Morgan Woolner

UWRT 1102-019

Critical Review

The Last Lecture was a good book and an inspiring read. There is something about the
words of a dying man that makes them seem more powerful, sincere, and thoughtful. The clarity
and life reprioritization that come with knowing you have only a limited time left to live can
sometimes lead to profound realizations and interesting thoughts. Randy Pausch was a professor
of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in
September 2006, and told he had only three to six months to live the following August, he began
work on his memoirs to share with his children. A collection of his ideas and philosophies to
raise his children in his absence. Pausch was benevolent enough to forego time with his family in
order to share his thoughts and ideas with not only his students, but the entire world.
Initially, I thought I would be disinterested and was dreading having to read an entire
book about one mans philosophy. That quickly changed when I realized the tone Pausch would
take throughout the entire book. I had assumed that it would be a sappy, depressing read full of
metaphors and wishful thinking. Pausch takes a witty, sometimes comical approach to his
reminiscence of his life. This makes it much easier to read, as the tone, disregarding the first few
chapters, does not weigh heavy on the heart. At times, I found that I had forgotten that this man
was living in his last days.
My favorite short story in the entire book was in the chapter Romancing the Brick
Wall. In this chapter, he describes how he romanced his wife Jai, and got her to fall in love with
him. He describes the obstacles that came between them throughout the early stages of their
relationship, and how he overcame them. The part that really stuck with me from this chapter
was the quote used in his lecture, The brick walls are there to stop the people who dont want
it badly enough. Theyre there to stop the other people. What he meant by this was that
obstacles exist to ensure that only those who truly want it can attain it, whether it be a love

Morgan Woolner

UWRT 1102-019

Critical Review

interest, professional success, really anything in life. This quote inspired me because it was not a
situation-specific metaphor. It could apply to anything in life, and inspires perseverance in the
face of adversity.
The thing I found most inspiring about this book was not the short stories of his life
turned into metaphors. It wasnt the message of following your dreams and achieving everything
you want. The thing I found most inspiring and the biggest thing I will take away from this book
was his overall attitude towards death. It is comforting to know that even in his last days, Pausch
was calm, collected, and accepting of his fate. Acceptance of the finality of death is something
Ive always struggled with; Ive never dealt well with friends or family dying. The thought of
dying one day scares me more than anything. Yet after reading this book, I was comforted to
know that it is possible to accept the inevitable, and enjoy the time that you do have to the
fullest.
Overall, Pausch achieves his goal of inspiration. The title of his lecture and one of his
chapters Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, could be used to summarize the book as a
whole. The book from cover to cover inspires perseverance, resiliency, and most of all, living
your life to the fullest.