The Last Lecture / Randy Pausch

RATINGS

Overall: 5/ 5 stars

Text Level: Easy

Entertainment: High

Self-Help: High

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Inspirational, Memoir, Philosophy

Page Count: 217

Is this book right for me and my inmate?

If you feel that you have wasted your life procrastinating because you always thought you had more time, to only find life has taken an unplanned turn, this book can inspire you to achieve life goals.

Buy on: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Review By: Blackbird (Inmate)

A man’s final words of love and wisdom to help others reach their dreams.

I believe most individuals have many dreams of what they could be and what their lives will become. I know that my life has been filled with dreams of great things that I felt my potential could be. However, like many people, I found most of my dreams unachieved and pushed to the side because I always thought I had more time. I spent a life procrastinating on going after the things I wanted and used a variety of excuses for why I never succeeded in them. Now I find myself in an unplanned place in life behind bars and I struggle with the feeling that I might have wasted my life. The book, “The Last Lecture”, by Randy Pausch has given me clarity and hope that the potential for success remains for me.

In “The Last Lecture” the author, Randy Pausch, is a man in his mid-40s, dying of cancer with only one month to live. He decides to give a college lecture to a room of people to share what he has learned in life toward reaching his goals. The lesson he gave that day was of loving hope that our time here on earth is precious. He teaches in this book through his life story that living with joy, meaning, and staying dedicated to our dreamed hopes in proper ways, can find a successful life.

This book reminded me of all the time I lost in life because I spent time complaining or worrying, I might not be good enough. When things became difficult, I would abandon them because I felt it would take too much time. Now I see that after reading this that the great things I want will take a lot of time to achieve, but if I set my dreams for things that spark joy, each moment will be well spent. I have been taught through this book that I don't have to believe I wasted my life if I value the time I have, to work toward my future goals. This book is a wonderful story of loving yourself to learn to go for what you want and enjoying the journey along the way.

Book Quotes

“Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”

“We all have finite time and energy. Anytime we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier.”

“Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think.”