AP Book Review

740 Words2 Pages

I read the book entitled Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. It was an amazing, non-fiction book about a dying old man and what he teaches to his student. Morrie Schwartz was one of Mitch’s professors at Brandeis University in Massachusetts. Morrie was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, in 1994. This book is about the last few months of his life, and the interactions Morrie had with Mitch during that time.
The full title, as shown on the cover of the book, is Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, And Life’s Greatest Lesson. The title of this book is significant because it basically explains everything that will happen in the book without picking it up. It really is, when you boil it all down, about an old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson, taught by Morrie. The main goal of this book is to relay the last few months of Morrie’s life, but also to teach the lessons taught by Morrie to everyone. “This book was largely Morrie’s idea. He called it our ‘final thesis.’” and he even came up with the title. (Albom 191) Mitch Albom, the author, is obviously credible because he and Morrie wrote it together. There really is no question if you should believe what is said because it came from the books main characters. I think that the most important passage of this book is at the very end of the last Tuesday with Morrie. Throughout their entire relationship, from college all the way to Mitch’s weekly visits, Morrie had been trying to get Mitch to openly cry and embrace his emotions. He finally did so when he said goodbye to Morrie. “I blinked back the tears, and he smacked his lips together and raised his eyebrows at the sight of my face. I like to think that it was a fleeting moment of satisfaction for m...

... middle of paper ...

...ely with Mitch’s argument that we need to learn to live no matter what. My grandfather died of disease, and during his last months he wanted nothing more but to go out and live life. It definitely makes a difference if in your own life you live it like it’s your last and try to make the most of it.
In conclusion this book had a big effect on its readers, and therefore accomplished the purpose of being written. It really made me think about the purpose of life and how to be happy in life. Overall it affected my personal beliefs greatly and made me appreciate what I have. By reading the teachings of a dying, wise, old man, trying to teach a young man how to be happy in life, you can learn a lot about how to do just that. Be happy.

Works Cited

Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, And Life's Greatest Lesson. New York: Doubleday, 1997. Print.

Open Document