The First Phone Call from Heaven: A Novel

First of all, this is an excellent book. This is particularly well suited for those who ask the big questions, like, why is there something instead of nothing, what is the meaning of life, what is the difference between my brain and my consciousness. These are issues that spring from the very nature of the book.As far as I can tell, all of us, every single one of us has but one of two choices, there is no in between position.Choice number one: Material reductionism. That is to say that everything can be reduced to a series of accidents that produced us and all other life on this and any other life-beaing planet. We, and all else in this universe, are composed of atoms, lots and lots of them and they gather together in the mindless, meaningless meanderings that obey the laws of physics and chemistry, which themselves are products of an accidental universe. When we explore the depths of our existence we find only atoms joining together to create us. This creation has no purpose. If you say you truly love another human, it's just nonsense..all those feelings of affection and devotion are simply the movement and juggling of molecules, formed from atoms, in your brain, in other words, neurotransmitters that elicit this response inside your head. NOTHING has any real meaning, ALL is actually a delusion. And when we die, we die, end of story, we slip into that abyss from which we came.The existential pain of being human is that when we understand the universe is benignly indifferent to our existence and that there is NO real meaning to be found in this universe, that our lives, really do not matter. Now you might say that some great act of compassion you have performed has meaning. Well, one hundred years from now, where is the meaning? It is gone, gone when you and the recipient and all friends, family, etc. are dead and gone. I daresay that very few of us can tell what meaning our great, great, great, great grandmothers is still alive today.As Stephen Hawking said, the only meaning in this universe is what lays between our ears. We can therefore extrapolate and see that no ears, no brain, no meaning. End of story.Or, there is choice number two: This universe and any other universe that may exist was and is in every moment being created and sustained by a God who transcends space and time, who is noncontingent, who is outside of this universe, who is infinite and eternal. And if he is infinite and eternal, so are we, his creations. There is meaning to our lives and we are just transiently passing through this life but we are eternal notwithstanding what things may look like superficially. The brain is NOT the mind..the brain is the map, not the territory, the brain dies and returns to insensate matter, the mind is forever.I personally think that Mitch Albom's book directs to the second choice. Many years ao I was a high school science teacher, and for me, if you could kick it, it was real. All else is nonsense. There is no God, no eternity, and the only thing to be worshipped is science. Then my life changed, suddenly, with incredible revelation and drama...very much like what happens to Sully in this book. I experienced something that made me realize in an instant that the universe was completely different from what I had previously thought. And I actually have had a number of "mystical" events that were real, not illusions, not hallucinations. Anyone who has had such an experience knows what I'm talking about. I know very well that many will think I am..what? Crazy? On drugs? Halllucinating? NO!I will tell you what first opened my eyes. I was, as I said, a high school science teacher for 13 years beginning in 1970. Our school decided that the senior and freshman class should raise money through a magazine drive. All freshmen and senior home room teachers met with a rep from the magazine company. He, to demonstrate what happened after a student sold a certain number of subscriptions, held a stack of scratch lotto tickets and there was one ticket for each of us. This was so far back in time that I had never actually held a lotto ticket and there was only the beginning of state lottos. He began to pass them out and told us to not scratch until he told us to do so, and that there was one, only one winning ticket in the bunch. The prize was a small radio built into a replica of a can of Coke. He walked up and down the rows of chairs in which we sat. He handed me my ticket and INSTANTANEOUSLY I knew I had the winner!Now you and I know that 2+2=4. No doubt about that. However, I KNEW with 1,000 times greater certainty that I held the winning ticket in my hand. I ABSOLUTELY knew! My hands were trembling because I suddenly realized that this just didn't "fit" with everytinig and anything I had believed. How could this be???? ANd, yes, I did hold the winning ticket and left our meeting the proud owner of a radio disguised as a can of Coke.Now, I know that many of you will dismiss this as complete delusional thinking. I don't care what anyone thinks. At my age you cannot hurt me by thinking ill of me. I gradually, over the next few days began to absorb the sigificance of this evernt. As it turned out, this was only the start of revelations that changed me forever and irrevocably. Other events were more, much more dramatic but no less confirming than receiving that lotto ticket.So. Since that time, I have been doing a lot of reading about how science and religion are coming together in new ways to explain our universe and our existence. If you have an interest in exploring the scientific perspective, I highly recommend a book by William Joseph Bray called Quantum Physics, Near Death Experiences, Eternal Consciousness, Religion, and The Human Soul. This is not an easy read! It has a lot of quantum physics but when you get to stuff you have difficulty with, keep reading, you will get the big picture with work and patience. It is a transformative book just as Mitch Albom's book is.So, while I have never received a phone call, I have had other kinds of revelation. I think Mitch Albom is the kind of guy I would love to spend a long and liesurely dinner with and pick his brain and get to know the man I am certain is a GREAT and spiritual man! To me, he is something of a hero because he wrote this book. He is also a hero because of the work he does with helping others. His life has meaning!! He makes a difference! He is a gift from God. He is God revealing Himself to us! And I would like to add that when atheists excoriate those of us who are believers in the divine creator, I always want to remind them that when you get down to the dirty nitty gritting of helping others, you rarely see atheists helping the poor, the sick, the stricken. It is always people of faith like Mitch Albom who are there acting on the words of Christ.I want to add that I am not a religious person. I am, however, very spiritual. I do attend church services at times, but in the quiet life of my consciousness, I find the ternal.

