Recently I've had the pleasure of discovering the joy of reading some very meaningful memoirs. Part autobiography, part short-story collection, sometimes funny and always eye-opening, a memoir offers the audience a brief yet personal glimpse into a segment of or series of events in the author's life. What has been especially pleasurable is the intimate connection between reader and writer through this almost cathartic experience of contemplating one's own personal struggles and the sometimes emotional conclusions drawn in the process. Here are three titles that I've enjoyed:
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Reflections of a Carnegie Mellon computer science professor who lectured on "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" after having been diagnosed with terminal cancer. His advice concerned seizing the moment while living, rather than dying.
Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox
The popular film and television actor evaluates the personal philosophy that has enabled his positive outlook in spite of his battle with degenerative Parkinson's disease, in an uplifting account that considers how he has become a happier and more satisfied person by recognizing the gifts of everyday life.
Hands of My Father by Myron Uhlberg
By turns heart-tugging and hilarious, Myron Uhlberg's memoir tells the story of growing up as the hearing son of deaf parents--and his life in a world that he found unaccountably beautiful, even as he longed to escape it.
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