The Last Lecture

I read Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture which has gotten a lot of press over the last few months. A computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Dr. Pausch was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer despite a Whipple procedure (very similar to a patient we have on service right now). He decided to give a last lecture, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" and publish the book shown above.

I liked it. I generally have low expectations for these sorts of books (I associate them with "self-help" literature) but I was thoroughly impressed. He weaves humor, insight, gravity, and levity into an easily readable, short book that pays tribute to his family, his goals, and his influences. It's heart-warming, heart-wrenching, and charming with its life lessons. It's a good read.

Image shown under fair use, from cs.virginia.edu.