The Last Lecture (mini-book review)
I approached this book with some trepidation. I'd been on the waiting list for it at the Waco library for weeks, and when I got it in to read last week, I promptly sat it on the dresser, picked up another book, and looked sideways at it until three days ago. I was afraid of what I'd read, even though I'd seen Mr. Pausch on Oprah and various clips on the internet. I just wasn't sure if I could face this.
First up, my cancer was nothing like Mr. Pausch's. His was terminal pancreatic cancer. Mine was early Stage III oral squamous cell carcinoma. The difference was blinding. Randy Pausch picked up his pen and put it to paper knowing he was dying. I picked up his book knowing I was going to live. That's a pretty humbling thing when it comes right down to it.
Mr. Pausch's book is small and rather short. Flipping through it quickly I noticed the individual chapters were, for the most part quite short. Very anecdotal really. And there were some small, obviously personal, photos scattered throughout...not lumped in the middle like so many photo sections in non-fiction works.
When I finally picked up the book three days ago, I was immediately engaged. My husband and I read in bed each night before turning out the light, and I found this book hard to put down. From the beginning, Mr. Pausch invites you in through the front door and welcomes you into his life. That is what stays with you from beginning to end. You are a part of his world. His story. It is personal and engaging. Often times downright funny, and I found myself literally laughing out loud in places and reading the occasional sentence to my husband.
Ultimately, he wrote this book for his family. Specifically for his young children who will grow up not knowing who their father really was. From this book, they're going to have a good idea. I know I felt like I did, even though I only had a couple of hundred pages to spend with him. And, if they're like me, they'll walk away with a better understanding not only of him, but also of themselves.
Mr. Pausch was a hell of a guy with one hell of an attitude. He made me laugh a lot over a few days, and yes, I shed a few tears when the last couple of chapters were winding down and, I knew, so was he. Overall, though, it's a book that will make you laugh a great deal and cry maybe, just a very little. I highly recommend this for cancer patients as well as family, friends and caregivers.
