I'm a little behind the curve on reading the latest best-sellers. But then that means I can get them at the library or really cheap used. So, I finally got around to reading The Last Lecture by (the late) Randy Pausch.
If you're like my husband, and unable to read or talk about death, then this book will not be enjoyable for you. But if you're like me, and you've already faced your own mortality, the mentions of death, mortality and illness won't bother you. That's not really what the book is about- it's about living life fully. But to understand why he is giving the lecture, you have to know the circumstances of his life. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the scariest cancers with the highest mortality rates. He was given months to live. According to his blog, he seems to have lived 2 years after diagnosis, thanks in part to a radical surgery shortly after diagnosis. Randy and his wife had 3 young kids, and he had a career he loved, so he had every reason to live, and this lecture was his attempt to bottle up everything he wanted to tell their kids once they were old enough to understand it. We just get to listen in. The lecture was given live at the university where he worked; they actually had a legacy of "last Lectures," where, strangely enough, professors were asked to give a lecture addressing "What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance." And the author was asked to speak in the series.
The book is not a transcript of the lecture. It was written afterward, as Randy went on long bike rides and his co-author transcribed the conversation. It's something of a memoir, but Randy tries to squeeze in as many life lessons as possible throughout. The most tangible, practical advice is contained in his time management section. When you haven't got much time to live, you haven't got any to waste, so here's a guy who knows the value of time management. FYI, it is not really about conquering or living with illness.
I found it an easy, uplifting read with some good advice on conducting your life.
Right now I am reading Eat to Live. I actually had lunch at the same table as Dr Fuhrman and his wife yesterday. They live what they preach and are very passionate about nutrition and healing. More on that soon. My progress on that book may be slowed a bit by my intermittent reading of David Leee Roth's autobiography (gotta balance out that Last lecture seriousness somehow, right?)
4 comments:
Very cool. A healthy diet can affect so much. I am adding your blog to my 100 Chronic Illnesses List. Your positive attitude is refreshing!! Thanks.
Diane
A Stellarlife
(my sidebar has a link to the Blogs and I will roll out the updates in a week or so.)
Hi Diane! thanks for adding me to the blogroll!
My doctor recommended the Eat to Live book.. What was your take on this book..I was reluctant to purchase it thinking yet another book about diet. I must say the David lee Roth comment cracked me up. I wanted to share with everyone that I recently was able to obtain a job after two years of searching due to my disabilities. I want to take a moment to share with anyone that might have similar troubles.. About 2 yrs ago my life turn completely upside down. I had been a professional reaching for the stars so to speak. Then illness left me with several disabilities that brought my career to a screeching halt. Trying to recover left me without my career and life I once known.
I not only found myself in the midst of an economic downfall, but, newly added personal challenges as I sought employment. I wanted to let you know I found a company called J.Lodge out of Ft Meyer, Fl. I was so thankful I found this job working from home…so far I have been pretty happy. I wanted to let you know about this company. You don't have to live in Florida..they recruit nationwide.. People can apply thru their website at http://www.jlodge.com/careers/
Best to luck to everyone.. *smile*
hi kinall204-
i thought eat to live was a great book and i've been meaning to write a summary of it, as i do most relevant books when i finish them.
of all the diet books i've read, this one is the most grounded, non-faddish book. it is full of citations (references to research) and matter-of-fact, down-to-earth, solid advice.
it can be summed up in one sentence: eat plants, nuts, and beans, and nothing else (and your health will vastly improve, possibly even reversing illness altogether).
It ticked me off at first, but that was because i knew he was right and i didn't want to change my diet yet again. but i am mostly following his suggestions and while I have not seena sudden reverse trend in my lab tests to the better, i look better- i get lots of compliments lately! and i've lost a few pounds. i've got to get soda and chocolate out of my life, or seriously cut down because those are my last vices. i gave up nutrasweet (diet soda) but i do have a regular soda on occasion and it's crap. nothing redeeming in soda. and no one needs chocolate daily, even in small amounts. sigh.
in a nutshell though, best book about diet out there.
there is also the book the lupus recovery diet, which suggests a low fat vegan (no animal products) diet. that author worked with the author of eat to live so there is some overlap.
eat to live is cheaper and has more scientific content. the lupus recovery diet has more patient testimony.
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