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The New York Times Best Seller Books – Week of October 3, 2009

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:28:00 +0000

Week of October 3, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown
2. AN ECHO IN THE BONE, by Diana Gabaldon
3. THE LAST SONG, by Nicholas Sparks
4. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
5. HOTHOUSE ORCHID, by Stuart Woods

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. ARGUING WITH IDIOTS, written and edited by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe and others
2. TRUE COMPASS, by Edward M. Kennedy
3. HIGH ON ARRIVAL, by Mackenzie Phillips with Hilary Liftin
4. AMERICAN ON PURPOSE, by Craig Ferguson
5. THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, by Richard Dawkins

Paperback Trade Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. SAY YOU’RE ONE OF THEM, by Uwem Akpan
2. THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, by Audrey Niffenegger
3. THE SHACK, by William P. Young
4.THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
5. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE ASSOCIATE, by John Grisham
2. TEMPT ME AT TWILIGHT, by Lisa Kleypas
3. SCARPETTA, by Patricia Cornwell
4. WICKED ALL DAY, by Liz Carlyle
5. DIVINE JUSTICE, by David Baldacci

Paperback Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GLENN BECK’S ‘COMMON SENSE’, by Glenn Beck
2. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
3. I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN HELL, by Tucker Max
4. MY LIFE IN FRANCE, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme
5. THE GLASS CASTLE, by Jeannette Walls

Hardcover Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, VOL. 1, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle
2. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2010, edited by Craig Glenday
3. ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A MAN, by Steve Harvey with Denene Millner
4. MASTER YOUR METABOLISM, by Jillian Michaels with Mariska van Aalst
5. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow

Paperback Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
2. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
3. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
4. HOW TO TAKE OVER TEH WURLD, by Professor Happycat and icanhascheezburger.com
5. HUNGRY GIRL 200 UNDER 200, by Lisa Lillien

Children’s Books

Top 5 at a Glance
1. SKIPPYJON JONES, LOST IN SPICE, by Judy Schachner
2. WADDLE!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
3. LISTEN TO THE WIND: THE STORY OF DR. GREG AND “THREE CUPS OF TEA”
4. DEWEY (THERE’S A CAT IN THE LIBRARY!), by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter
5. ROBOT ZOT!, by Jon Scieszka

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The New York Times Best Seller Books – Week of September 18, 2009

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:31:00 +0000

Week of September 18, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE LAST SONG, by Nicholas Sparks
2. SOUTH OF BROAD, by Pat Conroy
3. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
4. ALEX CROSS’S ‘TRIAL’, by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
5. SPARTAN GOLD, by Clive Cussler with Grant Blackwood

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. OFFICIAL BOOK CLUB SELECTION, by Kathy Griffin
2. CULTURE OF CORRUPTION, by Michelle Malkin
3. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
4. IN THE PRESIDENT’S SECRET SERVICE, by Ronald Kessler
5. LIBERTY AND TYRANNY, by Mark R. Levin

Paperback Trade Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, by Audrey Niffenegger
2. THE SHACK, by William P. Young
3. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson
4. THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
5. OLIVE KITTERIDGE, by Elizabeth Strout

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. SCARPETTA, by Patricia Cornwell
2. DIVINE JUSTICE, by David Baldacci
3. 92 PACIFIC BOULEVARD, by Debbie Macomber
4. EXTREME MEASURES, by Vince Flynn
5. THE BRASS VERDICT, by Michael Connelly

Paperback Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GLENN BECK’S ‘COMMON SENSE’, by Glenn Beck
2. MY LIFE IN FRANCE, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme
3. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
4. FREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
5. JULIE & JULIA, by Julie Powell

Hardcover Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, VOL. 1, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle
2. THE CONVERSATION, by Hill Harper
3. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
4. ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A MAN, by Steve Harvey with Denene Millner
5. THE 50TH LAW, by 50 Cent and Robert Greene

Paperback Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
2. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
3. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
4. HOW TO TAKE OVER TEH WURLD, by Professor Happycat and icanhascheezburger.com
5. JULIA’S KITCHEN WISDOM, by Julia Child

Children’s Books

Top 5 at a Glance
1. LISTEN TO THE WIND, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
2. DEWEY (THERE’S A CAT IN THE LIBRARY!), by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter
3. TRUCKERY RHYMES, by Jon Scieszka
4. GOLDILICIOUS, written and illustrated by Victoria Kann
5. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder

