The Last Lecture

This is a now-popular book written by a man (professor of Comp Science in this case) condemned to die in a few months after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He gave a talk at a university, a few weeks before he was to pass away. Thus the Last Lecture.

The book though is not only the contents of the lecture, but Randy Paush's views on many things, like a short biography or snapshots of his life and his way of coping with the bad news. He remains thoughtful, and keeps thinking of ways to remain cheerful and live normally till the last possible minute.

In any ways, the movie Anand encapsulated the same core idea, except that it was fiction and this is reality. The fact that we all have to die one day is known, but sudden death is still unexpected. This way, one knows approximately how much time is available and can perhaps 'plan' better.

The sections about his parents - old world, frugal, and full of the right things, or things that matter, are particularly good. The sections about the right environment for education and letting people chase their dreams are outstanding. For example, William Shatner's visit to his Virtual Reality lab and sending him a postcard saying he does not believe in no-win scenarios (from the movie The Wrath of Khan which I saw recently) is a sort of dream come true, as the author was a fan of Star Trek and Captain Kirk.

Of course, at times it feels like there are too many things he is trying to pack in, but that is understandable when you have so little time left. His courage in giving the talk (though he spent weeks convincing his wife that he should) is also admirable. A good read for insights of various kinds, and the self-deprecation and gratitude. Recommended!