Your readers and the market control you. After all, you need them so you must give them what they want.

For example, currently there is a push to make large books that will require a lot of time to read, especially in Science-Fiction and Fantasy (SFF). This doesn’t mean you should write big books for the sake of writing a big book. However, if your book is pulp length (70,000 words or 200 to 300 pages) you are probably going to have problems selling it.

When people find a character, or group of characters, they like, they want more, more, and surprisingly, more. This means that they want a series of books. It doesn’t mean you have to write a series, but it does mean you should consider it. Especially if your book is on the long side. After all, a fan of the first book will normally buy the next books in the series. After a few they will probably try reading some of your other books. If you have an idea that you can easily stretch into multiple books making them all classics, do so. A series will sell much better than a single massive volume. And selling books is the name of the game.

Having said that, if you feel like you only have enough ideas for one book only write one, rather than a series. People will prefer a single well written book full of brilliant ideas than 3-4 books where it feels like the writer has just written more for money.

Hardcover is more expensive than paperback, there is no way around it. Because of this people have a tendency to pick up the soft cover, and it’s also easier to transport. If you have a good fan base then a hardcover is a good idea for libraries and serious collectors. But otherwise you should start with paperbacks. People have to know they’re spending the money well by purchasing a book they know they’ll enjoy when they buy an expensive hardcover. If they don’t know you’re a good writer they won’t be willing to spend the money – normally.

The best way to find what your book needs is to look at other books in the genre. Look at the length that is most common for the top books, and use that as a baseline of where you want to aim for. There are normally 250 words a page, and for SFF books there’re either 400 or 700 pages, roughly. This amounts to 100,000-125,000 and 175,000-200,000 words respectively.

Do you want to learn how to write a book in 24 hours? Take my brand new free course here: http://www.learningcreators.com/

Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/

Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.

Copyright © 2009 Good Books

Tips For Writing Your First Book – One Method For Making Your Book the Right Length by Glen Ford

Dark Slayer

By Christine Feehan
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The brand new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author features the rarest of Carpathians-a female.

Ivory-a rare Carpathian female-has been protected by her brothers for most of her life. But once she frees the mage Razvan from his prison cave, they must flee together, enemies of Carpathian hunters as well as vampires. Ivory senses that Razvan is more than he appears to be, and she vows to go against the entire Carpathian race to help him, risking both their lives in order to save their love.

Customer Reviews

Dark Slayer twists the series’ formula into Something different but something good – -
Deviating a bit from the normal formula of her other ‘Dark’ Carpathian books, Feehan’s Dark Slayer was a unique entry into the popular long running series and ended up being one of my favorites of Feehan’s more recent offerings. Though fans who live for Feehan’s uber alpha males may be disappointed, I really liked the hero Razvan (former long time series villain) – unlike many of the other arrogant domineering former leading men, Razvan is non-neanderthal-like, supportive and more than willing to let his vampire Slaying mate, Ivory Malinov, take the lead (maybe because he’s a `turned’ as opposed to a `born’ Carpathian). Both of the starring pair have had enough pain and suffering in their interesting backstories, and in their experiences with family members turning to the darkside, to make them empathetic to the other’s struggles and to make them both cherish the gift of a Lifemate.

Other things I really liked: Lots of cameos of old starring pairs are worked in thoughout the story and there are some really cool aspects to Ivory’s wolf pack and her magical connection to the wolves. I also liked that Feehan waited longer to consumate the physical part of Razvan and Ivory’s pairing, allowing Razvan and Ivory to work through some issues instead of forcing it – and, after a gazillion other books in this series, I had been starting to feel I feel like I had read all of the love scenes many times before, so having less of them here than normal worked better for me and in them Feehan uses a lighter touch with Razvan which made them feel fresher too.

My nits: Yet another chauvinistic stubborn effort to `protect’ a `helpless’ woman by Gregori. I found his attempt to force Ivory’s acceptance of the Carpathians’ aid frustrating – though once Gregori comes to understand Ivory’s power, he does give her the respect she deserves. I realise that some readers enjoy them, but there are way too many spell-poems for me( I mostly skipped over these and the Carpathian dialog too, I just had to find out what happened next). It also bothered me that Ivory seems a bit diminished when she discovers her feminity – she starts out as a really strong independant character, a true survivor and she is more than competent at slaying ancient vampires and unraveling the evil mega-villain Xavier’s spells – and I didn’t like that she ends up doubting herself with Razvan. But even with that nit, she is still a great heroine.

