|
| 
 enlarge | Authors: Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
Publisher: Hyperion
Category: Book
List Price: $21.95
Buy New: $9.50
You Save: $12.45 (57%)
New (94) Used (36) Collectible (9) from $9.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  798 reviews
Sales Rank: 24
Format: Roughcut
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 1401323251
Dewey Decimal Number: 004.092
EAN: 9781401323257
Publication Date: April 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: This is a New Book and we thank you for your purchase of this wonderful book from us.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 One of a Kind April 10, 2008
29 out of 34 found this review helpful
When I first heard from Randy that he had pancreatic cancer, I knew that cancer picked the wrong guy to mess with.
The Last Lecture has Randy's timeless insight on living and loving life, though he is also an incredible advocate for pancreatic cancer research. May all the attention being given to the book lead to tremendous support for eradicating this horrible cancer that has a 95% mortality rate within 5 years.
Read this book and watch Randy's lecture on YouTube. As cliche as it sounds, you will never see the world the same way again.
In The Last Lecture, Randy discusses Alice [...], which is a free virtual reality program that makes it really easy to create 3D movies and stories, while learning computer programming. It's great for kids, and adults who are kids at heart. Just like the Last Lecture has helped Randy share with millions of people his philosophy on life, Randy has already helped countless students through providing Alice as a free, fun, challenging, educational program.
I draw these comparisons to pancreatic cancer advocacy and Alice because they exemplify the kind of person that Randy is, and the challenges and legacies he leaves for us. And, since Randy says to "always tell the truth", I believe there is no better way for the world to honor the man than to support these things to which he gives so much.
Amazing! April 10, 2008
48 out of 59 found this review helpful
This is the most amazing piece of writing that I have read in a long time. It is so inspirational. It is a must read for everyone, especially the soon-to-be college graduate. Also, if you are interested in another great read check out: "Prose From A Grandson To A Senior Fellow" by Derek McFadden. It would be a great companion to this book.
One of the most important books of our time April 9, 2008
109 out of 139 found this review helpful
Do whatever you can to get a hold of this book. If everyone lived the way Randy talks about in this book the world would be not only a better place but the BEST place.
Wonderful person! April 11, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
It is obvious that the world is in need of a message that Mr. Pausch has delivered. In a world where you constantly hear about how "bad" things are, it is great to hear from someone who manages to maintain a positive attitude, despite the fact that he is dying. What is not focused on enough is the fact that he is also lobbying in Congress to allocate more funding for pancreatic cancer research. He would like to eventually see those diagnosed after him have atleast some chance at living their lives and seeing their children grow. He is doing this in between treatments and hospitalizations for heart failure and bilateral pleural effusions. I take care of cancer patients on a daily basis and he epitomizes why I do what I do. Most people think it is depressing, but I am constantly reminded that life is wonderful and remain grateful. He has already managed to influence change in peoples lives, including my own mother, and for that I am truly touched. For me, he is another example of the true human spirit touching others in a profound way...
A Great Memoir July 17, 2008
19 out of 23 found this review helpful
Many of us tend to drift through life, watching a lot of TV, wasting time in long lines, dealing with "squeaky doors" but not thinking much about how what we do today helps our long term goals and priorities. It usually takes a serious wake-up call for us to realize how precious life is.
Randy Pausch got such a wake-up call. Although he seemed really healthy on the outside, and was a brilliant professor, doctors found that cancer was attacking his systems. He had only a 5% chance of surviving more than five years. He fought the cancer aggressively, but soon it traveled to other parts of his body and his doctors were giving him 3-6 months of healthy living. This is a man who, after waiting a while for marriage, had a family of three small children. Coincidentally, Randy was also asked by his school to give a "last lecture". These lectures are traditional speeches where a teacher tells the audience what knowledge he'd want to impart if he was going to die soon. Since Randy was in fact going to die soon, it made the meaning that much more powerful to him.
Randy's lecture was videotaped and spread like wildfire on YouTube. This book is in essence a follow up to that talk. It describes the context for the talk, and goes over some of the background details for it, but it also expands and offers much more information about Randy, his life and his philosophy.
The key message here is to live in the present, to enjoy what you have. There are always stumbling blocks in life, brick walls that you run into. Your task is not to complain about them, but to barrel your way through. Show your commitment to your dreams and goals. Don't waste your time watching repeats of TV shows when your life-long dream is to run a bakery. Spend your time researching, planning and heading towards that goal. If you have always wanted to hike in the Grand Canyon, don't dismiss it while you spend your extra hours playing video games. Map out a budget, take on a second job, and save up the money. You would be very surprised at how many goals are actually within reach if you focus on them.
You could say that Randy's message is one we've read before, hundreds of times, in other similar books. Sure, that is probably true. However, each of us responds to different language, to different mental images. It might be that someone read 10 other books on similar topics and didn't "get it" - but when they read this one suddenly it clicks. That's the way our brains are. There is always something new to learn from each person's story if we pay attention. Randy's message is to really enjoy the good things you have, rather than obsessing about the problems. We all have blessings in our lives, if we look honestly at our world.
I really like how Randy talks about the students he's influenced, and how they go on to influence others. That is so key in our world. If we are able to lead by example, and help others get onto a healthy path, that causes ripple effects that can go on for years. It is so worthwhile to take the time to help out others. You never know what small gesture will really affect someone's life.
Is this an "ultimate book"? I wouldn't say that. However, it has valuable information in it, and I definitely would recommend that people at least borrow it from the library and read through it. It's a healthy reminder of what is important in life.
Highly recommended!
|
|
|
Powered by Search-Save.com
| |
