Book report-Tuesdays with Morrie

The Greatest Lesson about Life

——Book Report on Tuesdays with Morrie

An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson. Tuesdays with Morrie is a book based on a real story between Morrie, a respected, dying professor and Mitch, Morrie's smart college student. Morrie gave Mitch last lessons every Tuesday, so the book was named "Tuesdays with Morrie".

Morrie was diagnosed to have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Stephen William Hawking's disease and was going to die soon. The old professor, who had always been a dancer, had to be in the wheelchair. How about Mitch, the writer, Morrie's favorite student? In the graduation day, he said he would keep in touch with his favorite professor, but he didn't. He became really crazy working and gaining fortunes, lost himself in the pursuit of dream in the society. Things would have stayed that way if he hadn't seen the TV program "Nightline", in which he recognized his old professor. They reunited and began the special lesson about life every Tuesdays.

They talked about the world, feeling sorry for yourself, regrets, death, family, emotions, the fear of aging, money, how love goes on, marriage, their culture, forgiveness, the perfect day, and finally, they said goodbye. As Tampa Tribune comments, "It is an elegantly simple story about a write getting a second chance to discover life through the death of a friend." Tuesdays with Morrie is a thought-provoking book about death and life, a book about the greatest lesson of life given by a dying old wise professor.

I am most impressed by the topic Death among all of their topics, because from the perspective of Morrie, death had been so differently interpreted and moved me so much. Morrie said, "Learn how to die, and you learn how to live." It seems so abstract and confusing. Why is it so hard to think about dying? Because most people walk around as if we are sleepwalking, doing things we automatically think they have to do. Everyone knows they're going to die, but nobody is prepared for it at any time. If we did, we would do things differently. Every day, ask ourselves, "Is today the day? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?" And if we really accept that we can die at any time, we might not be as ambitious as we are. The things we spend so much time on-all those material pursuit, the self contentment build-might not seem as important. We might have to make room for some more spiritual things. We must learn to appreciate things we take for granted, the loving relationships we have, the universe around us.

During the reading of the book, I unconsciously replace myself into the role of the

writer, and gradually respect, admire and even love the professor Morrie. In 1960s, the time of drugs, sex, race, Vietnam protest, when he learned that students who didn't maintain a certain grade could lose their deferments and to be drafted, he decided not to give any grades. His disease worsen, he had to depend on others in daily life, even have others wipe his ass. He never felt embarrassed, neither did those who helped him. He even said he enjoyed the process because he got to be a baby one more time. Morrie was such a sincere, kind, tolerant, loving, and wise little old man with great respectful morality and personality. His every words about the meaning of life were so philosophic, deep-going, and trenchant. He never felt afraid or sad about death and was just calm and serenely in facing it. When he died, I felt so sad as if one of my dear professors had left the world. However, death ends a life, not a spirit. Morrie has influenced and changed so many people, including me, the book's reader, and the influence is continuing. Morrie is immortal in our hearts.

I think Tuesdays with Morrie is a really valuable, worth-reading book about the true meaning of life. A bit like a lection, it's a book that makes one calm and peaceful. It guides us to reflect what's the real value we are pursuing.