So is anyone besides me wondering how long is Feehan going to be able keep this series going? There still several stories I’ve been waiting for, in this book even more potential leading men hunters are introduced, and I really don’t see the overall story arc building up to a big finish. But hey, I’m not the only one still shelling out the big bucks and preordering the hardbacks, so who knows – maybe this series will be as immortal as Feehan’s Carpathians themselves.

Dark slayer lost in translation
I am still reading the book and about halfway there. It’s OK but not my favorite. I’m losing patience with Ms. Feehan’s tendancy to delve so extensively into the carpathian language. I find that more of a distraction than anything else. I enjoyed her books more when she didn’t do that. She seems to delve deeper and deeper with each book she writes in the dark series. Why does she feel this is so important to the story line…it isn’t to me. In this book over 30 pages are used at the end for the Carpathian language index. That was a total waste, I’m not bothering to read that. I feel at some point she just may write an entire dark series book in the carpathian language and expect her readers to learn the language to decifer the book. This book has less romance and more violence and gore with a lot of pages wasted with reading lines first in carpathian language and then in English. Are these just page fillers? I think she should have edited this out. Who cares? Just stick with the story and stop trying to introduce a new language to the readers. I’m not interested in learning carpathian language, I just want to enjoy a good story written by her without having to learn the language to do it. I was a bit disappointed in this book but I’m still a big fan and I like her a lot. I’ll be glad when dimitri and skyler get together, I’ve been waiting on that storyline for a long time.

Totally enjoyable
I picked up the book today and finished it in one sitting, in all previous books Razvan was evil and only in Dark Curse were we told that maybe he was being used as a pawn by Xavier. Well all is revealed and it was well worth the price of the book, Ms Feehan also introduced a few more ancients but no character development to them yet. Dimitri made a guest appearance. I will not give away the story line, suffice to say enjoy!

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Dark Slayer

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate (Men’s Edition)

By Gary Chapman
Average customer review:

Focus, men! Gary Chapman addresses men specifically in this new edition of the multi-million seller, The Five Love Languages. At the end of each chapter are ten ideas for expressing that particular love language to the woman in your life. Do you think her love language is gifts? Take the quiz and find out, then use the practical tips and tell her how much you love her.

Customer Reviews

A Love Cook Book!
Gary Chapman’s “The Five Love Languages” was a really sincere and instructive read. Chapman believes that all people feel and receive love in one of five ways, and that if you decode your partner’s “love language” – for example, your signifcant other might be more beholden to compliments rather than gifts, or help with chores, etc. – that by communicating in that language, you can reach him/her with your love. Reading Chapman’s book, therefore, has the feel of a cook book, with simple recipes for enhancing your relationship with your loved one.

The book reminded me of my favorite relationship book How To Create a Magical Relationship, by Ariel and Shya Kane. Both books emphasize many of the same key points, such as the importance of honesty and true listening. The Kanes, however, feel no need for general decoding of your partners’ needs. Rather, these authors support the notion that being in the moment is all that’s necessary to love your partner fully.

Simply Informative
I enjoyed this book on many levels. It presented such an easy concept, yet very hard to identify if untrained. I have learned how to identify what actions to help those around me feel loved by me. It helps to learn the love languages so that you aren’t putting out alot unrealized effort to show love that isn’t recognized as so. I have noticed a difference in the response of my children, and my wife. I have also been able to identify my own love language and in turn have been able to express my desire to my wife. This book is a good, informative, and thought provoking read.

Relationship improvement
I really enjoyed the clear and simple ways outlined to improve your marriage and loving relationships. My husband loved the CD format, so that he could listen in his car while driving to work. The advice works!

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The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate

Goldilicious

By Victoria Kann
Average customer review:

Being Pinkalicious is pinkatastic, especially when she’s accompanied by her pet unicorn, Goldilicious. Goldie is a roller-skating, kite-flying, high-jumping unicorn who will protect Pinkalicious from the evil wizardry of her little brother, Peter. Together, Pinkalicious and Goldilicious can conquer anything!

