If you knew your time on earth was almost over, what wisdom would you choose to impart to the world? Randy Pausch, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, pondered this thoughtful question in The Last Lecture. In this book, Pausch expands on ideas such as really achieving your childhood dreams and what it means to truly live, all while turning back and reflecting upon his own life and experiences.
Though we may not like to think about it, life is a finite thing. Try as we might, as of right now, there is no way to turn back the clock in order to fix a moment or relive an experience; what we have is what we get, and what we do with it is up to us. What makes this book so meaningful and memorable is how it changes your perspective on day to day life.
When you finally realize that each day that passes is a day spent that cannot be returned, you start to act a little differently. Maybe you treat people a little more kindly; maybe you spend more time with family and friends. Or maybe, like Pausch, you try to achieve your childhood dreams and become the person that your seven-year-old self dreamed of becoming.
Book of the Week is an Opinion culture column written and created by Keenan Yates ‘24 used to give weekly book recommendations in the form of short blurbs and reviews.
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