Why I think 'Tuesdays with Morrie' will change my life.

As a Michigan boy and an avid sports fan, I have long been familiar with the work of author and sports writer Mitch Albom. I had of course heard about his famous work Tuesdays with Morrie but never considered actually reading it. It wasn't until my grandfather read it and gave it to me that I gave it a shot. And oh man, am I ever glad I did.

It's about Mitch's old college professor; Morrie Schwartz; from the '70s. Mitch was very close with him as he went through college, but after graduating he gets consumed by work and sort of forgets about him. He learns that Morrie has contracted ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and then starts visiting with him every Tuesday, and they tackle all the difficult subjects of life, as the terrible disease slowly consumes him. It's a heart-tugging, beautiful, happy, and sad story all at the same time.

There are 10 lifetimes worth of useful information to take away from this book. Morrie had such a higher understanding of the world around him; he was not a fan of America's materialistic ways, and I can only guess he wouldn't be too fond of how America has changed for the worst over the last 15 years. Materialistic wants and needs have swallowed our culture and society; it's all that drives us. So many of us feel our only purpose is to land a high-paying job, buy a big-house, settle down and have kids. Buy that new fancy cell-phone. That new big-screen TV. That new sports car. There's nothing inherently wrong about this, it's just so damn selfish. People in America's modern society are molded to only care about their own desires. But how can they not when the news embeds the belief that every stranger wants to murder and molest our children? We don't trust one another enough anymore. With that said, I'd like to share some of my favorite quotes from Mitch Albom's book:


"People are only mean when they're threatened, and that's what our culture does. That's what our economy does. Even people who have jobs in our economy are threatened, because they worry about losing them. And when you get threatened, you start looking out only for yourself. You start making money a god." - Morrie Schwartz

"Here's what I mean by building your own little subculture: I don't mean you disregard every rule of your community. I don't go around naked, for example. I don't run through red lights. The little things, I can obey. But the big things; how we think, what we value; those you must choose yourself." - Morrie Schwartz

"Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness. I'm telling you, as I'm sitting here dying, when you most need it, neither money nor power will give you the feeling you're looking for, no matter how much of them you have." - Morrie Schwartz.


This book will undoubtedly change my life, so I would suggest to anyone who hasn't read it that they do so. Because chances are, it will do the same for you.