Reading: Tuesdays With Morrie

I just finished reading Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom. This is based on the true story of how a man reconnects with his former professor in the final weeks of his life. As his old professor faces death, Mitch visits with him and reflects upon what it means to live a fulfilling life. It's well written, touching, and has a universal connection to every reader.

I liked the book, it was sort of a cross between Ishmael and The Last Lecture. The only problem that I had with this book - which is the same problem I have with all of these types of philosophies and books - is that it oversimplifies life. Yes, love and family are important. Materialism is bad, people spend too much time working and not enough time focusing on the simple things. People should stop working at high stress jobs and just "do what they love" - and if they do that they will be successful in life.

My problem with that philosophy is that it's just not true. I think we all know people who deserve so much more than what they have but just haven't been able to make it happen. Working hard won't always make you successful. Doing what you love won't always support a family. It's easy for an upper or upper-middle class professor to proclaim that love is all you need. He doesn't have to worry about putting food on the table or making rent every month. Even in the book, it appears that the extensive medical care the professor receives is a given, they don't worry about how to pay for the nurses that stay at the house 24 hours a day. Going further, the author frequently mentions how many books the professor has and the nice house he and his wife live in - how does this convey anti-materialism?

I do believe that love and family are the most important things and that we should focus more time on them, but I don't think the picture is as simple as that. However, the book itself is a nice read with a nice message and it's hard to find fault with that.