i expected to love it, but............May 24, 2008 42 out of 53 found this review helpful
What do you do when you simply don't like a book, when you want so much to love it? Especially when written by a man dying of cancer?
I was so excited to read The Last Lecture when it was published, but instead of finding inspiration, I was deeply disappointed and sometimes downright irritated.
A primary reason that Randy Pausch wrote this book of exceedingly short vignettes and essays was to leave a legacy of memories to his three small children, a loving and noble goal. I suppose having it published makes that all the more real.
Early on, Pausch confesses to being self-absorbed and arrogant, a warning that the reader should heed. The Last Lecture isn't as much a book of inspiration, but an unabashed chronicle of Pausch's successes and greatness in life. We're to be inspired to follow our childhood dreams by way of his own: becoming an Imagineer for Walt Disney or an astronaut by flying in a zero g-force simulator. But it just doesn't ring true or realistic for more common people with more modest dreams. Instead, the book bogs down into "I-me" stories, over and over again.
I'm not saying that the book is worthless, nor that it shouldn't be read. But take it for what it is -- a self-centered accounting of a life to be left for posterity -- rather than inspiration to follow your childhood dreams, a theme that is but a small portion of an already slim book, although it's touted as the main thrust of the book. There isn't much universal substance here, even when you look for it, but perhaps that's to be forgiven for a young man facing imminent untimely death at the prime of his life and career. But I will say this in closing: if there had been no "last lecture" at Carnegie Mellon or if someone with less chops than Dr Pausch had written it, the book would probably never have been published.
wisdom for lifeMay 23, 2008 6 out of 8 found this review helpful
In September 2006 Randy Pausch, professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer. He was forty-six, married for only seven years, and had three kids ages four, two, and three months. About that same time he had accepted an invitation from Carnegie Mellon to present a lecture in a long-running series that used to be called "The Last Lecture" but had been renamed "Journeys." Pausch pursued aggressive treatment that included radical (Whipple) surgery and experimental chemotherapy, but in August 2007 scans showed that the cancer had spread to his liver (ten tumors) and spleen. Doctors gave him three to six more months of good health--which was nine months ago, as I write. On September 18, 2007, he stepped to the podium and gave his "last lecture" to a packed audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon. Called "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," Pausch's one hour talk has received over six million views online (see www.thelastlecture.com).
This book is a follow-on to Pausch's lecture, "a way for me to continue what I began on stage." In his introduction he explains that he dictated the chapters on long bike rides using his cell phone head-set, and then Jeffrey Zaslow, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, "turned my stories into a book." The pages are small, the sixty-one chapters in two hundred pages are short, and the wisdom represents what Pausch cherished as important life lessons. Never give up. Live for today. There's power in humility. Don't sweat the small stuff. Complaining never helps. Show gratitude. I didn't find most of what he wrote very deep or profound, but perhaps therein lies the most important life lesson-- there are no big secrets to living a full life. Most of what is truly important is quite obvious. Pausch's book also provokes a significant application for every reader-- just what would I write if given the same assignment with the same constraints? You can follow his progress at his home page: http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/.
What an inspiration!May 23, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A tremendously uplifting book. My heart goes to to the Pausch family. There are many lessons here to be learned.
Marsha Brighton
Not just lip serviceMay 23, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Pausch's sincerity is what really allows this book to connect with readers (watch the youtube video along with reading. There is a lot of overlap, but it is worth it to see his delivery). It reminds me a lot of Jim Valvano's speech at the ESPYs. Pausch's "The Last Lecture" is antithetical to any Mitch Albom novel of the same attempted genre, in that it doesn't come off as overtly sentimental or commercial.
An overwhelming fault of The Last Lecture is Pausch's reliance on cliche and every stereotypical truism you've ever heard; however, the beauty of the novel is his sincerity in relaying life's lessons to his children he will not be able to raise. Personally, Pausch's passion for life and grasp of what is truly important make this book an excellent and recommended read, while it comes off as inspiring without being fake.
WonderfulMay 23, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Quite simply an inspiring and remarkable book. Most books of inspiration or motivation are written by professionals who do nothing else but write books and give workshops and sell stuff. Randy Pausch is an excellent teacher whose only motivation if to pass down a lifetime of knowledge.
