I love to read good books. I enjoy reading books that engage me from the start, and I love to read books that make me want to jump up from the chair, run outside, and scream to whole world "You've got to read this book!" So, if to those reading this post, just imagine me on my front lawn, or maybe even on the roof of my house. Sadly, I suspect what I write will go as unread as what I would be telling from either vantage point. I hope this book does not go unheard or unread, though. Perhaps because it comes at such an appropriate time for me, or maybe because Randy Pausch resonates with me, this book has joined the list of "must recommend" and probably even the list of "might be someone's Christmas / birthday / anniversary/ just-thinking-of-you" gift in the future. Since I am not so well read as I would like, that list is still somewhat short. I still consider it a good list, though.
This book touched me in so many ways that I felt I had to write to Dr. Pausch and tell him. I also wanted to invite him to Melissa's Virtual Book Club event on his book June 2 at 8:00 PM Central. I know it sounds crazy to expect him to come, but one of his chapters is called "All you have to do is ask" so I did. I would love to directly discuss with him some of the things his book brought to my mind, and how much it helped me realize that some of the things I have always imagined I would do "some day" are what I should be doing now. I just hope I follow through on the emotions. If I do, I would owe him a small debt of gratitude, and I think I might find myself writing a letter to his children to let them know what his father's book urged me to do for the sake of my family, namely to pursue my dreams and encourage them to pursue their own.
Here's hoping.
-- Robert
Here are two great links from The Last Lecture that demonstrate Dr. Pausch's legacy:
http://thelastlecture.com/
http://www.alice.org/
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5 comments:
Glad you like this one!
And you invited him? I'll have to put out the good crystal now. :)
What's the worst that could happen? He doesn't come, and it's okay because he's a busy man. He does come, and we have a story to tell for the ages. It's worth asking just to see what happens.
How inspiring Randy Pausch is! If you liked "The Last Lecture", another fantastic memoir I just read and highly recommend is "My Stroke of Insight" by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. Her TEDTalk video (ted.com) has been seen as many times as The Last Lecture I think, and Oprah did 4 shows on her book, so there are a lot of similarities. In My Stroke of Insight, there's a happy ending though. It's an incredible story! I hear they're making it into a movie.
I loved this book as well. I also loved the book club. I hope to do the next one.
I feel very motivated to make a positive change in my life by this book. This man is just amazing.
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