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!!!