This enchanting follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Pinkalicious and Purplicious brings to life a new and magical character that is every bit as captivating as her pinkeriffic owner. With heaps of creativity and a touch of sparkle, Goldilicious glows—from horn to toe.

Product Details

• Published on: 2009-05-26
• Released on: 2009-05-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780061244087
• BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Reviews

I wish the authors would stick to the Pinkalicious formula
We own all three “licious” books. Pinkalicious, of course, being the gold standard with the creative and captivating plot. Purplicious was pretty much a bomb, though the illustrations were still striking and beautiful. I was crossing my fingers hard for “Goldilicious”, because I know the author has the talent necessary to make a riveting and clever story. Though children will be interested in the story in Goldilicious, it still falls flat and is hardly memorable. We will still read and enjoy it, but I just can’t help but compare the last two books to the first one.
Next time I hope to see the formula of Pinkalicious followed more closely. Maybe something with more pink emphasis…or maybe with Pinkalicious turning a new color.

Disappointing
What a disappointment! The story of Goldilicious is nothing like the previous two books in the series. My daughter loves to re-read the first two and hear how Pinkalicious deals with her “problem” of loving pink. She does not want to read this one again.

The fantasy story of Goldicious is so unrelated and makes me wonder if its odd storyline is why the sisters decided not to co-author this time around.

Girls just wanna have fun
Pinkilicious returns for a third installment of this very popular uber-girly series. The endpapers feature the titular star, a pure white unicorn with perfect rouged cheeks and flowing golden locks bedecked with flowers sitting amidst gold and white lace doilies. The title page features the author’s thanks, with dozens of names of family, friends, editors and other supporters woven into a series of chiaroscuro pink hills.

The magazine collage-style computerized illustrations are heavy on the girly details. Page after page is cluttered with flowers, toys strewn about, tea sets and other such girlish accoutrements.
Her pet unicorn, which only she can see, pales away to a ghostly translucent shade of white whenever her family is nearby. This device somewhat reminded me of Calvin and Hobbes… although this book is a great deal less tongue-in-cheek, keeping things pretty simple and syrupy sweet. Pinkalicious and her brother traipse after Goldilicious through a number of locales: a picnic with screamingly green grass and flowers crowding in at the edges, a kiddie-pool where Goldie has dolled herself up in movie-star sunglasses and a fancy mermaid tail, a ride on a gorgeously swagged orange hot air balloon.

When Goldilicious goes missing, the hunt is on. Clouds shaped like unicorns and huge equine constellations are overlooked, till Pinkilicious finally finds Goldie right where her parents hoped she would… in bed, as bedtime approaches. The message is clear. Goldilicious might be imaginary… but Pinkilicious and her invisible friend aren’t going to be parted anytime soon.

Fans of the indefatigable Pinkilicious will find nothing to disappoint them here. Parents or teachers who are looking for stories about an imaginary friend may do better to turn to the quieter Jessica by Kevin Henkes or the offbeat Clara and Asha by Eric Rohmann. Girls looking for further stories featuring feminine adventurers will probably also appreciate the Fancy Nancy series by Jane O’Connor.

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Goldilicious

Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking

By Julia Child
Average customer review:

How many minutes should you cook green beans? Is it better to steam them or to boil them?
What are the right proportions for a vinaigrette?
How do you skim off fat?
What is the perfect way to roast a chicken?

Julia Child gave us extensive answers to all these questions–and so many more–in the masterly books she published over the course of her career. But which one do you turn to for which solutions? Over the years Julia also developed some new approaches to old problems, using time-saving equipment and more readily available products. So where do you locate the latest findings?

All the answers are close to hand in this indispensable little volume: the delicious, comforting, essential compendium of Julia’s kitchen wisdom–a book you can’t do without.

Customer Reviews

Useful Cooking Reference
I love cooking shows and often read cookbooks for pleasure, picking up tips from each author and pondering what recipes I’d like t try, but I have to admit that I’ve never been a part of the cooking cult that worships Julia Child. I do remember watching her shows as a child, with my mother, and know she pioneered the genre, but the meals she made rarely appealed to me–too time consuming, too “fussy” and just too “strange” for every day taste. (If I have to visit eight different shops and peruse three mail order catalogs to make a dish, I’m probably not going to try it.)

