Magazine 2013
International Peer-Reviewed Journal
RH, VOL. 3 JULY 2013
BOOK REVIEW
Title: THE LAST LECTURE
Author: Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
Type of Book/Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Place: Great Britain (U.K.) printed and bounded in India.
Year of Publication: 2008
Pages: 206.
Price: Rs.295/-.
ISBN: 978 0 340 97773 6
Neha Gada
“An injured lion wants to know if he can still roar,” the author says in the very first lesson. This book is all
about the values, aspirations, principles; approach towards the life, that author wants to explain his children.
Prof. Randy Pausch was a computer science Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh suffering from
pancreatic cancer. He had three little children (Dylan, Logan and Chloe) and loving wife ‘Jai’. He was diagnosed
with about ten tumors in his liver that he quotes as ‘The Elephant in the room’; his chances to survive were
minimal; had just few months in his hand. He wanted to spend this few months with his family and also wanted
his kids to know, how much his father loved them? He felt sorry on part of kids to lose their father at an early age
and also that he would not be able to see his kids grow older. Especially, when they will face challenges and
will require father figure. So he finally did something memorable for them to cherish for lifetime.He was invited
by his college to deliver a lecture attended by 400 audiences but he basically delivered that lecture for his kids;
he knew the lecture would be video graphed that would add as memory for his kids to know that his father was
such an influential speaker and that was his last lecture. The Last lecture was approximately 70 minutes long
that talked about the attempt he made to achieve his childhood dreams, his adventures that taught him lessons
of life, his enabling of dreams of his wife, fellow students and peers as well as some basic principles to live life.
“
We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand”. The author had got few months
in his hands that he wished to optimize being with kids and family and wants to teach his kids about some
important aspects of once life. As he had no control over his death, he found the path to overcome his shortfall
by means of the recorded lecture and through this book too. By doing so, he remains immortal not only for his
family but also for all the viewer’s /listeners and readers. He was thankful to cancer and felt lucky enough to
know his approaching death. This shows authors positive approach towards his life. One cannot deny that
author was a true optimist as he practiced all that he preached. He resembles to be ideal tutor, facilitator, a true
friend, philosopher and guide.
The title comprehends with the write up as the author sums-up his life journey into this book inspiring
many more to think positively towards the life. . The language used by author is simple and lucid too for
readers to understand message easily. The lessons are properly compiled into wider sub topics helping the
readers to follow link within the sub topics.The approach one has to develop while facing tough challenges in
life. He meant to lecture students not for sake of giving just information or delivering lecture but to help them
know importance of life, to create wisdom of knowledge towards perception of life.
The Book has taught many positive aspects to me. The author talks about many good management and moral
principles that we can relate to our day to day practice.Everyone can relate these principles in their life. There
are many principles that common men or manager can follow of which few that I have learnt from this book are,
1)
Be Honest: The author gave six words advice, ‘tell the truth all the time’. Honesty is not only morally right
but also efficient. The principle of honesty was deeply followed by author. I strongly feel that false
statements can save you temporarily but not lifelong. As we know, ‘honesty is best the policy’, the
managers have to inculcate this principle amongst them so that their employees also inculcate in them.
2)
Time management: The author represented him as organized and structured personality; it also depicts
that he respects time. He had got very limited time to live still he scheduled his activities in such a way
that he could spend maximum time with his children and wife. As ‘Time is money’ one has to spent it too
carefully, especially in business as a phase of time lost may not came back again.
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International Peer-Reviewed Journal
RH, VOL. 3 JULY 2013
3)
Dream Big: The visionaries have always dreamt big and put full efforts in achieve their aims. Every activity
starts with an objective and objective refers to setting of goals. If goals are too small it could be achieved
easily but will not motivate for hard work. Big dreams are tough to be achieved but will teach managerial
skills, traits, expertise and talents to pursue it. One has to dream big and also enable others to achieve
their dream.
4)
Work hard: Randy Pausch was hard working faculty, dedicated to his job. He suggests us, ‘don’t complain
just work harder’. The situation may be contingent and uncertain, which one cannot avoid or change but
one can just put more efforts to get out of it. As a manager one has to put full efficiency and expertise
irrespective of rewards because rewards and incentives are directly proportional to efficiency.
5)
Leadership Qualities:The author related him with the fiction character Kirk, and admired him, to start an
enterprise like his at an early childhood age. Following a role model that is an entrepreneur, the author
dreamt big and considered him to be one of those in future. A sound leader always develops a role
model or an ideal that he would like to follow either by principles or ideologies. This are inherent ability
cannot be gain from anyone. It is purely intrinsic quality.
6)
Don’t give up: The author didn’t give up to death even in such a discrete situation. Why should one lose
hope? It’s not necessary that one would achieve desired result within first attempt but there is always
hope for the next time. ‘Try and try till you succeed’. This principle will help in building qualities like
positive attitude, more assertive ideology, dedication and efficiency to optimize result.
7)
Motivation: If one doesn’t give up, he develops himself with the quality of being patient. This would in
turn help them to put a step ahead, induce to work more hard and achieve the said goals. With the
example of first penguin award given to students who fails for the first time, showed the ability of author
to induce them to work even more efficient. This is necessary for a manager, as employees might
sometimes be inefficient leading lowering performance but that doesn’t mean they must be humiliated or
insulted rather they must be motivated to strive the result.
8)
Don’t think any job is bad: ‘God also helps those who help themselves’ and hence one must not think
that the job they are doing is inferior in any sense. Work has to be worshiped. No job is bad; one has to
do it with dedication and respect as it supports you with your livelihood.
9)
Don’t criticize: This is a qualitative and spiritual character building ability. If we see everyone with goodness,
the goodness lays with us i.e. we develop a positive attitude and optimist character. It’s not that people
are bad but the situation in which they are bad. No mom gives birth to a terrorist; it’s the person who
chooses wrong path.
10) Show Gratitude: The two words ‘Thank you’ makes one feel better and lighter. Teaches to complement
others; realizing importance of others deeds. This approach is necessary for a manager to appreciate
efficient work of employees. It’s not that every time efficient work done needs to be rewarded with
monetary incentive but by showing gratitude they can serve the purpose. It would also make one humble,
polite and dignifying.
The Author has motivated me to perform my job better as I am also a lecturer, and can directly relate his
talks with the class of my students which is purely inspirational talk depicting real life experience to sensitize
students towards their life. He also said there are many things beyond just profit and incentives; this has taught
me moral ethics of being a tutor and to aim at serving the community at large. The book is generic and is
subjected to be read by any age group for which I feel children or students may find it difficult to personalize
the author’s real life principles or experiences that they need to relate to their life and living.
Otherwise the book is sum of emotions that made me cry along the author, principles that brought about a
frame of disciple, ideologies that life is beautiful and enjoy every part of it as time is finite, the role of our
childhood dreams in our process of development, and effective communication of real life facts to sensitize the
stakeholders that would in turn help better relationship development and understanding amongst me and my
students, other stake holders. Lastly to conclude, ‘Many people might expect the book to be about dying. But
it is all about living.’
*
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