Tuesdays with Morrie
Tuesdays with Morrie is a memoir[1] by American author Mitch Albom[2] about a series of visits Albom made to his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz, as Schwartz gradually dies of ALS. The book topped the New York Times Non-Fiction Best-Sellers List for 23 combined weeks in 2000, and remained on the New York Times best-selling list for more than four years after.[3] In 2006, Tuesdays with Morrie was the bestselling memoir of all time.[3]
An unabridged audiobook was also published, narrated by Albom. The appendix of the audiobook contains excerpts from several minutes of audio recordings that Albom made during his conversations with Schwartz before writing the book.
A new edition with an afterword by Albom was released on the book’s ten-year anniversary in 2007.
In 1995, Albom is a successful sports columnist for the Detroit Free Press. After seeing his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz appear on Nightline, Albom phones Schwartz, and is prompted to travel to Massachusetts to visit him. An ensuing newspaper strike allows Albom to visit Schwartz every week, on Tuesdays. The book recounts each of the fourteen visits Albom made to Schwartz, supplemented with Schwartz’s lectures, life experiences, and interspersed with both flashbacks and allusions to contemporary events.
After being diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Morrie’s final days are spent giving his former student Mitch his final lesson of life. The novel is divided into 14 different “days” that Mitch Albom spent with his professor Morrie. Throughout these days, Mitch and Morrie discuss various topics important to life and living. The novel also recounts Mitch’s memories of Morrie as a professor.[4]
