Share Organize Explore

has ALL you need!

A community for book lovers to create their own bookshelves, share and explore books.

Blog this item

The Last Lecture

By Jeffrey Zaslow, Randy Pausch (Professor, Carnegie Mellon)

(178)

| Paperback | 9780340977736

Google Preview

24 Reviews

2 people find this helpful

The only regret I have about this book or the last lecture of Prof. Randy Pausch, now a phenomenal YouTube sensation, is that I haven't got round to watching his last lecture earlier when it first came up on 18 September 2007. I read this book first and watched his last lecture and got totally blow ... (continue)

The only regret I have about this book or the last lecture of Prof. Randy Pausch, now a phenomenal YouTube sensation, is that I haven't got round to watching his last lecture earlier when it first came up on 18 September 2007. I read this book first and watched his last lecture and got totally blown away. Randy, a computer science professor of Carnegie Mellon University diagnosed with terminal cancer, is truly a man of wisdom and virtues, and I am eternally grateful for his legacy of this great last lecture.
Randy's last lecture is titled "Really achieving your childhood dreams", but as he said it, it is about how to live your life in the right way. Many of the things said by him are cliches (he admitted it and even said in the book that he loves cliches), e.g. find something y0u are passionate about and work hard on it, listen to criticisms, help others achieve their dreams etc., but they are often right. His sayings encompass all forms of positive thinking and I really admire him for pursuing his dreams and persevering against all odds. We have been faced with too many setbacks in our life that sometimes we give up too soon by telling ourselves that "life is too short and take it easy". Randy's lecture steers us back to the right track that we really have to work hard on what we believe in and not to settle for anything less.
I recommend everyone to watch Randy's last lecture - the 1-hour lecture is truly inspiring and awesome and contains dozens of quotable quotes such as:
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
"The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."
"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."
Then read the book which expands on many of the teachings in the lecture and elaborates on the background to some of his experiences, including the courting of his wife (which was not mentioned in the lecture). I particularly like the chapter on Randy's encounter with "Captain James T. Kirk" which explains leadership by using the Star Trek as an illustration and does it better than any management book I have ever read.
He is a strong man. I wish him well.

Is this helpful?

― Tracy W said on Jun 28, 2008 | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

Good Advice That Everyone Should Take

I am not a fan of memoir but this is a book that nobody should miss. It is full of practical advice for living your life and not missing anything. I am so impressed that this man provided the world with so powerful a gift and was so selfless with the little time he had left. My heart goes out to ... (continue)

I am not a fan of memoir but this is a book that nobody should miss. It is full of practical advice for living your life and not missing anything. I am so impressed that this man provided the world with so powerful a gift and was so selfless with the little time he had left. My heart goes out to his family at his loss. The world is less than it was with his passing.

Is this helpful?

― Bibliophile said on Oct 25, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

這本書真的很好看
Morrie教人勇敢面對死亡
Randy則從實現兒時夢想說起
從抽到一對好父母說起
如果你有機會一一實現或者接近曾經有過的兒時夢想
也許你也會像他一樣
在知道生命即將走到盡頭之前
希望也能透過最後的授課來帶給他人一些啟發
It's all about how to live
每個人都有一種角度可以重新笑看人生
也許是因為剛好聽說了這樣一個人的故事

Is this helpful?

― Aggie Chen said on May 19, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

he was so brave. and though I saw the last lecture I bought the book thinking of his wife - such a brave woman! left with 3 kids. he says wonderful things, makes you think and try to be better. but he's a little too much broading on how good he is.

Is this helpful?

― Elisalice said on Nov 20, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

-Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.
Knowing a bit of background, I can't help feeling sad while reading the book. Not a classic, but Randy's love to his family is well delivered.
The scene of saying "Happy Birthday" to Jai is t ... (continue)

-Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.
Knowing a bit of background, I can't help feeling sad while reading the book. Not a classic, but Randy's love to his family is well delivered.
The scene of saying "Happy Birthday" to Jai is touching. I can't help loading YouTube to see it visually again.

Is this helpful?

― Waleswong said on Oct 14, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

Full of humor and spirit.

Is this helpful?

― Frankie said on Oct 12, 2009 | Add your feedback

See all 24 comments

Book Details

Rating:
(178)
- 4 stars
- 3 stars
- 2 stars
- 1 star
English Books
Paperback 207 Pages
ISBN-10: 0340977736
ISBN-13: 9780340977736
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pub date: Apr 17, 2008
Also available as: Mass Market Paperback, Hardcover and Audio CD
In other languages:
- 最後的演講
  (繁體書)
- 最後の授業ぼくの命があるうちに
  (和書)
- Le dernier discours
  (Livres Français)
- Last Lecture - Die Lehren meines Lebens
  (Deutsche Bücher)
- La Ultima Leccion/ The Last Lecture
  (Libros en Español)
- A Última Aula
  (Livros em Português)
- L'ultima lezione
  (Libri Italiani)
- Forelæsning
  (Danske bøger)
- The last lecture
  (Norsk Bøker)