Good read. Want sure whether to expect it to be real or not. The ending was satisfying. Makes you question your beliefs.

Once again, Mitch Albom delivers a story overflowing with creativity and originality. I can always count on Albom to keep me entertained and guessing while challenging the way I think. In this case, several people from the tiny town of Coldwater, Michigan begin receiving phone calls from deceased relatives who say they’re calling from Heaven. The story follows a handful of these “chosen ones” (as they’re later dubbed), along with one person who doesn’t believe Heaven exists.Sullivan “Sully” Harding is an ex-Navy pilot raising his young son alone after the death of his wife, and a short stint in prison. Sully’s backstory gradually unfolds in bits and pieces as the plot progresses, keeping the reader scampering through the pages for more.Meanwhile, low-on-the-rung TV reporter, Amy Penn is sent by her boss to see what all the fuss in Coldwater is about. Amy considers the story a waste of time until her report gains new life on the Internet and suddenly, she’s looking at a potential career maker. With Coldwater thrust into the spotlight, ABC and other networks come sniffing in her wake but Amy already has her foot securely in the door. She’s gained the trust of Katherine, the woman who received the first phone call. The mayor sees a money maker for Coldwater, especially when “pilgrims” begin arriving.Like most of Albom’s work, this is a thoughtful story. Why do some people receive calls and others don’t? Should the local pastor embrace the idea (as most encourage him to do), or should he challenge the validity of the claims? Is someone behind an elaborate hoax, or can the dead really talk to the living through an older style Samsung phone?I honestly didn’t know what to expect as I delved deeper into the book. Sully is set on disapproving the calls and begins investigating on the sly. He’s frustrated his son has taken to carrying around a toy phone, desperate for a call from his dead mother.Sully is the perfect person to drive the bulk of the story. He’s bitter, going through the daily grunge of living as he tries to piece his life back together for the sake of his son. But Albom packs his book with a full roster of characters (even Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone get page time). Each has a unique history that threads into the plot, and the hoopla that follows, when Coldwater becomes the focus of the world.The ending came as a surprise but left me with a smile of satisfaction as I stopped to appreciate how cleverly Albom wove his “reveal” into a broader, more intense moment.So… should you read this book?Oh, yes! It’s an artful mystery packed with intriguing characters, relationship drama, and a dollop of social commentary. Most of all, it’s a beautiful, inspirational tale that lingers long after the book is read.

Intriguing from the first page to the last. Thought provoking for those of us who have experienced the loss of a loved one. I would certainly answer the call.

I am a fan of Mitch Albom’s work - his literary work, his podcast Tuesday’s People, his work with his orphanage in Haiti, but for some reason, this story didn’t work for me. The premise of several people getting messages from their loved ones who have passed on, in a small town in northern Michigan, didn’t seem likely to me.Mitch Albom writes very well , his characters are realistic and he touches on important issues of faith, loyalty, community values and recovery from loss. Yet somehow this story didn’t match his other beautiful novels and non-fiction that have so impressed me ever since I read Tuesdays with Morrie several years ago.

Such inspiration! I loved reading this authors words. Human nature and the human connection and condition revealed. Chapter by chapter. Scoffers, believers, blind faith, anger, all the emotions. I loved the ending. I adored the journey. Thank you sir

I love Mitch Albom books, and although I haven’t finished this yet, it’s really good. Hard to put down.But the book came with damaged pages as you can see from the picture I took. That’s the only disappointing thing about it. Hence the 4 stars.

I enjoy this authors writing style. He makes it easy to keep up with the different characters and subplots.Thanks for good read.