and Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Randy Pausch was a professor in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. The Last Lecture is a inspirational, humorous, enjoyable, and compelling reading. The last lecture was co-written by Jeffery Zaslow who is Columnist for The Wall Street Journal. This book as it was written during Randy Pausch’s last days. Randy Pausch was an educator, a father of 3 and a husband. Randy Pausch passed away from pancreatic cancer back in July 2008. The life lessons Randy Pausch imparts are timeless.
I haven’t enjoyed a book so much since Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. In Mitch Albom‘s, narrator, he recalls his graduation from Brandeis University in the spring of 1979. After he has received his diploma, Mitch approaches his favorite professor, Morrie Schwartz, and presents him with a monogrammed briefcase. They lose contact over the years but are reunited. Morrie is forced to forfeit dancing, his favorite hobby, because he has been diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating disease that leaves his "soul, perfectly awake, imprisoned inside a limp husk" of a body. Morris Schwartz aka "Morrie", passed away peacefully January 29, 2012, I could not help to compare the similarities between the 2 books.
Tuesdays with Morrie and The last lecture both deal with how a person lives and not how they die nor the diseases. Both Morrie and Randy were educators. And both books are not really sad. Morrie taught us to dance while you can with no regrets. To laugh, to love and to put others first. And, Randy taught us not only to follow our reams but help others follow there dreams.
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” ― Mitch Albom, Tuesdays With Morrie
“Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I've always believed that if you took one tenth the energy they put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out.”
―
Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
“Not everything needs to be fixed.” This is a quote from The Last Lecture. This is one of those lessons I had to learn. More importantly, I’m a problem solver. I needed to learn, I don‘t need to attempt to fix everyone else’s problems. Often, the issue will work it self out.
“It's not about the cards you're dealt, but how you play the hand.” ― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
“The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”
The thought presented here by Morrie is that one cannot really appreciate life until one appreciates death. One has to understand and accept that death is inevitable. Then it becomes imperative to grab onto life and experience as much as possible before death exercises its claim. Until that point, one is simply oblivious to just how wonderful life can be.
“Life is a series of pulls back and forth... A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. Most of us live somewhere in the middle. A wrestling match...Which side wins? Love wins. Love always wins.”
Morrie is a firm believer in the power of love to conquer all things. He advises Mitch to turn to love regardless of what else is going on. Through love, anything is possible. This rather optimistic viewpoint is expressed by Morrie on multiple occasions. Mitch Albom, Tuesdays With Morrie
These are a few of my favorite quotes from both of these books.
“What is the most appropriate thing to say to a friend who was about to die. He answered:” tell your friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Whenever he goes, you also go. He will not be alone".”
“You don't beat the grim reaper by living longer; you beat the grim reaper by living better.”
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
The words “Please don't die.” came from Randy Pausch’s wife and they were the most heart wrenching and profound words in the book. I cried my heart out for both of them.
Read Tuesdays with Morrie and The last lecture for yourself. Neither, book will leave you sad, Both educators leave 1 last lesson. The lesson : live, love, laugh and dream.
TPortlock
Randy Pausch was not a professional writer and this is not just another 'non fiction', 'self-help' book. He was a professor of Computer Science, Human Interaction design at Carnegie Melon university. He has worked with Google, Adobe, EA.
ReplyDeleteThe title gives you a fair bit of hint what's this book about. It's common for American Professors to look back on their lives imagining they are going to die soon and deliver a lecture in which they tell the audience what matters to them the most and what they have learned in the course of living.
Well, Randy Pausch did not have to imagine he was going to die soon while delivering his last lecture. He was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and had only months to live while he was preparing for his lecture. So ironically his 'Last Lecture' was actually going to be his 'Last Lecture'. This is what makes this book a compelling read.
In this book he talks about his childhood and how he achieved his childhood dreams, he talks about his battle with cancer, about people who were important in his life and many other things that made him who he was.
The most endearing thing while reading this book is the absolute frankness and honesty with which he talks to the readers and his children through the book.
A very good book. Highly Recommended.
Do not tell people how to live their lives. Just tell them stories. And they will figure out how those stories apply to them.- The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch is a heart-breaking yet heart-warming book. It made me contemplate the real value of my life .
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