The Last Lecture

Hypothetically if you had one final lecture to deliver before dying, what would you speak on? That's the idea behind the "last lecture" series, a tradition in Carnegie Mellon University, meant to provide the speaker a moment to reflect on what truly matters in life. Randy Pausch, a computer science professor who was actually dying from pancreatic cancer, gave his lecture on "Achieving your Childhood Dreams", which was later published as a book.

In this book, Pausch shared his childhood stories and dreams, his principles, and lessons he's learned in an inspirational, touching and humorous way. Despite living out his last 3-6 months at the time the book was written, you could still sense his optimism and zest for life - and he does point out that he is not in a state of denial. Rather, I think it's a state of acceptance that enabled Pausch to truly live out everyday to the fullest and not let a single second go to waste worrying on things that cannot be changed.

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."

What I liked about the book is the way the stories are told, in an entertaining and not excessively sentimental way. You may have stumbled upon some of his philosophies elsewhere, but Pausch's sincerity in sharing his insights is evident in his delivery that you won't be bored re-discovering it again.