The Last Lecture

Additional The Last Lecture Information

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.

What Customers Say About The Last Lecture:

I doubt little can be added to the reviews that have already been written but I feel so moved by this book that I want to salute its dignity, wisdom and strength. Later, however, we are dead. I especially like the author's belief in following one's dreams, acting on them before it's too late. Let's face it: Most of us just get by, thinking we will ACT on our dreams later. I also highly recommend another book that inspires and motivates: Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears, by Jerry Ellis. Ellis was the first person in the modern world to walk the 900 mile route of the Trail of Tears and the book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.

Take the advise. Randy was a great guy who passed too quickly thru life. Live. Thanks goodness he was here long enough to pass on this valuable advise to those who still forget (or just don't care) that our time on earth is limited. Read the book. Laugh. Love.

I HAD HEARD ABOUT THE LAST LECTURE AND SAW RANDY ON THE OPRAH T.V. I KNOW IN THEIR QUIET MOMENTS THAT THEY WERE SAD,MAD AND AFRAID LIKE ALL OF US WOULD BE BUT HE DIDN'T DWELL ON THE UNFAIRNESS OF HIS FATE. SHOW.I BOUGHT THE BOOK THINKING IT WAS THE LAST LECTURE THAT HE GAVE AND THEN FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS JUST A RECAP OF SOME OF WHAT HE SAID. THEN I WATCHED THE LAST LECTURE ON YOUTUBE AND I WAS QUITE MOVED MY HIS COURAGE. HE LEFT US AN EXAMPLE TO LIVE UP TO. I STILL ENJOYED THE BOOK BUT WOULD STRESS THAT YOU WATCH THE VIDEO AND MEET THE MAN IN PERSON.

It was a great way to pass the time and have some deep thoughts. I saw some of this guy's video and was intrigued. Decided to buy the audio version and listen to it on my annual road trip to Texas. This great man will be missed. But at least his words will live forever.

arrived quickly in good condition. was not aware the ones I bought were "rough cut" but were ok. enjoyed this read