Book Mark: "The Last Lecture"

Book Mark:  “THE LAST LECTURE”

“I have an engineering  problem.  While for the most part I am in terrific physical shape, I have ten tumors in my liver and I have only a few months to live………………….”   Randy Pausch, the author introduces his true life story.

It is the academic  ritual of Carnegie Mellon University, where the professors are required to imagine that they are close to embracing death and needed to deliver a lecture  in the campus on their reflections of  knowledge and wisdom, for the future generations.  The beauty of this book, whereas, is the outcome of the actual lecture delivered by Prof.  Randy Pausch, where he didn’t have to imagine that he was facing death, in fact he was!  What is emotionally binding is that the 47-year old Randy prepared and delivered the lecture after undergoing a diagnosis of terminal  pancreatic cancer. 

The audience assembled in the lecture hall  include Randy’s family, friends along with students and colleagues.  The  Computer Science Professor  discusses the importance of "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" and  the procedure to hit the targets, en-route his experience and anecdotes, and advises the readers with a   guideline while attempting to reach goals and dreams.

The lecture was a rattling success, not an easy one though. After all, if you know your date of death, the remaining days obviously will be hell, if not worse! He has his wife, Jai and three children (Dylan, Logan and Chloe).  Ten tumours.  And three months to live! We all have come to mean “deadline” in a figurative form, but to come to terms with the  literal definition, well, Randy is the living(?) example of how to reckon with reality; everyday will be busy prepare for the inevitable!

His wife Jai  opposed to the last lecture project as it will snatch the precious time from the husband and that he will not be able to spend with his family.  The date of the lecture was set for Jai’s birthday, her last birthday with the husband in Viriginia;  whereas  Randy will be in Pittsburgh preparing for the last lecture.  He reasons the significance of “Last Lecture” as it will be recorded in front of a large audience, which will be evidenced for posterity. Also, he feels that the lecture will be quite powerful for his children as they grow up.

The 206-page script, co-authored by Wall Street Journal Reporter Jeffrey Zaslow, has lots of anecdotes and adages, wherein the professor explains the fulfillment of dreams he had since childhood and the lessons he learnt through the journey.  The book was primarily written for his three children, and a fourth one - the society.  The author instructs to: dream big, stop complaining, work harder, treat the disease not the symptoms, seeking for the best in everybody, be thankful and mean it when you say “thanks”.

A few memorable excerpts:

“Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less time than you think”.

“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted”.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets with opportunity”.

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand”.

“Check egos at the door”.   “I don’t have much patience for incompetence”.

“Time spent complaining is time wasted”.

“When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a bad place to be….”

Some of these left me long and late in the night!   Is it an  autobiography or life lessons?  Incredible optimism or positive psychology?  Randy makes you think what you want most out of life – your career, your hobby, your wife, your children.  If you had to reckon  that there are only 3  - 6 months to live, how would you prioritise?  It makes one contemplate!

The tough part are those chapters where Randy reflects on his family.  Heart-breaking,  how painful he should have felt to plan many things on the eve of death! Randy richly deserves a big salute for giving the lecture and that was life easily far above the ordinary. His last lecture was really the last lecture to become “The Last Lecture”.  In this age of self-seeking individuals and self-centered societies, rarely we appreciate other people in our lives.

A gripping read!     An easy prose!!      And a must for your book-shelf!!!