The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
When I read a small book like this, I am usually happy to find one thing worth writing in my notes/journal/idea book. In this book I wrote down 10. Great book.


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Imagine. You get the news from your doctor that you have less than 6 months to live. What would you want to say? What would you want others to know? What message would you like to leave to your kids? Grandkids?

The Last Lecture is a book by Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He was asked to give such a lecture at his college. The difference, Randy Pausch had been told by his doctor that he had less than six months to live. Pancreatic cancer.

The book is his lecture with some added chapters. It is his attempt to leave a message to his three children, the oldest is only 6. The youngest is 18 months and Randy is aware his littlest daughter will have no memories of him. So he set about to make sure his children knew who he was, how much he loved them, and how much he would have like to have lived with them.

My friend Lynn has received the same prognosis. Unlike Randy who is in his 40’s, Lynn is in his 80’s but some things never change. He is looking at how he will spend the few months he knows he has left. While visiting Lynn last week a mutual friend gave him a copy of The Last Lecture. He already had it so they agreed to allow me to read it. I am thankful they did.

It is a book worth reading even if you don’t have a set amount of time left to live.