The Last Lecture

I’ve just finished reading Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture yesterday. Given my hectic schedule, it is just hard to find time to read, particularly books. This 229 paged book is actually quite easy to read, but the content of which is just heart ranching for me. For those who don’t know about this book. It is written by Randy Pausch, a 47 years old professor at Carnegie Mellon, a father of 3 kids, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer with few months to live. The book is about his journey of preparing his last lecture and it contains most of the content about that lecture itself.

I don’t think I would be as indulged in this book if I came across this book, let’s say ten years back. Paradoxically, that wouldn’t happen, since that book wasn’t that old, i.e. the author was still healthy back then. My point is that the content of the book really make sense to me for being a parent of a young kid myself. I could easily improvise myself in the author’s place. God forbid if such horrendous thing would ever happen to me. Cuz, cancer is such a bitch that the cause of which is still unknown. Many so-called preventions or cures are still work-in-progress at best. So, we just never know….

Anyway, I think reading this book is like riding an emotional coaster, but the general feeling is uplifting and giving us hope. This book actually reminds me of a movie – My life, starring Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman. It was about how Michael Keaton dealing with his final months of his life. Though I saw that more than 10 years ago when I was still a bachelor, the theme of the movie has memorable and timeless, the scenes of Michael Keaton making video clips for his baby daughter just stuck in my mind ever since.

There are plenty of lessons being conveyed in the book. I’m not gonna list them all out here. There are many lines in the book that I would certainly revisit down the road. Themes of those lessons include fulfilling your childhood dreams, what do we want to leave behind after we are gone, the importance of planning, karma of pay it forward, etc. These are things that are applicable to all of us. I think this book is certainly worth repeat reading and definitely not a waste of time reading it. I would strongly recommend this book to everyone.