Recently, I picked up “Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom” at the library and was quickly sold. I am now ordering a copy to keep. The book is filled with useful basic recipes and techniques, as well as lots of helpful time-saving tips that Child has picked up over the years. It’s not really a recipe book per se, though tried-and-true formulas for things like Hollandaise sauce and pastry dough do appear, it’s more of a kitchen guide. It’s full of ingredient substitutions, serving suggestions and definitions of terms you may come across. More useful to experienced cooks, it’s also a helpful guide for the best technique, according to Child, for things like braising, searing, roasting and folding. Child’s years in the kitchen have made here at master and I was pleasantly surprised to find many time-saving techniques and places were Child says the “easy” way is actually better.

This slim volume really packs a wallop of cooking information and I think it would make a nice addition to any cook’s bookshelf.

Handy reference
Packed with expertise, Julia Child’s “Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom” began life as her personal kitchen reference, “a mini aide-memoire for general home cookery.” It addresses the basics – making stock, master recipes and variations on basic sauces, soups, salad dressings, bread dough, cakes, omelets, rice and more. There are charts for steaming vegetables and tips for successful roasting, braising, sautéing, broiling and stewing.

In among the basic techniques and recipes are boxed tips – for herb bouquets, making clarified butter, buying and storing eggs, whipping cream, butterflying a chicken, etc.

Recipes range from earthy to elegant – French Fries, Pizza, Hamburgers, Pot au Feu Boiled Dinner, Cream of Mushroom Soup, French Style Risotto, Potato Galette, Genoise Cake, Country Pate, Beef Bourguignon, Creamed Lobster (or shrimp or crab).

The index is extensive and cross-referenced and the book is impeccably organized – a slim and efficient volume which answers most of the questions that arise in everyday cooking.

Lovingly penned recipes, from a lifetime of cooking!
After 40 years of cooking with fellow chefs and friends, Julia Child has developed a refined method for cooking her master recipes. In this cute little cookbook, she has also included variations to many of the recipes to show us all how creative cooking can be, yet how essential it is to follow the basic cooking truths. Julia was born in Pasadena, California. She then moved to Paris with her husband Paul and studied at the Cordon Bleu. After writing her first cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” in 1961, she appeared on many public television cooking shows.

Judith Jones can be credited for discovering Julia Child, she is the best editor Julia Child could have ever found. She is very wise and once wrote me a nice letter to explain why my instructions in my own cookbook were too truncated. She loves the cookbooks she edits to have a personality and an easy flowing writing style. I took her advice very seriously and she has in fact improved my writing by her one small comment. It is with that said, that I can say that her influence on this book has only made Julia’s writing even more wonderful.

I love the fact that Julia gives her editor so much credit in the Acknowledgments section. Without great editors, most cookbooks would never make it to the publishing stage. David Nussbaum was also very influential in the writing of this particular cookbook as he was with “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home.” He helped to gather information needed for this book from Julia’s books and shows. He also spent time with Julia in Judith Jones’s Vermont kitchen, working out the details of some recipes.

The book I am reviewing is only 127 pages, but there is also a 288 page large print edition which I applaud Julia for considering and publishing. In both books, Julia presents soups, sauces, salads, dressings, vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, breads, crepes, tarts, cakes and cookies. The index is delightfully easy to use and I love the headings, e.g., Almond(s) is in a different color than the list following it. In that way, you can find the basic categories of Apples, Crab, Soup, Cookies, etc.

When you read the text in this cookbook, you will almost feel that Julia Child is reading to you. I can hear her voice and that is what makes this book so wonderful. Each chapter begins with a fun note (or what you might call a headnote) from Julia. The first chapter is “Soups and Two Mother Sauces.” There is a recipe for “Leek and Potato Soup.” Julia explains the master recipe and then gives variations of “Onion and Potato Soup,” “Cream of Leek and Potato,” and “Watercress Soup.” What you will learn from this book is “techniques.” This allows you to create your own recipes. In cooking there are certain proven cooking methods and that is what I believe Julia is trying to show you. You learn to make a white sauce and a hollandaise sauce in the first chapter. The style of the master recipes is similar throughout the book. Each one has a nice heading of a different color, ingredients are listed in the order they will be used and the instructions are easy-to-read, yet do not have numbers. The Variations for the recipes are in a paragraph style, but also have nice headings in a different color. Each page has two columns of text.

