Books : The Last Lecture

Rating: - A GREAT MEMOIR THAT REALLY HITS HOME
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A QUICK READ THAT WILL MAKE YOU APPRECIATE HOW SHORT LIFE REALLY IS, THEN THIS BOOK BY ALL MEANS IS FOR YOU.

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Rating: - You might enjoy these books
If you are a deep material reader then you will really enjoy Rumi & Self Psychology (Psychology of Tranquility) and Sara's Therapy: A Way to Purity. These books are unique, up to the point, and full of information and you can not put them down.

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Rating: - Insight Worthwhile!
I admit: I'm young. Your generation may have been the introduction of the microwave, where life's essentials (food) are now provided at a faster pace, but my generation is the Youtube generation: we get something we don't need (entertainment) literally at our fingertips anytime we want. Anytime. On anything. I am spoiled. I am rotten. And I can't help but be programmed to be ADD (I mean come one, music video frames don't last longer than 1.25 seconds...our brains are change to switch gears since birth!). So why would I waste time on some old computer teachers "wisdom" when I can youtube magic tricks?

Because he's dieing. Or he was when he wrote the book. I happened to finish the book two days before his death in July. I was on a couch, in a hostel, in China, realizing that this mans wisdom is gems even a wandering generation (both physically and mentally) can stop, appreciate, and apply to life.

The short review is this: I loved the book. Bought it. Would buy it again. I recommend it to all my friends. It' raw, reasonable, and not hard to read.

The long version (or to say with charm, "the articulated review filled with heart, opinion, and honest-to-God truth):
I admit: I'm a sucker for self-improvement.
Any new book I read on how to better my life be it through prayer or through reading someone's body language, I fall in love. Granted, I don't read many books cover to cover, so as in love as I may be, over the next few weeks the ideologies of the book eventually fade out. Never again to be used or applied to life.
Not so with Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture."

I read this book while traveling the world, strangely enough. I'm a young man with ambitions common amongst the youth: I plan to change the world in my own small way. I went on humanitarian efforts, sight-saw(?), and did the whole wandering after dropping-out-of-college/deciding-what-to-do-next thing. Originally purchased in Jakarta, Indonesia, it took me three countries to finish it. And not because it's bland or easily forgettable, but because there is so much to c h e w on. Randy Pausch reminds my generation of the common phrases my baby-boomer dad never taught me: "Dance with the one who brung you" (Loyalty in something I can comprehend! I mean, I can totally visualize being stiffed on the dance floor at prom. This simple phrase, I'm sure was common amongst the baby-boomers, was never taught to me, and yet in one sentence it provides powerful insight I can relate to!) Randy speaks of his accomplishments in life, continuing to use examples I can "totally relate to." He develops this virtual reality... thing that empowers students to not only create their own virtual worlds but to share them with the rest of Carnegie-Mellons campus while also connecting the two very different worlds of computer-science and drama (he explains in the book the reason and the significance). Mr. Pausch expands on us accomplishing our goals into helping others succeed in theirs, an idea I will never forget. And I forget a lot. Youtube, remember? 5 minutes of fun then *poof* onto something else? No? Okay. Anyway,

The book is an easy read worthy of insight to remember and the tears you may shed. I recommended it to friends along the way and they absolutely loved it. One friend plans on buying her own copy to annotate her thoughts into.

I highly recommend this book. And coming from a 20 year old dude from the "youtube generation," where I can just go on the site to see his lecture, I must say Randy Pausch's book expands, builds, and impassions (implant passion???) his lengthy internet-hit video into a masterpiece of humble wisdom worthy of nothing less than complete digestion.

A for the Professor.

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Rating: - Life Lessons Brought to Life
A wonderful book to read. It is very sad at times throughout, but so many of the things that DR. Pausch talks about represents everyday life. I strongly recomend reading this book wether you are a teacher, student, business person or anyone inbetween.

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Rating: - Truly Inspirational
This is a great little book with tremendous power to inspire. Randy Pauch knew what was valuable in his life. He convinces his readers to do some introspection before it is too late.