Review ~ The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Title: The Last Lecture 

Author: Randy Pausch
Copyright: 2008
Type:  non-fiction
Pages: 206
Series:no

Reason for Reading
I wanted to find something to motivate me, something to inspire me.

Summary:

Based on the extraordinary final lecture by Carnegie Mellon University professor Pausch, given after he discovered he had pancreatic cancer, this moving book goes beyond the now-famous lecture to inspire readers to live each day with purpose and joy. 

Thoughts: This is exactly what it says. It is someone's last lecture a man dying from cancer and now he wants to leave behind a legacy for his children and those who come behind him. That in itself made it hard to take at times and really realize that man this guy right here as a) more grace and thought in his life then I ever did and do and b) he really had a great grasp on what was to come. After you get pass that and really think about why he was writing this or giving this lecture it hits how important it might be to listen to what he was saying. He had some advice that I was like man I really want to apply that and I did highlight quotes to remember for later. A lot of it was a personal glimpse into his life and what worked for him and how he managed to get to where he was. Including to his beautiful wife and 3 lovely children. At times I almost felt guilty for reading it like a voyeur who shouldn't be allowed in to see what he was going through and I wondered is this guy really this well adjusted? At other times I found myself laughing so hard I was crying and wondering man I would have really loved to have gotten to know him. Overall it was a bittersweet read and I enjoyed gleaning pieces of information that I can apply to my own life like how to look at life should it ever throw me a huge curve ball. 

Goodreads Grade: 4 out of 5 stars

Would you recommend this book to others? I think it was a fantastic last lecture and I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to see what grace under fire and pressure looks like.