In the second chapter, you will enjoy learning to make a “Basic Vinaigrette Dressing.” The variations sound just delicious and there is also advice in a small block which explains how to keep your vinaigrette fresh for several days. Throughout the book you will find little blocks of text with a pink background. These must be some of Julia’s secrets. This is a book you will want to read and absorb.

In the third chapter, Julia has charts for blanching and boiling vegetables. She says: “When you serve fine, fresh green vegetables, you want them to show off their color.” She gives some sage advice on how to accomplish this. The chapter on “Meats, Poultry and Fish” is an introduction into sautéing, broiling, roasting, stewing, braising, poaching and steaming.

Then, onto French Omelets and dreamy soufflés. You will enjoy learning how to make molded dessert custards or as we know them to be, “Caramel Custards”. She makes a “Classic Custard Sauce,” a “Pastry Cream” and finishes the chapter on eggs with a “Classic Chocolate Mousse.”

Julia Child knows that you could just use a ready-made pie shell, but thinks it is a shame if you can’t make one yourself. With that, I can agree. So, in her Bread Chapter, she not only explains how to make basic bread dough, she shows us how to make an all-purpose pie dough. “Cakes and Cookies” follow this chapter. This will soon become one of your favorite chapters. Now, there is one thing you will want to know when making Julia’s recipes. She uses a different method for measuring flour than I do. She sifts the flour into the cups and then sweeps off the excess. That will be key to your success where noted. I personally only use that method when making pie crusts, because I create my recipes by the dip and sweep method, which is the lazy way! You will notice that in her directions, she will say 1/2 cup cake flour (sifted and measured as per the box on page 97.) I was delighted to find a recipe for “Cat’s Tongues.” While I had heard of these finger-shaped sugar cookies, I had no idea what they tasted like.

I recommend this book to new cooks, especially because these are the master recipes I learned when I was learning to cook as a teenager in cooking class. For experienced cooks, you will enjoy the variations. This is a book of Kitchen Wisdom from American’s favorite teacher of French home cooking.

~The Rebecca Review

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Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking

The Last Lecture

By Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
Average customer review:

“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.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
“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.

Questions for Randy Pausch

We were shy about barging in on Randy Pausch’s valuable time to ask him a few questions about his expansion of his famous Last Lecture into the book by the same name, but he was gracious enough to take a moment to answer. (See Randy to the right with his kids, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe.) As anyone who has watched the lecture or read the book will understand, the really crucial question is the last one, and we weren’t surprised to learn that the “secret” to winning giant stuffed animals on the midway, like most anything else, is sheer persistence.

Amazon.com: I apologize for asking a question you must get far more often than you’d like, but how are you feeling?

Pausch: The tumors are not yet large enough to affect my health, so all the problems are related to the chemotherapy. I have neuropathy (numbness in fingers and toes), and varying degrees of GI discomfort, mild nausea, and fatigue. Occasionally I have an unusually bad reaction to a chemo infusion (last week, I spiked a 103 fever), but all of this is a small price to pay for walkin’ around.

Amazon.com: Your lecture at Carnegie Mellon has reached millions of people, but even with the short time you apparently have, you wanted to write a book. What did you want to say in a book that you weren’t able to say in the lecture?

Pausch: Well, the lecture was written quickly–in under a week. And it was time-limited. I had a great six-hour lecture I could give, but I suspect it would have been less popular at that length .

A book allows me to cover many, many more stories from my life and the attendant lessons I hope my kids can take from them. Also, much of my lecture at Carnegie Mellon focused on the professional side of my life–my students, colleagues and career. The book is a far more personal look at my childhood dreams and all the lessons I’ve learned. Putting words on paper, I’ve found, was a better way for me to share all the yearnings I have regarding my wife, children and other loved ones. I knew I couldn’t have gone into those subjects on stage without getting emotional.

Amazon.com: You talk about the importance–and the possibility!–of following your childhood dreams, and of keeping that childlike sense of wonder. But are there things you didn’t learn until you were a grownup that helped you do that?

Pausch: That’s a great question. I think the most important thing I learned as I grew older was that you can’t get anywhere without help. That means people have to want to help you, and that begs the question: What kind of person do other people seem to want to help? That strikes me as a pretty good operational answer to the existential question: “What kind of person should you try to be?”

