chose to believe that death was a bad thing and he accepted it with open arms. The best example of this acceptance was when Morrie had a mock-funeral in his house and people sang and said nice things about him, which he feared he would not hear through his grave. He met countless people who came to spend time with him – college professors, students, singers, the “Nightline” show crew, friends and family – and these were those who made Morrie’s time more precious for him. Morrie felt lucky that he was dying this way because of the amount of time he had. It was these few lessons of life that he wished to get across to all the people in the world who had succumbed to the money – hungry “culture” of today.

Morrie and Mitch spoke about self – pity, regrets, death, family, emotions, fears of aging, money, love, marriage, culture, forgiveness, a perfect day, and the world at large. And just as the fourteenth Tuesday approached, Morrie and Mitch said their good-byes. Morrie died four days hence.

Not surprisingly, Morrie and Mitch still meet every Tuesday at Morrie’s tombstone. Mitch speaks, Morrie listens and life goes on. This book makes one laugh and cry at various instances and makes one want to finish it in one go. After reading this book, millions have narrated their stories of how it changed their lives for the good. The author has also written “The Five People You Meet In Heaven” which also won similar widespread acclaim.

It is this book about “a young man, an old man, and life’s greatest lesson” that introduced us to Morrie, a teacher everyone would love to have. We all need a teacher in life to guide and support us. I would like to sincerely thank the author for giving me Morrie and possibly the best philosophy each one of us must live by – “love each other or perish.”