| | |  | Motivational | Home » » » » » The Last Lecture | | | | | | | Description: | | "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
--Randy Pausch A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come. | | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9781401323257
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Randy Pausch | | Hardcover:
| 224 pages | | Publisher:
| Hyperion | | Publication Date:
| April 08, 2008 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1401323251 | | Package Length:
| 7.1 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.4 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.8 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.7 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 1064 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
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 Upbeat and movingMar 12, 2010
The Last Lecture
Review by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD.
Randy Pausch's 224-page book, The Last Lecture, is exactly what most would expect from an expanded last lecture: a great deal of "live life to the fullest" advice about remembering to laugh, seizing every moment, overcoming obstacles, appreciating the gifts you receive, and enabling the dreams of others. In ease of writing and types of advice, it reminded me of Mitch Albom's Tuesdays With Morrie. Pausch's advice is that we can face any challenge in life as long as we face it with optimism and determination. Of course the message has been stated before, but it never hurts to hear it repeated again. What I found most lasting from his book are the timeless lessons of showing gratitude, setting goals, keeping commitments, tolerating frustration, maintaining a sense of humor, telling the truth, working hard, and celebrating victories. Because his live lecture is more succinct and reveals Pausch's character and the emotion accompanying the ideas, it is more inspirational. If you watch his lecture (free) on youtube (or you were fortunate to see it live), you know that he is a charismatic, intelligent, funny man who easily and comfortably connects with his listeners. There is no doubt that the book is upbeat and moving. Also, it is full of love, courage, wisdom, decency, intelligence, helpful life lessons, tips, and examples from the people and students he knew. If you want to give someone a gift of hope and affirmation, this would be an excellent choice.
 Deeply Moving Treatise. Focuses on the Big PictureFeb 21, 2010
One of the most deeply moving books I've read. He focuses on the big picture in our lives, something so many of us fail to see until we're confronted by mortality. His students were indeed privileged to hear him first hand, and to experience his final moments. The Last Lecture
The Last LectureFeb 21, 2010
The Last Lecture
THIS IS A REAL LIFE STORY, SAD, BUT VERY INTERESTING. THE AUTHOR WROTE THE LAST LECTURE FOR HIS CHILDREN TO KNOW HIM GOOD AFTER HIS DEATH. THEY WERE SMALL, AND HE WANTED TO LEAVE THEM HIS EXPERIENCES NI WRITING. HE WAS A BRAVE PERSON AND INSTEAD OF BEING SAD OR MAD BECAUSE HE WAS DYING OF CANCER HE MADE THE BEST TO MAKE HIS WIFE, HIS KIDS AND HIS FAMILY HAPPY. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE FOR US TO FOLLOW. GOOD BOOK! GAVE ME ROOM FOR THOUGHT, AND I AM WRITING MY MEMORIES. HOPE YOU CAN BUY MY BOOK FROM AMAZON.COM SOON ALSO! ENJOY YOUR LIFE NO MATTER WHAT WRONGS YOU ENCOUNTER IN YOUR SHORT JOURNEY ON A EARTH. THE BEST IS TO COME YET.
Focus on Living, not DyingFeb 19, 2010
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
--Randy Pausch
A professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon, Dr. Pausch had prepared to give his "Last Lecture" before he had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He determined to use this venue to speak to his children and his wife, because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think." This intimate and insightful little book was prepared from the lecture that he gave, a combination of personal biography, lessons learned as a student and teacher, child and parent, with some heartfelt and practical advice on making the most of living. The chapters are very short, with intriguing titles like "In Fifty Years, It Never Came Up" (when he learned by accident of his dad's heroism in WWII).
There is much to be gleaned from this tiny tome. My only real disappointment with the book is, as I am person of deep faith, I wish he had shared more of this perspective in his writing. He indicates near the end of the book that he considers faith a very personal matter and, as such, chose not to share it in his Last Lecture, which he titled "Really Discovering Your Childhood Dreams."
The Last LecturerFeb 12, 2010
What a fabulous book. It was so thought provoking and generated great conversation between my husband and I.
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