《The Last Lecture》

Book Description

  "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."

                                                                                                        --Randy Pausch

    A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

  When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

  In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

About Author
  Randy Pausch is a Professor of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Pausch received his bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Brown University and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. He has been a co-founder of CMU's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator, and a Lilly Foundation Teaching Fellow. He has done sabbaticals at Walt Disney Imagineering and Electronic Arts (EA), and consulted with Google on user interface design. Pausch is the author or co-author of five books and over 70 articles, and the founder of the Alice software project.

My Reflections

1、What are my childhood dreams? What happened to they？

    Being tourist. Being college teacher. Married a man with good temper. Curious about Southern cities. Model.

    When I was young, I like travelling but no money. So tourist is my dream job. And I studied in a college named Tourism Acadamy. One summer holiday, a travel agency at my hometown needed tourist urgently, they thought I could do that, anyhow, I have been living there for almost 20 years. Then without a sign, I became a real tourist. I prepared some knowledges before-hand, but until now I still remember those embarrass moments when the travellers asked some questions that I didn't know the answers. After a whole day's guide, I gave up the dream, because it's not that good as I imagined. Anyway, I tried.

    I'm not a college teacher, but I'm a trainer. Married with a Sichuan man with really good temper. Settled down in Shenzhen from 2008. I will be a model after retirement.

    The author Randy said, if you can dream it, you can see it.

2、When I leave this world, what trace can I leave behind?

    I watched Randy's last lecture on YouTube, though not a complete one. It reminded me a lot of  stories in the book. Randy is handsome and talented, very positive, sharing his wisdom about life. He left this last lecture video for not only his kids and also millions of people.

    Two years ago, when I had a Story-telling session, the trainer said, a course you researched can be something you leave to this world. Meanwhile, as a 007er, I always have a dream of writing a book. That's why I still working in the public speaking field, this is my interest and also my dream. I hope one day, I could be a professional speaker, using words to affect and help more and more people. By then, I can have my own coursed and even change them to books. My kid, friends and people who can know that I've ever lived in this beautiful world.

  When that last day comes, my whole life show like a movie, I have the brave to say,  worthy of my life!

3、When will be my last day?

    Time is only we have, you may find one day that you have less than you think. That's true, we all don't know that tomorrow or accident, which one will come first. Nothing is ours, only the time. Sometimes I think I still have decades to live, but look at my friend Kingsley, he died in his 35. So I may not know when will be my last day, but if I can take everyday as the last day, things will be different. Though I'll feel tired or exhausted, lie down and have a good rest, keep going, I'll never stop on making my dreams come true.

More Quotes

When there’s an elephant in the room, introduce them.

Have something to bring to the table, because that will make you more welcome.

You can't control the cards you're dealt, just how you play the hand.

Helping others.

Never lose the childlike wonder. It's what drives us.

Loyalty is a two way street.

Never give up.

You can't get there alone. People have to help you. You get people to help you by telling the truth.

Apologize when you screw up and focus on other people, not on yourself.

When you do the right thing, good stuff has a way of happening.

Get a feedback loop and listen to it.

Show gratitude.

Don't complain. Just work harder.

Be good at something, it makes you valuable.

Work hard.

Find the best in everybody.

Be prepared. Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity.

If you can find an opening, you can probably find a way to float through it.

"Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

Be the First Penguin.

Experience  is that what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And  experience is often the most valuable thing you have to  offer.