Description

“The best teachers teach from the heart not from the book”. A student- teacher relationship is one of the purest bonds there can be. When teachers teach beyond the syllabus, they become guides for life. Because life is not in the books but out there. Life is a mashup of emotions. We never know when and which emotion will dominate the other. The see saw of happiness and sadness is perpetual. We know exactly what to do in our happy moments but get stuck when it comes to the sad realities of life. It is then that we need a mentor, someone who has seen enough life to give the right advice. Someone who can make us see what exactly we have missed.

About the book

The book is a heart touching narrative of the conversations between a teacher and his student. These conversations happened on Tuesdays. On Tuesday, Mitch, the author visited Morrie, his professor and they chatted for hours. Due to his positive demeanour, Morrie had been Mitch’s favourite professor at college. For a long time Mitch had lost touch with his old professor until an audio visual with Morrie in it was telecasted on the television. In his sixties, Morrie’s breathing became laboured due to asthma. After a series of tests, the doctors concluded that he had a amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurological disorder. Morrie knew he was going to die. But he wasn’t going to die pathetically.

Mitch visited Morrie at his home and they talked about life, family, money, marriage, the world. Even in his fragile situation Morrie didn’t hesitate to talk about death. It wasn’t easy for Morrie, his speech slurred, he coughed a lot, he couldn’t eat solid food anymore, his body was cold and weak and he longed for warm human touch. Mitch gave him company and Morrie shared his wisdom of life without getting awkward or bothered about judgement from his student. All their conversations, until Morrie’s death are practical life lessons for millions of people who picked up this book. This book is about the determination of an old man grasped by a deadly disease to make sure he made the most of his last days. Instead of sitting on the wheel chair and mourning his unfortunate fate Morrie looked at the brighter side of life. He truly believed a brighter side existed. Morrie lost the battle with death but he made sure his message reached as many people as possible. Morrie did what most people failed to do, to help others out of the pit when you yourself are stuck inside. Mitch decided to compile their conversations in a book to make sure his teacher’s priceless wisdom reaches more people.

About the Author

Mitchell Albom (born May 23,1958) is an American author, journalist and musician. He is an author of a bunch of fiction and non fiction novels. He is a columnist for the Detroit Free Press. A few of his books have movie adaptations including Tuesdays with Morrie.

Conclusion

It is ironic how a mere 118 pages book contains within itself a treasure of life lessons. It is a one sitting read but it will make you come back and reread it multiple times. A must read especially for those who are confined to look at the darker side of life. Life a yin yang of dark and light. This book will peacefully, effortlessly, emotionally pull you out of the darkness and place you on the brightest side of life. It will freshen up your perspectives. It will help you to inculcate an accepting attitude for whatever comes your way. You won’t be the same heartless person who complaints about life after you read this book. You will be a completely new person, grateful to be alive!

Some quotes from the book

“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and how to let it come in. Love is the only rational act”.

“Why are we embarrassed by the silence. What comfort do we find in the noise?”

“Do the kind of things that come from the heart and you will be overwhelmed with what comes back”.