Review: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Title: Tuesdays with Morrie

Author: Mitch Albom

Year: 1997

ISBN: 978-0-385-49649-0

Tuesdays with Morrie written by Mitch Albom is an inspiring real-life story about the author's university professor who was diagnosed Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. I bought this book to better understand the story as I had watched the movie on a local terrestrial TV channel not too long ago.

This book is actually a tribute of the author to his university professor, Morris S. Schwartz who had taught him Sociology modules at Brandeis University. Albom is already an accomplished sports journalist and commentator when he came across an episode on Nightline featuring an interview with this professor who was already diagnosed and dying from Lou Gehrig's disease in 1994.

The author was living on an extremely hectic life as a sport journalist and commentator where he was constantly in the thick of things and had been on high demand to cover many sports tournaments and sports-related events. Although Albom enjoyed his career, however, he was not achieving the fulfillment that should have came with his career. He was just moving with flow of things, where he would try to fulfill all the demands his career requires of him, not to mention having to be contented a domineering boss. Not only that, as a result of a total commitment to his career, his relationship with his wife, Janine also deteriorated.

When Albom finally decided to visit his dying professor, little did he know that the visits would become life's enduring lessons, changing the way he would view life forever. Those visits became full-blown, classroom lessons, albeit in an informal manner. Lengthy discussions were held but virtually no notes were taken and assignments done, instead Albom were encouraged to ponder on the different issues about life at the end of each lesson, and to give an indication he has fully understood each lesson his professor was trying to impart to him whenever they meet for subsequent lessons.

Finally when his professor passed away, the valuable lessons that Albom had learned were turned into a "thesis", in the form of this very book yours truly is reviewing. This book is an exceptionally inspiring story, written in a simple but profound manner. Tears came to eyes as I read the story and it made me also ponder the many different aspects of my own life.

I highly recommend this book to all readers who are partial to reading real life and inspiring stories. A string of rave reviews and selling more than 11 million copies worldwide, Tuesdays with Morrie is a real gem to have in every book lover's shelf.