Book #2 - The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

My reaction to reading this book was similar to how I felt after I saw the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" the first time. Everyone had been telling me how great it was, how amazing and enjoyable they found it. When you build something up that much, it's often impossible to meet the high expectations.

Had I not heard all the buzz about Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture, I think I would have been able to enjoy the lessons in the book, and not just the sentiment of it, a bit more. Pausch is a young father who is terminally ill with pancreatic cancer, and he uses his last lecture, and eventually this book, to share his insights about life not just for readers but mainly for his three young children.

A coworker told me before reading that this book was a balance of ego and humility. At times I had trouble seeing beyond the ego. But Pausch had some thoughtful words threaded between his tales of personal and professional successes. The one that resonated with me the most was the idea that you cannot have rights without responsibility. Whether those are social rights, inherent personal rights or just rights that accompany being an adult, you need to be cognizant of how you use them and the impact they can have on others.

Sadly, Pausch passed away, and I have yet to watch the online video of his last lecture that inspired this book. But his idea of leaving a lasting legacy, whether it's one simply for your family or one with a much larger impact or purpose. is one to think about. Pausch is right that you never know what tomorrow will bring, so you need to start living today.