Mitch Albom knows the value of time. The author of such bestsellers as "Tuesdays With Morrie," and "Five People You Meet In Heaven" has based much of his writing career around asking tough, universal questions like, "Why are we all here?" Albom builds on that sentiment, continuing to search for the meaning of life through the lens of time with, "The Time Keeper."

"We're so obsessed with time in this country... we just want to go faster and live longer," Albom pointed out in recent interview with CBS. "But I don't think we're so concerned with the quality of our time."

In "The Time Keeper," Father Time is punished for sharing the concept of time with humanity, and is banished to spend 6,000 years of solitary confinement in a cave. That would be punishment enough. But, he's forced to listen to people on Earth who complain they never have enough time. Finally, Father Time returns. To redeem himself, he must teach one very young person, and one very old person - a suicidal young woman and a wealthy older man who seeks to freeze himself until a cure for his cancer can be found - what the true meaning of time should be about.

Albom has a impeccable talent for presenting complicated ideas in simple ways, and with "The Time Keeper," he's done it again.

"You can live 100 years and do nothing with your life and help no one, or you can live 20 years and have effected the whole world," said Albom. "It's all about the choices we have to make with our limited time.

Time has been a constant theme through Albom's novels, especially his big hits like "Morrie" and "Five People You Meet In Heaven." For his latest novel though, the sentiment is refined to the idea that if you had unlimited time nothing would really be special.

"Father Time says there's a reason God limits our days - to make each one of them precious," said Albom. "It's the fact that we don't have endless time that forces you to think about the quality of what you're going to do."

Albom has clearly learned a lot about instilling the time he has left with quality. The beloved author is also a Detroit-based columnist, radio host, playwright, songwriter, and philanthropist. He began operating an orphanage in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake devastated the country.

Considering "The Time Keeper," it sounds like much of that experience has rubbed off on him. Albom admits that his whole participation in aiding the country was serendipitous, and that it has helped him realize "America's mindset of hurry up and go along is not the only way of doing things."

"I'm one of those people who thinks that whatever gets put in front of you gets put there for a reason," said Albom.

He continues to learn from his philanthropy work in Haiti and in his hometown of Detroit, MI where he's founded four charities: S.A.Y. Detroit, A Time to Help, The Dream Fund, and A Hole in the Roof Foundation.

"Spend more time with those you love and your family, and a little less time working... I tend to write my books to lecture myself as much as anybody else," Albom divulged.

"The Time Keeper" is available now.