Randy Plutarch : His Last Lecture / Tips For Group Collaborations

You may recognize Randy Plutarch from his many television appearances. He was a brilliant professor at Carnegie Mellon University who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008.

Although, he left an amazing academic legacy, he is most famous for a discourse he titled “The Last Lecture.” The lecture was his contribution to a long-standing tradition at the University where professors would give an address speaking about life lessons.

Undeniably, Randy’s eminent death brought a new poignancy and emotional depth to the series.

The lecture is an educational, gratifying and wrenching affair. He discusses combating the disease, his life before cancer and his family’s struggle to find happiness and balance after learning about his terminal condition.

Even though, I have watched the lecture many times, I feel the audiobook is the best way to experience the speech. As an added bonus, Randy narrates the book and it contains supplementary content not included in the original lecture.

You can get additional information on his website at http://www.thelastlecture.com

You can also watch the original lecture in its entirety at http://youtu.be/ji5_MqicxSo

I have included a copy of a handout titled “Tips for Working Successfully in a Group.” He was a proponent of group activities in his courses and provided this document to help students make the most out of their group experience.

In an era where collaboration is an important factor at work and school, this handout is more poignant than ever.

Randy Pausch’s Tips for Working Successfully in a Group

Link to Original

Meet people properly.

It all starts with the introduction. Then, exchange contact information, and make sure you know how to pronounce everyone’s names. Exchange phone #s, [email addresses] and find out what hours are acceptable to call during.

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5 life lessons I learned from watching “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is a film laced with a wealth of life lessons, that once acknowledged and practiced will allow us to take actions that will guarantee our success and happiness.

Life Lesson One:

Medication and not hard work is the key to success.

Movie Scene:

"Scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) develops a cure for Alzheimer’s by testing a retro virus on chimpanzees. Inadvertently, the retro virus bestows the apes with human like intelligence."

Reasoning behind life lesson:

It is time to turn off the audio books, rip up your library card and withhold your tuition check.

East German athletes were right from the very beginning; success comes in a large syringe filled with under tested medication and not by taxing the limits of our natural abilities.

Sadly, it is not all bananas and picking mites. Not everyone will be lucky enough to lazily sit back and wait for a miracle drug. There still has to be that group of hard working scientists and researchers (i.e. society’s suckers) dedicated to finding medications to cure diseases, so that we can benefit from the misuse of those drugs.

Life Lesson Two:

Real Estate is the best investment you can make in a down economy.

Movie Scene:

"After starting a revolt, the apes escape into the Redwood Forest’s of San Francisco. Caesar tells Will that his fellow apes and himself consider the forest their home. “

Reasoning behind life lesson:

The government can evict one squatter, but evicting an entire army of squatters that live on top of 250 foot trees is impossible. If you want evidence, just look at how much trouble the Empire had in evicting those treacherous Ewok’s.

In these recessionary times, you have to make your own luck; find an army of like minded individuals looking to enter a speculative real estate market and head out to your nearest nature reserve to claim what is yours.

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