Amazon.com: One of the things that struck me most about your talk was how many other people you talked about. You made me want to meet them and work with them–and believe me, I wouldn’t make much of a computer scientist. Do you think the people you’ve brought together will be your legacy as well?

Pausch: Like any teacher, my students are my biggest professional legacy. I’d like to think that the people I’ve crossed paths with have learned something from me, and I know I learned a great deal from them, for which I am very grateful. Certainly, I’ve dedicated a lot of my teaching to helping young folks realize how they need to be able to work with other people–especially other people who are very different from themselves.

Amazon.com: And last, the most important question: What’s the secret for knocking down those milk bottles on the midway?

Pausch: Two-part answer:
1) long arms
2) discretionary income / persistence

Actually, I was never good at the milk bottles. I’m more of a ring toss and softball-in-milk-can guy, myself. More seriously, though, most people try these games once, don’t win immediately, and then give up. I’ve won *lots* of midway stuffed animals, but I don’t ever recall winning one on the very first try. Nor did I expect to. That’s why I think midway games are a great metaphor for life.

From Publishers Weekly
Made famous by his Last Lecture at Carnegie Mellon and the quick Internet proliferation of the video of the event, Pausch decided that maybe he just wasn’t done lecturing. Despite being several months into the last stage of pancreatic cancer, he managed to put together this book. The crux of it is lessons and morals for his young and infant children to learn once he is gone. Despite his sometimes-contradictory life rules, it proves entertaining and at times inspirational. Surprisingly, the audiobook doesn’t include the reading of Pausch’s actual Last Lecture, which he gave on September 18, 2007, a month after being diagnosed. Erik Singer provides an excellent inflective voice that hints at the reveries of past experiences with family and children while wielding hope and regret for family he will leave behind. The first CD is enhanced with photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Randy Pausch is a Professor of Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University. From 1988-1997, he taught at the University of Virginia. He is an award-winning teacher and researcher, and has worked with Adobe, Google, Electronic Arts (EA), and Walt Disney Imagineering, and pioneered the Alice project. He lives in Virginia with his wife and three children.

Jeffrey Zaslow, a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, attended the last lecture, and wrote the story that helped fuel worldwide interest in it. He lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, Sherry, and daughters Jordan, Alex and Eden.

Customer Reviews

If “he not busy being born is busy dying”, Randy Pausch is immortal
One of the staples of “the college experience” at many schools is the “last lecture” — a beloved professor sums up a lifetime of scholarship and teaching as if he/she were heading out the door for the last time. It’s the kind of tweed-jacket-with-elbow-patches talk that may or may not impart useful knowledge and lasting inspiration, but almost surely gives all present some warm and fuzzy feelings.

But a “last lecture” by Randy Pausch was different in every possible way. The professor of Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University was just 46, and this really was his last lecture — he was dying.

And dying fast. In the summer of 2006, Pausch had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a ferociously efficient killer. Only 4% of its victims are alive five years after diagnosis. Most die much faster. Think months, not years.

Pausch fought back. Surgery. Chemo. Progress. But in August of 2007, the cancer returned — and now it had metastasized to his liver and spleen. The new prognosis: 3-6 months of relative health, then a quick dispatch to the grave, leaving behind a wife and three little kids.

On September 18, 2007 — less than a month later — Randy Pausch gave his last lecture.

No one would have faulted him for launching a blast about desperately seizing opportunities in an irrational universe. Instead, Pausch delivered a laugh-filled session of teaching stories about going after your childhood dreams and helping others achieve theirs and enjoying every moment in your life — even the ones that break your heart. Pausch’s philosophy, in brief: “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”

The lecture was taped, and slapped up on YouTube. Jeffrey Zaslow wrote about it in The Wall Street Journal, and news shows made Pausch “person of the week” — and soon Pausch had a book deal reported to be worth almost $7 million. Few expected him to be alive when it was published.

On February 19, I interviewed Randy Pausch for Reader’s Digest. To the surprise of many — including Pausch — he was still his recognizable, energetic self. As I write (in early April, 2008), Pausch reports he’s recovering from a standing eight count. But his good news doesn’t deceive him. He notes that pancreatic cancer did to the photographer Dith Pran (“The Killing Fields”) what Pol Pot couldn’t — it buried him in three months.