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The New York Times Best Seller Books – Week of September 12, 2009

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:27:00 +0000

Week of September 12, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. DARK SLAYER, by Christine Feehan
2. ALEX CROSS’S ‘TRIAL’, by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
3. SOUTH OF BROAD, by Pat Conroy
4. SPARTAN GOLD, by Clive Cussler with Grant Blackwood
5. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. CULTURE OF CORRUPTION, by Michelle Malkin
2. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
3. IN THE PRESIDENT’S SECRET SERVICE, by Ronald Kessler
4. STRENGTH IN WHAT REMAINS, by Tracy Kidder
5. BORN TO RUN, by Christopher McDougall

Paperback Trade Fiction

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. SCARPETTA, by Patricia Cornwell
2. 92 PACIFIC BOULEVARD, by Debbie Macomber
3. DIVINE JUSTICE, by David Baldacci
4. HEAT SEEKER, by Lora Leigh
5. EXTREME MEASURES, by Vince Flynn

Paperback Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GLENN BECK’S ‘COMMON SENSE’, by Glenn Beck
2. MY LIFE IN FRANCE, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme
3. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
4. JULIE & JULIA, by Julie Powell
5. FREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Hardcover Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, VOL. 1, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle
2. ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A MAN, by Steve Harvey with Denene Millner
3. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
4. THE SECRET, by Rhonda Byrne
5. FLAT BELLY DIET! COOKBOOK, by Liz Vaccariello with Cynthia Sass

Paperback Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
2. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
3. JULIA’S KITCHEN WISDOM, by Julia Child
4. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
5. SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

Children’s Books

Top 5 at a Glance
1. LISTEN TO THE WIND: THE STORY OF DR. GREG AND “THREE CUPS OF TEA”, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
2. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
3. MARLEY GOES TO SCHOOL, by John Grogan. Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
4. GOLDILICIOUS, written and illustrated by Victoria Kann
5. OCEANOLOGY, by Ferdinand Zoticus deLessups

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The New York Times Best Seller Books – Week of September 5, 2009

admin — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Week of September 5, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. ALEX CROSS’S TRIAL, by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
2. SOUTH OF BROAD, by Pat Conroy
3. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
4. 206 BONES, by Kathy Reichs
5. THE WHITE QUEEN, by Philippa Gregory

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. CULTURE OF CORRUPTION, by Michelle Malkin
2. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
3. IN THE PRESIDENT’S SECRET SERVICE, by Ronald Kessler
4. BORN TO RUN, by Christopher McDougall
5. A BOLD FRESH PIECE OF HUMANITY, by Bill O’Reilly

Paperback Trade Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, by Audrey Niffenegger
2. THE SHACK, by William P. Young
3. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson
4. THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE, by Heather Gudenkauf
5. THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. 92 PACIFIC BOULEVARD, by Debbie Macomber
2. HUNTING GROUND, by Patricia Briggs
3. THE BRASS VERDICT, by Michael Connelly
4. EXTREME MEASURES, by Vince Flynn
5. SCARPETTA, by Patricia Cornwell

Paperback Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GLENN BECK’S ‘COMMON SENSE’, by Glenn Beck
2. MY LIFE IN FRANCE, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme
3. JULIE & JULIA, by Julie Powell
4. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
5. FREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Hardcover Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, VOL. 1, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle
2. ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A MAN, by Steve Harvey with Denene Millner
3. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
4. FLAT BELLY DIET! COOKBOOK, by Liz Vaccariello with Cynthia Sass
5. MASTER YOUR METABOLISM, by Jillian Michaels with Mariska van Aalst

Paperback Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
2. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
3. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
4. JULIA’S KITCHEN WISDOM, by Julia Child
5. SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

Children’s Books

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
2. GOLDILICIOUS, written and illustrated by Victoria Kann
3. MARLEY GOES TO SCHOOL, by John Grogan
4. EXPLORER EXTRAORDINAIRE!, by Jane O’Connor
5. TRUCKERY RHYMES, by Jon Scieszka

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The New York Times Best Seller Books – Week of August 28, 2009

admin — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:51:00 +0000

Week of August 28, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. SOUTH OF BROAD, by Pat Conroy
2. THE WHITE QUEEN, by Philippa Gregory
3. DREAMFEVER, by Karen Marie Moning
4. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
5. THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC, by Richard Russo

