The Last Lecture #1

Over break, I read started the book the last lecture. The first one hundred pages made me laugh out loud, cry, and really reflect on the way others are feeling. I couldn't put the book down. It was written by Randy Pausch, a professor who had a positive outlook on life. He became seriously ill with terminal cancer. He was asked to give a last lecture. He was given the opportunity to talk about really anything his heart desired. The beginning of the book was about his family and his life before he was diagnosed. He seems to have a relatively normal life, and he was living peacefully with a wife and three kids. He loved them very much. During the book, he talked about his feelings and went deep into the ways he used to cope with his illness. People forget how scared the actual individuals are with the sickness. No one wants to die. It was interesting for me to read and realize how he was feeling. I never seemed to think of sick people feelings until I read this book. It caused me to understand where they are coming from a bit more. Also, in the book, he writes about family memories. I loved the fact he included this in his writing because it added some humor to the serious book. There was one part that made me laugh the most. It was when he described his wedding day. His wife and him were in a hot air balloon that failed to work correctly, and they ended up having a crash landing. The way he described it was hilarious. His outlook on life was stunning to me. He never once complained about how unfair it was that he was the one who got sick. He never once stopped believing he would battle the cancer. So far, the book is very good. I have never read anything like it. It causes readers to laugh and cry at the same time.