The Last Lecture

Today I posted a review on my reviews blog, see link to right, on The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow (non-fiction).

Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, is invited to participate in the University's lecture series, known as "The Last Lecture". By the time his lecture date arrives, he has been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. While the lecture he delivers is both uplifting and lighthearted, it also contains a philosophy of life that everyone should take the time to consider. Here's one of my favorite quotes: "The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the "other people."

Mr Pausch inspires people to reach for their goals, to achieve their childhood dreams, and to give back to the people who gave to you.

While there is some overlap between the video and the book, the book expands on many of his thoughts, while the video includes material of a more visual nature that was excluded from the book. I would describe the two media as complementary. The video is 76 minutes long, but well worth the investment of time. Mr Pausch is one of those speakers who is probably fascinating, no matter what his topic. The book, a more portable format, would make an excellent gift for a graduate this spring.