Once, at a book store with my mom, she spotted a book she had once read. While describing the plot, she began to tear up—this book was apparently that good and that sad. The next day, I picked up the copy we had at home and began to read.

The Last Lecture is by Jeffrey Zaslow and Dr. Randy Pausch. Pausch told about his life and Zaslow put the book together. In the book, Pausch is dying of cancer. He doesn’t have long to live, but he wants to impart his wisdom to the world. In particular, he wants to pass it on to his kids. These children will grow up without their father, so he must leave behind as much of himself as he can. 

Randy Pausch is a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This allowed him to teach his students valuable life lessons, off the computer. Furthermore, it gave him ample opportunity to learn from students. These stories are used to teach the reader about life. 

Pausch tells the reader what he learned through personal stories, whether it was humility, gratitude, or respect. These stories carry universal themes that can help anyone, anywhere. That being said, Pausch shows his age. He is clearly from the same generation as my mother. This generational gap caused some of the lessons to fall flat for me. For example, he spoke of kids being “entitled” these days. This is an accusation that is often thrown onto Millenials and Gen Z, so it made me roll my eyes. 

My favorite thing about the book was that it was honest. Pausch admits his mistakes. Even better, he learns from them. 

I have to admit, the book did not make me cry. Although, I think that has more to do with me than the book. The story was sweet and touching, but not tear-jerking. That being said, many others have bawled at this story. I think this book is a fantastic read because it is applicable to everyone. There is at least one lesson for each person. The Last Lecture is a must-read for anyone looking to learn a little something about life.