Every now and then you come across a story that has to be shared,
that is so extraordinary that you feel the emotions of the protagonist
as the story goes along. One such story is that of Prof. Randy Pausch,
now deceased due to pancreatic cancer. Prof. Pausch was a distinguished
man of science; he was a professor of computer science and a consultant
to various companies like Google, Disney, etc. His was a charming and
dynamic personality that enthralled everyone who met. Unfortunately he
was diagnosed with a serious disease and given a few months to live.
Instead of brooding about what he could have achieved or what his family
would go through, he decided to devote his remaining time on this
planet to plan how his kids would remember him, how he could leave
behind a solid legacy for them to follow, and tried to execute his plan,
which he did admirably. The book under review, ‘The Last Lecture’ was
the result of all these plans.
It is a time and tested tradition in academia for professors to
deliver a farewell lecture before they retire. In Randy’s case, this
came in the form of his death sentence. The book essentially tells us
what he spoke about in this last lecture of his, but it is not limited
to only that. In the book, he explains all the nuances of his life and
the hardships that he had to entail in order to get to the position he
was in. The book is the story of a remarkable man who followed his
childhood dreams and those dreams led him to where he stood at that
point in time. Randy told about how he met his wife, how he had the
chance to change the life of so many of his students and how he wished
he lived long enough to see his young kids grow up. If ever there is an
award for being so happy with life, then that would surely be Randy’s
award. Like everyone else he had regrets and missed opportunities, but
what he did with the things at hand is awe-inspiring and truly amazing.
The book is written in a narrative that will make the readers feel at
ease. In spite of knowing that the author is no more, the reader will
be able to empathize with him; will be able to feel his joy, his mirth
or his tears in equal details. The book is meant to be a guide for
Randy’s children and is written in a sort of philosophical sense. But
that is not the impression one gets when one reads the book. This book
can be read by anyone who wishes to read an amazing story or who wants
some good life points. The book takes up serious issues and imparts
knowledge and advice that would come in handy to anyone in life. Randy
has indeed done a tremendous job and I am sure his children have
benefited greatly from readin what their father had to say to them.
An immensely readable book, that ought to be on the book shelf of
every academic, every student and everyone who is interested in good
stories. Well written, lucid and to the point; the author deserves all
the accolades that we can shower. In fact, the videotaped lecture is
also available online that would go as a good companion to the book. As
for me, I have only one wish; that wherever Randy is today, he is
content and happy.
Title: The Last Lecture: Lessons in Living
Author: Randy Pausch (with Jeffrey Zaslow)
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Price: Rs. 295
Rating: 4/5
[This review was published here.]
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