And now we have the book. It’s two books, really, because it reads one way with the author still among us and will surely read differently when “The Last Lecture” is like the The Butterfly and the Diving Bell — the record of a dead man, talking. The first book invites your support and gives you a wake-up call. The second, I suspect, is also a wake-up call but, between the lines, reminds you that even happiness can’t save you from death.

Somewhere in between — in the quiet space where a book really lives — is a document that accomplishes a lot in 200 pages. It’s about paying attention to what you think is important (when asked how he got tenure early, Pausch replied, “Call me at my office at 10 o’clock on Friday night and I’ll tell you”) and working hard and listening really well. It’s easy to miss that last part of that in the emotion and the stories surrounding this book, but Pausch argues that hearing what other people say about you and your work is crucial to success and happiness. Because this is what you get: “a feedback loop for life.”

So, if you must, shed your tears for Randy Pausch. Imagine what it would be like if you or your dearest loved one drew the card called pancreatic cancer. And then put dying aside, and get on with your dreams. Amazing how many you can achieve if you want them badly enough. And how they have the power to cushion the pain when the bad stuff happens.

Sounds crazy, I know: Pollyanna in the cancer ward. But I talked with the guy. And we laughed and laughed. Of all the achievements in a life that’s winding down, that’s got to be up there.

The Last Lecture
The Last Lecture is a book filled with living-life-to-the-fullest advice from a college professor. While to some this might sound as interesting as reading a doctoral dissertation, you’d be surprised.

The author, Randy Pausch, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, writes so well that you’d probably let him teach you about computers too. Some things he talks about include: remember to laugh, seizing every moment, overcoming obstacles, appreciate the gifts you recieve, and enabling the dreams of others.

Although the author died this year, his wisdom will no doubt be around awhile in this very enlightening book. Other books in this genre I liked include “Finding Happiness in a Frustrating World”.

Every Moment Counts
What an amazing book in its simplicity and intensity. Having learned that he has terminal cancer, Mr. Pausch shares what’s important to him and how he has lived his life. The common threads are honesty, integrity, pursuit of his dreams, and true appreciation of others and their impact on his life. I found this book very uplifting and inspiring.

The book reminded me of Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, a collection of stories by Ariel & Shya Kane about life, full of grace and beauty.

These books are definitely worth reading and offer a powerful perspective of living in the moment. Both books consist of independent chapters, so you don’t need to do front-to-back reading, or make any time commitment, but can just pick up either book and read a chapter. That’s all it took for me to
feel more balanced and my view of life shifted and became more vibrant. I highly recommend both books.

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The Last Lecture

Bad Moon Rising: A Dark-Hunter Novel (Dark-Hunter Novels)

By Sherrilyn Kenyon
Average customer review:

A stunning and suspenseful new landscape emerges in the thrilling Dark-Hunter world—a world where nothing will ever be the same again. . .

Fang Kattalakis isn’t just a wolf. He is the brother of two of the most powerful members of the Omegrion: the ruling council that enforces the laws of the Were-Hunters. And when war erupts among the lycanthropes, sides must be chosen. Enemies are forced into shaky alliances. And when the woman Fang loves is accused of betraying her people, her only hope is that Fang believes in her. Yet in order to save her, Fang must break the law of his people and the faith of his brothers. That breech could very well spell the end of both their races and change their world forever.

The war is on and time is running out…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #291 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-04
• Released on: 2009-08-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review

Customer Reviews

Disappointed but haven’t given up…
I usually put my reviews on the UK Amazon site. However, after reading the US Amazon reviews of ‘Bad Moon Rising’ I thought I’d copy my review here.

My favourites in the Dark Hunter series are the Wren and Vane stories, so I’ve been waiting with enthusiasm for Fang’s story (he and Aimee are the inter-species Romeo and Juliet of the Dark Hunter world!). The day before ‘Bad Moon Rising’ arrived, I reread Fury’s short story to bring me up to date with the wolves. Ho hum, there wasn’t much point. I’ll explain…

I can understand that we need to see Fang and Aimee’s side of previous stories. However, as the book progressed I began to read faster and faster. When was I going to get to something new? In retrospect I should have read slower (so that’s my warning to you!) because we only read about the ‘present day’ (in terms of the Dark Hunter storyline) in the very last section of the book. Everything else is just a rehash apart from one interesting section. It’s not giving anything away to say that this section concerns another realm (don’t worry, it’s far more interesting than more Greek god stuff!)and we’re introduced to an intriguing new character: Thorn (an Archeron replacement in terms of interest?). I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of Thorn (hope so).

