The Meaning of Life
5:14 AM
I made it a goal of mine that for every ten books I read, one of them would be nonfiction. I'm normally a fiction gal at heart, but I think it's important to learn new things. Without further ado, here is my nonfiction review.
Summary of Tuesdays with Morrie
When Mitch Albom graduated from college and promised to keep in touch with his favorite professor, Morrie Schwarz, he meant it. Fast forward twenty years later, and Mitch is a sports reporter who always keeps busy. He doesn't spare a thought for Morrie until one fateful day when he hears Morrie has been diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating disease with no cure. Mitch returns to the side of his favorite professor for one final class, desperate to reconnect with Morrie before he dies. The class has only one student, there is no homework, and there are oral exams every class period. The subject is the meaning of life. The class meets on Tuesdays.
Review
I am teaching Contemporary Literature for the first time this year, and so I asked the previous teacher for a list of books she had used when she taught the class. Tuesdays with Morrie was on the list. I'd heard of the book before, and that it was a tear-jerker, but I'd never read it. I am so glad I decided to read this book with my students. It is full of discussions of love, forgiveness, death, pain, and what's important in life.When I started reading the book, I knew how it was going to end. It's laid out at the beginning of the book. There is no cure to ALS; it always ends in death. I still cried anyway. In fact, I bawled for the entire second half of the book. The stories and discussions Morrie and Mitch share are so universal that it's almost impossible to read without reflecting upon your own life. Morrie's optimism in the face of death is heartwarming and makes me want to live a better life.
If you only ever read one nonfiction book in your life, make sure you read Tuesdays With Morrie
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