The Last Lecture

It means even more rereading 13 years later. When the author's Last Lecture went viral, I was a twenty-something computer science graduate. It spoke to me then, perhaps because I was a lot like Pausch's students. Now, as a father of young children, I see it all very differently. I hope I'll know my children into adulthood, but mortality is at the forefront in this memoir that also serves as an advice book and personal legacy for Pausch.

Another thing that's much clearer now are his personal faults. I lapped up his workaholism on the first reading in a way that I actively avoid now. Despite his blanket optimism, there's a cynicism that comes through in parts about people who don't do what he considers the necessary, hard work. These don't bother me, because they remind me he's a complete human—just like all of us who have our own strong opinions that run counter to another's way of life. Plus, through his death he found clarity about the things that really matter. And I hope that's what I take away, as I read this on a Sunday while my kids are playing independently. Maybe it's time we all play a game.

Much of what he says we already know: positive thinking, send a thank-you note, go after your dreams, if it's important it's worth working for etc but we all could use a reminder now and then.

Inspirational. Really makes you examine life, the precious time you have, and the precious people you are blessed to share it with.

Some pearls, but ultimately it's written by someone who values doing more than being. Pausch is all about his accomplishments: living his life by aiming at a target and crushing obstacles in his way. There seemed little enjoyment of the path, little reflection on the opportunities of the moment, just that sweet gloating of triumph when his laser focus and tireless efforts win him his victories. That is not my Way. Not to say that it's wrong. Just that it's not how I envision a meaningful life, and I won't be giving away copies of this to my younger friends-and-relations.

Love it or hate it, Randy is an inspiration.

A rare insight into the brilliancy of the man. A must-read for all the dreamers out there.

While this book had some great topics and ideas how to live life to the fullest—dare to dream big dreams, work hard, be honest, just ask—for the most part, it was just stories of how great his life was and not the actual application or how of a lot of these concepts. For much of the book, I didn't care about the experiences but wanted more about the subject they were trying to illustrate and I didn't get that.
There were some good things in there, but were mostly lost as he shares too much about his own life, which I wasn't that interested in.

Magnifique, touchant, plein de sagesse, une belle remise en perspective, un adieu plein d'espoir...

A wonderful book. Randy Pausch's story touched and inspired so many people. I'm now one of them. Throughout this book, you really get to know Randy and his whole family. It's bursting with lessons about life. So many that I felt kind of overwhelmed and unimportant though. This man is so full of advice and lessons, and I could give you few to none if asked right now. But maybe that's what this is all about. To make you think and find the advice that matters most to you. I'm also still pretty young. I will make sure to re-read this, once I'm a few years wiser. Rest in peace Randy.

40-something professor Randy Pausch discovered that he was suffering from terminal Pancreatic cancer. With 3 very young children and a young wife of less than 10 years, he decided that he would create a legacy by which his family could remember him. So, he set about delivering a final lecture to his school, Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. Additionally, he co-wrote a book with some of the lessons he learned about how to live one's life.

This book was uplifting and amazing, considering it was written by a man with less than a year to live. At all times, Pausch was realistic, but hopeful on his reflective journey, written largely to his kids about how to approach life.

This is not so much a story about his life, as it is 1-3 page anecdotes of stories from his life, which helped him learn important life lessons. This is a quick read, and likely a tear-jerker for those of you with young children of your own.

Courtesy of The Literary Snob.

Sometimes in our world, it is easy to become apathetic to diagnoses involving the demise of celebrities. After all, it was nearly 20 years ago that Magic Johnson announced he was HIV-positive and retired from basketball; he still looks great. So when I began reading The Last Lecture, I admit I had some doubts. Granted, Randy Pausch is not a traditional celebrity, but he has become quite the Internet icon in recent times. Within the first chapters, Pausch states that doctors gave him 6 months to live. Yet, there I was, nearly a year after the diagnosis, reading the book that the entire nation seemed to have their noses in. Of course I became curious, so I looked on the Internet to find out about Pausch's current condition. How humbling it was to find out that he had died the day before I began reading his book.

There is some hesitance on my part in providing an honest review of a book written by an individual who very recently lost a battle with pancreatic cancer. Is it somehow insulting to his family or to his memory? Especially since these are his last words—a letter to his wife and children? Although I feel I am somehow stepping into a room of unsophisticated schmucks by doing so, I assure you that my opinion of this book is shaped entirely by its merits and demerits and not by my conscience.

After an introduction into Pausch's condition and life situations, The Last Lecture read like a series of proverbs. They were short and to the point. Although many of them were enveloped in commonsense, Pausch excellently weaved in stories and images that were memorable. Pausch reminds us what is important in life, an endeavor which he excels at. The examples he gives from his own life are inspiring and useful. I can imagine a whole generation heeding his advice, letting children paint their own bedroom and pouring soda in the backseat of a new car to make a point. Even if the masses think these steps too radical, I believe Pausch would be ecstatic to see one person take a similar approach to life.

Pausch's personal stories are also The Last Lecture's lowest points. Pausch knew he had a unique view in life, and this often makes him sound arrogant. Further, much of his proverbial wisdom is reserved for a higher class than his average reader. The average person cannot, unfortunately, afford to walk around with $200 in their wallet and be able to quit their jobs because they have a terminal illness. If I were in a similar morbid situation as Pausch was, I believe I would feel more depressed and inadequate after reading The Last Lecture, knowing what I should do, but being powerless to make it happen.

In the end, I felt that this book was not worth all the hype. It was inspiring, but it was equally a tiresome read. The Last Lecture is an intimate 224-page letter ultimately meant for a dying man's children. That being said, if I were one of Pausch's children, I believe that I would hang on every word in this book, find value in every mark—for all the days of my life. And it is in such a power that The Last Lecture becomes so incredibly valuable.

Randy Pausch uses the venue of a professor's last lecture to show his students how to achieve their dreams and how to make it in life. The heartbreaking aspect of Pausch's cancerous death sentence lends immediacy and truth to his lecture. Yet the lecture is not maudlin. Instead, it is humorous and poignant without being tragic.