After finishing the book I’m left with the feeling, ‘so what’? If you’re a Dark Hunter fan then of course you have to read this book and it’s perfectly readable (apart from the rushed writing which gives the characters things like an ‘evil smile’, followed on the next page by an ‘evil laugh’ – I’m getting used to this in Kenyon’s later books and it’s one reason I’ve stopped automatically buying all her books). However, the book could have been so much better. This is the first time we’ve had a bear as a main character, but to be honest you wouldn’t know it apart from a liking for honey and the way the cubs’s room is decorated (plus a little bear left on Aimee’s pillow – cute). I don’t even know what Aimee looks like as a bear (OK, she’s foremost a human, but the bear must still be part of her character). And that’s what is wrong for me with this story – it lacks depth. So much more could have been made of the struggle in their relationship and discovering the differences between the species (in Kelly Armstrong’s books her wolves are truly wolves).

Perhaps 70% of the book is a rehash of past (and better) stories and the characterisation is a bit muddled (I think there are far too many ‘clever’ remarks and ALL the characters make them, not just the characters where it’s part of their characterisation, so what is meant to be clever or funny just falls flat and distracts).

Therefore I suggest reading and enjoying, but don’t expect too much so you’re not disappointed. Plus don’t rush the reading to get to something ‘new’ – there’s not much of that so just enjoy what’s there (I rushed too much and I’m therefore confused by Varyk and puzzled and irritated with Maman Bear’s character – I should reread but I’m not convinced I can be bothered, which is very unlike me). By the way, before you give me a ‘not helpful’ for not raving about Sherrilyn Kenyon’s book, please note I’m a fan, albeit a disappointed fan who lately has become more disappointed with the publication of each new book, but I haven’t given up.

They just keep getting shorter…
I am (was) a avid SK fan. I was ready to wait at walmart at 12am to get Acheron. This book was really not what I expected. I am very tired of the buildup of a huge great book and then going into the bookstore to see it is almost a novella. More than half of the book was rehashing the past in a different viewpoint. One chapter was a chapter from Wren’s book…probably just copied and pasted that. There is just SOOO much missing, so much character exploration that could have been brought in. All the regular dark-hunters were missing except for Valerius in the past. The new books seem less vivid to me. A really good author can let you picture the books environment in your imagination. I just got one big blur from this book. Even in the new part of the book it is almost impossible to tell where on the timeline it is taking place. This is just my opinion that it almost seems like Acheron like lost his powers at the end of the book (he didn’t but it seems like he has been brought down on the character totem pole). I think she really needs to take more time with these books. I don’t care about the manga or the marketing of the new website. I want a decent storyline and it seems like that is going by the wayside. I think I will switch my fan adoration to Christine Feehan…even after umpteen books they still have good character interaction and are more than 300 pages.

Ok.
I have read everyone of the Dark Hunter stories. I have to say besides Ash, Fang and Aimee’s story was the one that I was looking forward to the most. That being said it was a little bit of a disappointment. Not to say that I didn’t love it, but I started out thinking ok, she’s telling us how they met and then it was when he was hurt, what really happened during that time. But as the book went on I was reading parts of books that I’ve already read. The last part of the book was the best because it was current. In “Upon a Midnight Clear” there is a scene where Fang, Fury, Vane and Bride are all at their house and one of them looks at Fang and says “You smell like Bear” According to this book, he never lived with them until after everyone knew about him and Aimee…
Overall, if you’re looking for a great re-read of all the other books into one, this is the book for you. While I still loved it because it’s Fang and Aimee’s story, it did fall short for me.

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Bad Moon Rising: A Dark-Hunter Novel (Dark-Hunter Novels)

The Girl Who Played with Fire

By Stieg Larsson
Average customer review:

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

But he has no idea just how explosive the story will be until, on the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered. And even more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander—the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker who came to his aid in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and who now becomes the focus and fierce heart of The Girl Who Played with Fire.

As Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07-28
• Released on: 2009-07-28
• Format: Rough-Cut Edge
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 512 pages

Editorial Reviews

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The Girl Who Played with Fire