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. CULTURE OF CORRUPTION, by Michelle Malkin
2. IN THE PRESIDENT’S SECRET SERVICE, by Ronald Kessler
3. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
4. BORN TO RUN, by Christopher McDougall
5. LIBERTY AND TYRANNY, by Mark R. Levin

Paperback Trade Fiction

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE BRASS VERDICT, by Michael Connelly
2. THE QUICKIE, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
3. DEAD UNTIL DARK, by Charlaine Harris
4. DEAN KOONTZ’S FRANKENSTEIN: DEAD AND ALIVE, by Dean Koontz
5. FROM DEAD TO WORSE, by Charlaine Harris

Paperback Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. MY LIFE IN FRANCE, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme
2. GLENN BECK’S ‘COMMON SENSE’, by Glenn Beck
3. JULIE & JULIA, by Julie Powell
4. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
5. THE FAMILY, by Jeff Sharlet

Hardcover Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, VOL. 1, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle
2. FLAT BELLY DIET! COOKBOOK, by Liz Vaccariello with Cynthia Sass
3. ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A MAN, by Steve Harvey with Denene Millner
4. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
5. FLAT BELLY DIET!, by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass

Paperback Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
2. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
3. DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES, by Guy Fieri with Ann Volkwein
4. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
5. JULIA’S KITCHEN WISDOM, by Julia Child

Children’s Books

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GOLDILICIOUS, written and illustrated by Victoria Kann
2. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
3. MARLEY GOES TO SCHOOL, by John Grogan
4. SWING!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
5. LISTEN TO THE WIND, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth

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The New York Times Best Seller Books – Week of August 21, 2009

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:43:00 +0000

Week of August 21, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. SOUTH OF BROAD by Pat Conroy
2. SMASH CUT: A NOVEL, by Sandra Brown
3. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
4. THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC, by Richard Russo
5. THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, by Stieg Larsson

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. CULTURE OF CORRUPTION, by Michelle Malkin
2. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
3. LIBERTY AND TYRANNY, by Mark R. Levin
4. IN THE PRESIDENT’S SECRET SERVICE, by Ronald Kessler
5. CATASTROPHE, by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann

Paperback Trade Fiction

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE QUICKIE, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
2. DEAN KOONTZ’S FRANKENSTEIN: DEAD AND ALIVE, by Dean Koontz
3. DEAD UNTIL DARK (SOUTHERN VAMPIRE MYSTERIES, BOOK 1) , by Charlaine Harris
4. SMOKE SCREEN: A NOVEL, by Sandra Brown
5. FROM DEAD TO WORSE (SOUTHERN VAMPIRE MYSTERIES, NO.8), by Charlaine Harris

Paperback Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GLENN BECK’S ‘COMMON SENSE’, by Glenn Beck
2. JULIE & JULIA, by Julie Powell
3. MY LIFE IN FRANCE, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme
4. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
5. THE FAMILY, by Jeff Sharlet

Hardcover Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, VOLUME ONE (VOL 1), by Julia Child
2. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?: HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR RESULTS THE POSITIVE, PRINCIPLED WAY, by Roger Connors
3. ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A MAN, by Steve Harvey with Denene Millner
4. MASTER YOUR METABOLISM, by Jillian Michaels with Mariska van Aalst
5. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow

Paperback Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. JULIA’S KITCHEN WISDOM: ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES AND RECIPES FROM A LIFETIME OF COOKING, by Julia Child
2. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
3. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
4. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
5. HUNGRY GIRL: 200 UNDER 200: 200 RECIPES UNDER 200 CALORIES, by Lisa Lillien

Children’s Books

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GOLDILICIOUS, written and illustrated by Victoria Kann
2. LISTEN TO THE WIND, by Greg Mortenson
3. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
4. MARLEY GOES TO SCHOOL, by John Grogan
5. EXPLORER EXTRAORDINAIRE!, by Jane O’Connor

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The Last Lecture

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:08:00 +0000

From Buy Books Online > Entertainment

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?

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.

