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:

He does have plenty of amusing self-criticism, joking that he may not be a perfect mate, for living in a small, messy apartment.(His movie star looks/a George Clooney type are never mentioned).the usual middle age seemingly confirmed bachelor-pad.The fact that is a leading computer-scientist, expert in his field, and tenured is no small achivement. Some of the 1 star reviews here seem a bit hollow, as if they expect a great new philosophy for all eternity to be produced by this short, and sad book. His story of the balloon trip honeymoon does have serious gravitas, and the very private difficulty of his first (and second) born also shine on his great humanity and depth thru traumatic times. After the media hype by the death of a so-called "King of Pop", it is disheartening that a very bright & fun-loving tenured professor at a top US university gets a very short shrift in our culture. Surely, a man who knows he is dying soon deserves any and all respect we can give him, and his family. His childhood dream of becoming a Disney worker DO come true, and this is the mnain point of this lecture, and the book. And though heart-felf childishness and a slight Peper Pan syndrone are obvious, give this brave and gifted man the legacy he deserves, in a world too often concerned with JunkCelebrityCulture.

Although it is a sad story, who doesn't want the happy ending where the protagonist beats all odds and survives. , the book is really about how to live your life and the lessons a father wants to teach his kids, even though he will not be there to do it. It is a very inspiring book.

I truly feel this book had an impact on my life, it certainly opened my eyes and heart to what i want my life to be like and how to make it happen. After already seeing the video lecture i expected an equally excellent read. I was 18 years old, a high school junior when i first read this book. It gave me story after story filled with little clues on how to just live life and make it go where i want it to. I was not disappointed. This story that Randy Pausch shares with an audience that he did not seek is so personal and so human that you will have to avoid connecting with this book on a deeper level. Its funny, sarcastic, surprising and quite sad when you realize that this truly excellent person is no longer here, but what he left behind is truly a beacon of a single persons impact on others. I highly recommend this book.

Wow this is a good book. I was expecting it to be more depressing considering Randy's circumstances, but this book talks about life and how to improve yours. Randy also tells some great stories that help convey the message he's trying to get across like the famous "head fake"Overall this book is great and i would recommend it to anyone

Highly recommend this as a moving book about how to live one's life while making conscious choices in context of leading a fulfilling life.The narrative also provides an insight into the philosophical tug of war almost everyone goes through when they realize the legacy (or lack thereof) they may be leaving behind for their loved ones, since life is so ephemeral.Life may not be fair, but then what defines fair. except for our own expectations of our experiences.