Neil,
You're most welcome. It is a very touching story.
As for a review of the book, it pretty much goes into the same things he talks about in the lecture with slightly more expansion on the ideas--as a book can do and a lecture can't. Folks can get a taste of the book with this excerpt: (from
http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_04-06-2008/1My_Last_Lecture):
=======================
Dare To Take a RiskIn a virtual-reality course I taught, I encouraged students to attempt hard things and not worry about failing. At the end of the semester, I presented a stuffed penguin??The First Penguin Award??to the team that took the biggest gamble while not meeting its goals. The award came from the idea that when penguins jump in water that might have predators, well, one of them?s got to be the first penguin. In essence, it was a prize for ?glorious failure.?
Experience is what you get when you don?t get what you wanted. And it can be the most valuable thing you have to offer.
Look for the Best In EverybodyI got this advice from Jon Snoddy, my hero at Disney Imagineering. ?If you wait long enough,? he said, ?people will surprise and impress you.? When you?re frustrated with people, when you?re angry, it may be because you haven?t given them enough time. Jon warned that this took great patience, even years. ?In the end,? he said, ?people will show you their good side. Just keep waiting. It will come out.?
Make Time for What MattersWhen Jai and I went on our honeymoon, we wanted to be left alone. Since my boss demanded a way for people to reach me, I recorded this greeting:
?Hi, this is Randy. I waited until I was 39 to get married, so my wife and I are going away for a month. I hope you don?t have a problem with that, but my boss does. Apparently, I have to be reachable.? I then gave the names of Jai?s parents and the city where they lived. ?If you call directory assistance, you can get their phone number. And then, if you can convince my in-laws that your emergency merits interrupting their only daughter?s honeymoon, they have our number.? We didn?t get any calls.
Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think.
Let Kids Be Themselves Because I?ve been so vocal about my childhood dreams, people have asked me about the dreams I have for my own kids. As a professor, I?ve seen how disruptive it can be for parents to have specific dreams for their children. My job is to help my kids foster a joy for life and develop the tools to fulfill their own wishes. My wishes for them are very exact and, given that I won?t be there, I want to be clear: Kids, don?t try to figure out what I wanted you to become. I want you to become what you want to become. And I want you to feel as if I am there with you, whatever path you choose.
==============
Clark
