Mitch Albom

"New York Times" Bestselling Author | Mega Philanthropist | Sports Reporter

Religion, Faith & Spirituality

Social Commentary

Happiness

Author, philanthropist, columnist, and sports broadcaster Mitch Albom is an inspiration around the world. Albom is the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, which have collectively sold more than forty million copies in forty-eight languages worldwide. He has written eight number-one New York Times bestsellers — including Tuesdays with Morrie, the bestselling memoir of all time, which topped the list for four straight years and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022. He has also written award-winning TV films, stage plays, screenplays, a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and a musical. He appeared for more than 20 years on ESPN, and was a fixture on The Sports Reporters. Through his work at the Detroit Free Press, he was inducted into both the National Sports Media Association and Michigan Sports halls of fame and was the recipient of the Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement.

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Following his bestselling memoir Finding Chika, and Human Touch, a weekly serial written and published online which raised nearly $1 million for pandemic relief, he returned to fiction with The Stranger in the Lifeboat, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers List after being #1 on Amazon. His much-anticipated new novel, The Little Liar, set during the Holocaust, is coming in the fall of 2023.

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Albom now spends the majority of his time in philanthropic work. Since 2006, he has operated nine charitable programs in southeast Michigan under his SAY Detroit umbrella, including the nation's first medical clinic for homeless children. He also created a dessert shop and popcorn line to fund programs for Detroit’s most underserved citizens. Since 2010, Albom has operated the Have Faith Haiti orphanage in Port au Prince, a home to 60 children, which he visits every month without exception.

Topics

Have a Little Faith: How Trusting Others Can Change the World

Mitch Albom talks about why faith is still needed and embraced in a modern world where we think we know all the answers. Rather than divide us, Albom found—through time spent with an inner-city pastor of a poor church and an aging rabbi of a wealthy suburban synagogue—that faith can pull us together. That it unites us in our humanity. Albom shares stories about faith amongst the poor, the well-to-do, the homeless, and those who once felt God did not exist. He addresses questions such as: What do we all have in common in our hearts—no matter what house of worship we attend? How does the belief in something bigger than us give us insight, wisdom and comfort? How does faith help when bad things happen? And what can we learn from each other’s faith that can make the world, the workplace, our neighborhoods and our daily lives more harmonious? Expanding on themes already developed in his works Tuesdays With Morrie and The Five People You Meet In Heaven, Mitch Albom weaves a captivating and uplifting message about the potential in all of us for a giving, meaningful life.

Stranger in the Lifeboat

Bestselling author Mitch Albom’s book The Stranger in the Lifeboat tells the story of a group of shipwrecked passengers adrift at sea who save a man from certain death, floating in the ocean. When he comes to, he reveals himself to be the Lord, and says the only way he can save them all is if everyone aboard the raft believes in him. This novel of hope and faith asks the reader, “What happens when we ask for help, but it arrives in an unexpected way?” In this talk, Mitch explores all facets of help: how we ask for it, how we recognize it, how we accept it. Can we move beyond immediate and easily recognizable answers to appreciate the gifts that have come to fruition in the long run? Can we look deeper into periods of pain and see the beautiful offshoots born from that time?

Giving is Living

Mitch Albom learned many penetrating life lessons from Morrie Schwartz, a professor he reconnected with in his final days before succumbing to ALS. The one that sticks with him the most is “giving is living.” Morrie once said, “Taking makes me feel like I’m dying. Giving makes me feel like I’m living.” This simple yet powerful idea changed the course of Mitch’s life forever. Since then, he has founded nearly a dozen charities between Detroit and Haiti, bettering the situations of countless people around the world. In this talk, Mitch asks you to adopt this mentality, to embody a giving spirit, not just around the holidays when it’s popular, but year-round—every day that you are fortunate to take another breath. In doing so, you not only make a difference in the lives of others, but also add vibrancy and vitality to your own life.

Tuesdays with Morrie: Lessons for Living

Maybe it was a grandparent, a teacher, a colleague – someone who helped you see the world as a more profound place and gave you advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago. Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together during Morrie’s battle with ALS and Mitch’s struggle to find meaning and purpose in his life. Mitch will share the priceless lessons learned from this wise friend during his last days.

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