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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 New York Times Best Seller Books – Week of August 14, 2009

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Week of August 14, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. BAD MOON RISING, by Sherrilyn Kenyon
2. THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC, by Richard Russo
3. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
4. THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, by Stieg Larsson
5. INHERENT VICE, by Thomas Pynchon

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. CULTURE OF CORRUPTION, by Michelle Malkin
2. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
3. IN THE PRESIDENT’S SECRET SERVICE, by Ronald Kessler
4. CATASTROPHE, by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
5. LIBERTY AND TYRANNY, by Mark R. Levin

Paperback Trade Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, by Audrey Niffenegger
2. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson
3. THE SHACK, by William P. Young
4. THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
5. THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE, by Heather Gudenkauf

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. BENGAL’S HEART, by Lora Leigh
2. DEAN KOONTZ’S FRANKENSTEIN: DEAD AND ALIVE, by Dean Koontz
3. THE QUICKIE, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
4. CHOSEN TO DIE, by Lisa Jackson
5. STORM OF VISIONS, by Christina Dodd

Paperback Nonfiction

Hardcover Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A MAN, by Steve Harvey with Denene Millner
2. MASTER YOUR METABOLISM, by Jillian Michaels with Mariska van Aalst
3. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
4. THE SECRET, by Rhonda Byrne
5. EXCUSES BEGONE!, by Wayne W. Dyer

Paperback Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
2. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
3. AMERICA’S MOST WANTED RECIPES, by Ron Douglas
4. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
5. SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

Children’s Books

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GOLDILICIOUS, written and illustrated by Victoria Kann
2. TEA PARTIES, by Jane O’Connor
3. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
4. EXPLORER EXTRAORDINAIRE!, by Jane O’Connor
5. MARLEY GOES TO SCHOOL, by John Grogan

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The New York Times Best Sellers – Week of August 7, 2009

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Week of August 7, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, by Stieg Larsson
2. THE DEFECTOR, by Daniel Silva
3. BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, by Jennifer Weiner
4. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
5. SWIMSUIT, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. CULTURE OF CORRUPTION, by Michelle Malkin
2. LIBERTY AND TYRANNY, by Mark R. Levin
3. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
4. CATASTROPHE, by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
5. UNMASKED, by Ian Halperin

Paperback Trade Fiction

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. DEAN KOONTZ’S FRANKENSTEIN: DEAD AND ALIVE, by Dean Koontz
2. SMOKE SCREEN, by Sandra Brown
3. MASTERED BY LOVE, by Stephanie Laurens
4. CHOSEN TO DIE, by Lisa Jackson
5. THE QUICKIE, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Paperback Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. GLENN BECK’S ‘COMMON SENSE’, by Glenn Beck
2. JULIE & JULIA, by Julie Powell
3. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
4. THE FAMILY, by Jeff Sharlet
5. I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN HELL, by Tucker Max

Hardcover Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A MAN, by Steve Harvey with Denene Millner
2. MASTER YOUR METABOLISM, by Jillian Michaels with Mariska van Aalst
3. GAME PLAN FOR LIFE, by Joe Gibbs with Jerry B. Jenkins
4. THE LAST LECTURE, by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
5. THE SECRET, by Rhonda Byrne

Paperback Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
2. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
3. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
4. SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
5. HUNGRY GIRL 200 UNDER 200, by Lisa Lillien

Children’s Books

Top 5 at a Glance
1. LISTEN TO THE WIND, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
2. GOLDILICIOUS, written and illustrated by Victoria Kann
3. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
4. EXPLORER EXTRAORDINAIRE!, by Jane O’Connor
5. MARLEY GOES TO SCHOOL, by John Grogan

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The New York Times Best Sellers – Week of August 1, 2009

admin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:51:00 +0000

Week of August 1, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE DEFECTOR, by Daniel Silva
2. BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, by Jennifer Weiner
3. SWIMSUIT, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
4. TWENTIES GIRL, by Sophie Kinsella
5. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
2. LIBERTY AND TYRANNY, by Mark R. Levin
3. UNMASKED, by Ian Halperin
4. CATASTROPHE, by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
5. BOBBY AND JACKIE, by C. David Heymann

Paperback Trade Fiction

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. SMOKE SCREEN, by Sandra Brown
2. MY SISTER’S KEEPER, by Jodi Picoult
3. TAILSPIN, by Catherine Coulter
4. MOSCOW RULES, by Daniel Silva
5. DEAD UNTIL DARK, by Charlaine Harris

Paperback Nonfiction

Hardcover Advice

Paperback Advice

Top 5 at a Glance
1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
2. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
3. COOK YOURSELF THIN, by the staff of Lifetime Television
4. SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
5. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman

Children’s Books

Top 5 at a Glance
1. LISTEN TO THE WIND: THE STORY OF DR. GREG AND “THREE CUPS OF TEA”, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
2. GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
3. GOLDILICIOUS, written and illustrated by Victoria Kann
4. SWING!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
5. EXPLORER EXTRAORDINAIRE!, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

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