Albom connects with his Brandeis sociology professor 16 years after graduating from college. Morrie, recently diagnosed with ALS and quickly slipping away, has one last class to teach Mitch – how to have a meaningful life, from the perspective of a dying man with nothing left to lose. He teaches Mitch important lessons about forgiveness, giving to others, letting love in, and rejecting the importance society puts on wealth, fame, and beauty. Throughout these Tuesday lessons, Mitch comes to understand important truths about living and dying, and he finds himself letting go of his pride and vanity. Tuesdays with Morrie is one of the most important books to read in the classroom today, because it encompasses exactly what English teachers are trying to do: to teach our students how to become good people, using lessons from literature and life.