Real Life of an MSW

The Last Lecture (2008, 206 pages) by Randy Pausch. I read this book years ago. I didn’t remember it all when I picked it up again, but the convertible story has always stuck with me. It is a story in which Pausch is pouring soda on his new convertible seats as his sister is telling her children to be mindful of the new car. Pausch teaches his niece and nephew that people are more important than things. I think of this every time someone accidentally drops a vintage antique dish or glass in my home. Hey, life happens! This happens to Randy Pausch, a  professor of computer science, who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. In learning this news, he aches to leave a living legacy for his children to follow as they were too young to make their own memories of their dad for themselves.  Hence the book title. This is an engaging storytelling full of courage, humanism, determinism, and love. This is a “how to” book for anyone who is open to life lessons and wisdom derived from experience. The first half of the book is coming to terms with death. The second half of the book is filled with Pausch-isms. They are simple lessons in living life, enjoying, and appreciating what you have while encouraging people to hold on to their childhood dreams and forge their own paths. I recommend this book. Yes, you can watch the lecture  However, it really isn’t a transcript of the book- it’s more about how the lecture came to be.