 |
|
The Last Lecture |
|
|
Randy Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and was selected to deliver a lecture as part of Carnegie Mellon’s Last Lecture Series, a lecture series where professors were invited to give a lecture as if it were their last. Obviously, this lecture was not hypothetical for Pausch. His Last Lecture speech entitled “Achieving your Childhood Dreams” and his story quickly became a youtube hit. This book is an addendum of sorts. Another legacy he wanted to leave for his very young children. Very easy read. Each little piece of advice he shares is nicely framed with a touching and sometimes humorous anecdote from his personal life. Yes, it kind of reads a little too much like one of those miniature Hallmark inspirational cheesy gift books. You know the kind. With pictures of cute cuddly animals, say a baby monkey with fuzzy wispy hair. Yes, it is a little Disney like. But he had a charmed childhood and for the most part a charmed adulthood and he did literally contribute to the magic of DISNEY. Moreover, his ultimate goal in writing this book is to leave his children another message that conveys his love, his appreciation for them, and pieces of his wisdom they can carry with them while he’s gone. So cut the man some slack! All that aside, I thoroughly enjoyed his book. His positivity and humility is inspirational. Each piece of advice he bestowed were like tokens you can keep in your pocket and use at will. (Speaking of tokens in the pocket, he recommends to always be prepared for emergencies. He carries 200 dollars cash everywhere he goes just in case.) I loved how he called the roadblocks in life (or “brick walls”) opportunities to see how badly you want something. It is a little problematic as he seems to think that the only thing you need is hard work to achieve your dreams. Though, I mostly agree, I do see how with his “winning the parent lottery” and his impressive line of mentors helped him achieve his dreams. A kid from the ghetto who didn’t win any kind of lottery (parent, mentor, socio-economic lottery) may have a hard time achieving his childhood dreams with double the amount of “hard work” with which Mr. Pausch approached his life. Though, it may not hurt to believe that everything is possible regardless of the real futility of your own circumstance. In short. I’m humbled and inspired by Randy Pausch and though I’m sad to know his kids will grow up without a father, I happy they get to grow up proudly knowing he touched millions. If you haven’t seen his Last Lecture, I highly recommend it and also embedded it into this blog entry. |
|
|
|
|