A MUST READ

THE LAST LECTURE
by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow

Publisher: Hyperion Bks/Imp of Buena Vista Books
Publication Date: April, 2008

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: (from doubleday book club)
If you were going to die, and had one last lecture, what would you say to your students?
This question is the premise of an academic tradition called the “Last Lecture,” which allows professors to share their wisdom with their students. But for Professor Randy Pausch, it wasn’t a hypothetical scenario. Diagnosed with cancer, he only had months to live when he gave his Last Lecture this past September. It was the lecture of a lifetime. Titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” it encouraged people to dream big, to be strong in the face of adversity, to never lose the wonder and to help others achieve their own dreams. Wise, witty and incredibly moving, it became a global phenomenon: viewed online by millions, featured on numerous TV programs and linked to by legions of Websites.

Now, by popular request, Randy expands on his lecture, elaborating on his message and sharing how he learned each of the lessons outlined in his talk. As he says, “It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. It’s about how to lead your life. If you live your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.”

MY THOUGHTS:
WOW!! This book is probably one of the best I've read in a long time. The fact that it is one man's true story about facing death head on with a positive attitude was enough to keep it a page turner. It's not really a story as much as it is a forceful way to make you evaluate your own life. For example: do you want to be an eeyore or a tigger? (if you don't understand this, you should read the book) The author states that he's thankful to have had warning about dying...but I feel that we all know that we're going to go sometime or another...so we all (in a way) have warning. To borrow a line from a coworker: "no one is promised tomorrow."

Has this book made me think? Absolutely. The main thing I think about is what my boys would remember about me if tomorrow was taken away. I've decided that I'm going to start writing "letters" to each of my boys. How often? I don't know yet. Maybe once a month. I'm going to make each of them a binder so that when they are older they will have all of these thoughts from their mom to page thru.

My final thoughts from this book...I hope I can live my life to be remembered as a tigger...I hope my boys do too.

I'm definitely going to read this book again...I'm sure there were things that I missed. I also plan on watching the author's "last lecture" online. (http://www.thelastlecture.com/) I think that everyone should read this book and see what kind of insight you can draw from it.