Mitch Albom's new book

[Hank_Scorpio]

http://freep.com/article/20090927/FEATURES05/909270311/1319/Albom-recalls-spiritual-lessons-in-new-book

Mitch Albom talks almost daily to some of the most famous athletes and celebrities on the planet. But it's when he converses with obscure, soft-spoken old Jewish men that the book publishing industry goes into a tizzy.

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In 1997, he wrote "Tuesdays with Morrie," a slim book based on Albom's weekly visits to his old sociology professor, who was dying of Lou Gehrig's disease. It sold millions of copies, spent 206 weeks on the New York Times' hardcover nonfiction best-seller list and was turned into a made-for-TV movie.

In the 12 years since the book exploded into the American consciousness, Albom has kept to his usual dizzying schedule, which includes writing for the Free Press, hosting his radio show on WJR-AM (760), regular TV appearances on ESPN's "The Sports Reporters," writing the occasional play and playing in a band. In his spare time, he has written two novels and founded S.A.Y. Detroit (Super All Year Detroit), a charity that distributes money to shelters in Detroit.

Now, he has written "Have a Little Faith," based in large part on conversations that took place over the last eight years with his childhood rabbi from New Jersey.

The story begins in the spring of 2000 when Rabbi Albert (Reb) Lewis asks Albom if he will, when the time comes, deliver the old man's eulogy. The request strikes Albom as odd, not only because the rabbi appears healthy, but because Albom had walked away from his Jewish faith some 20 years earlier.

But Albom agrees, and in a story line familiar to readers of "Tuesdays with Morrie," he begins regular visits to his hometown in New Jersey to meet with Lewis and discuss God, religion and faith.

 

[TwoGloves]

This picture was the front page of one of the Freep's section. Not part of the front page. The ENTIRE front page.

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?template=zoom1&Site=C4&Date=20090927&Category=FEATURES05&ArtNo=909270311&Ref=AR&Profile=1319

 

[slappy4428]

 

[spud]

 

[Paper Guy]

I like Albom's books, but this sounds all too much like a copycat of the first one...

 

[hondo]

The little fellow stays busy, doesn't he?

 

[OnTheRiver]

He's coming to a college near me later this year.

I'm thinking of going heckling.

 

[sportsguydave]

Now all we need is another book from Lupica and the douchebag daily double will be complete.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

When Albom writes that his rabbi is in New Jersey, how sure can we be that he IS in New Jersey?

 

[21]

L'shana Tovah.

 

[slappy4428]

L'shana Tovah.

to you too...

 

[RedHotChiliPrepper]

The little fellow stays busy, doesn't he?

So busy that he can't find the time to go to the Final Four, and instead just assumed that everything would happen as he writes days in advance.

 

[DCaraviello]

Wow. Guy writes best-selling novels, writes a regular newspaper column, hosts a daily radio program, appears regularly on television, and gets mocked for it by people whose greatest accomplishment in life is posting 33,000 times on a message board.

Grow up. You think Mitch has lost his fastball? Fine. You hate him for the Final Four column? Go ahead. But I'll say the same thing about Albom that I say about Reilly -- maybe if you guys showed a little of the same work ethic that got these guys where they are, perhaps one day you could approach something remotely resembling the same success.

 

[Living visalia thru you]

... gets mocked for it by people whose greatest accomplishment in life is posting 33,000 times on a message board.

And you know this how?

 

[WolvEagle]

Wow. Guy writes best-selling novels, writes a regular newspaper column, hosts a daily radio program, appears regularly on television, and gets mocked for it by people whose greatest accomplishment in life is posting 33,000 times on a message board.

Grow up. You think Mitch has lost his fastball? Fine. You hate him for the Final Four column? Go ahead. But I'll say the same thing about Albom that I say about Reilly -- maybe if you guys showed a little of the same work ethic that got these guys where they are, perhaps one day you could approach something remotely resembling the same success.

For those who dislike Mitch's work, like myself, the turnoff is his arrogant, holier-than-thou attitude. Work ethic? Hey, the guy works hard. It's what he does when he works hard that is bothersome.

 

[clutchcargo]

I would guess there are about a dozen old Jewish guys lining up in Michigan or New Jersey ready to offer themselves as fodder for Mitch's next "authentic" book of conversations.

 

[Stitch]

I can write trite crap too. I'm ready for the book tour.

 

[mustangj17]

Wow. Guy writes best-selling novels, writes a regular newspaper column, hosts a daily radio program, appears regularly on television, and gets mocked for it by people whose greatest accomplishment in life is posting 33,000 times on a message board.

Grow up. You think Mitch has lost his fastball? Fine. You hate him for the Final Four column? Go ahead. But I'll say the same thing about Albom that I say about Reilly -- maybe if you guys showed a little of the same work ethic that got these guys where they are, perhaps one day you could approach something remotely resembling the same success.

Yeah.

My biggest accomplishment was making the bacon explosion. Call me when Mitch pulls that off, and we can talk.

 

[WolvEagle]

Does anybody else remember the Mitch Watch e-mail newsletter? Man, that was fun reading.

 

[Magic In The Night]

Wow. Guy writes best-selling novels, writes a regular newspaper column, hosts a daily radio program, appears regularly on television, and gets mocked for it by people whose greatest accomplishment in life is posting 33,000 times on a message board.

Grow up. You think Mitch has lost his fastball? Fine. You hate him for the Final Four column? Go ahead. But I'll say the same thing about Albom that I say about Reilly -- maybe if you guys showed a little of the same work ethic that got these guys where they are, perhaps one day you could approach something remotely resembling the same success.

Now that is funny. Just remember, it's all in the marketing, not in the work.