A s I opened the shipping box after the delivery of this book, I found myself thinking what could be the effect of reading such a book. I had never read anything like this before, where the author has summed up his life in a last lecture he deliv
ered because he knows his end is near. I knew I would be needing many tissues, only not how many! This is the story of The Last Lecture: that we can face any challenge in this life as long as we welcome our fate with optimism and determination to confront all odds. We can live for the welfare of others. The good professor is his own metaphor. In this final gift, he both teaches and does.
What comes through clearly in Randy Pauschs little book is that hes a guy whos incredibly decent and loving. He writes warmly of his childhood and his parents; he assures us that hes achieved just about every goal he dreamed of as a youth; he appears to be a good and dedicated teacher; he loves his wife and kids; and even when he assures us that he, like everyone else, has personality issues that need working on- he is, he tells us, a alt39 recovering jerkalt39 – he his admitted foibles seem pretty tame.
Pausch is Joe Everyperson.
I think thats the value of his Last Lecture.
Pausch clearly isnalt39t of a philosophical bent of mind. If you pick up his book looking for profound existential discussions about human frailty and mortality ( as, I confess, I did), youalt39re not going to find them. Ialt39ve no doubt that, since the onslaught of his illness, he and his wife Jai have endured despairing dark nights of the soul, paralysing bouts of panic, and heart- pounding rage against the dying of the light. But except for very rare intimations, Pausch draws a veil over such episodes, and instead offers a mixture of autobiographical reflections and homespun tips on making the most of life ( such as managing time, re- thinking priorities, and learning to listen to others). As he tells us, his final lecture to us is about life more than death.
Pauschs ability to hang onto the everyday, to the ordinary aspects of life even as his own draws to an end, is both the books strength and its weakness. It is a strength in that it spotlights human courage and compassion, and in this regard The Last Lecture is an inspirational success. But one also senses that Pauschs insistence on staying on the surface of things might suggest a deep resistance to the unsettling fact that the surface of things is inexorably slipping away from him. One can talk candidly about ones death without having come to terms with the reality of what ones saying.
In the ways of passionate storytellers, Randy Pausch and coauthor Jeffrey Zaslow tell us how to achieve the most vital of all human yearnings: realisation of childhood dreams. Within this narrative are timeless lessons of showing gratitude, setting goals, keeping commitments, tolerating frustration, maintaining a sense of humor in the face of adversity, telling the truth, working hard, celebrating victories when they arrive, and choosing to be fun- loving. What the authors created was truly a legacy for all of us to consider. For example, œ What are we doing to ensure that the values we hold dear are being solidified into the heart and soul of the people we care about? œ What are we doing to remain true to our own thoughts and beliefs? œ What are we doing to live with dignity regardless of external circumstances? œ What are we doing to think of others instead of ourselves? Thats just four things to think about – how many more can you come up with to ensure that your legacy is what you want it to be, what it should be, and that its preserved for a long time? The book inspires to think about it, and take action.
Life is short, and was much shorter this professor when he published this book.
And this alt39 last lecturealt39 is no less significant for the young and healthy as it is for the sick and old. Pauschs book, the chronicle of an ordinary man trying to die as decently as he lived, is well worth reading.
Live alt3
