The Last Lecture

As I opened the shipping box from Amazon.com, I found two preordered copies of Randy Pausch's book, one for my family and one for whoever needs it most within the next few weeks. This could be a friend or business acquaintance who has reached some personal crisis or turning point. I'll know. Randy's message will find the right recipient. This book is a very large gift in its compact, neatly bound actuality. It is a gift of hope and affirmation, a gift of encouragement and courage. Recently I said good-bye to a friend and business colleague who at 58 died of pancreatic cancer. His was a more private passing, but nevertheless he fought the disease until the disease won, and he died with dignity. Two days before his death, he called a mutual friend to wish this friend good luck with minor corrective surgery. Even two days before death my stricken friend was thinking of others' welfare. As I sat in his memorial service with 300 other mourners, watching a slide presentation of his photographs and original art, I also thought about Randy Pausch. The two personalities mixed together because they shared so many of the same qualities: creativity, professionalism, gusto for living, a sense of humor, lifelong dedication to giving back to their communities, and a profound faith in personal power. This is the story of The Last Lecture: that we can face any challenge in this life as long as we welcome our fate with optimism and determination to confront all odds. We can live for the welfare of others. We can live today with our legacies in mind for the future -- after we are also gone. The good professor is his own metaphor. In this final gift, he both teaches and does. Much will be said about this book and its immediate iconic impact on a nation experiencing the doldrums of war, economic turmoil and loss of standing among other nations. Here is the story of one American sharing the wisdom of our universal humanity, our fragility, our mortality, and our capacities to transcend. Here's one of our best and brightest. In the ways of passionate storytellers, Randy Pausch and coauthor Jeffry Zaslow tell us how to achieve the most vital of all human yearnings: realization of childhood dreams. And for adults who believe their dreams have passed them by, this book offers an intuitive methodology to reignite the fires of youthful optimism and fervor. Within this book's narrative are timeless lessons of showing gratitude, setting goals, keeping commitments, tolerating frustration, maintaining a sense of humor in the face of adversity, telling the truth, working hard, celebrating victories when they arrive, and choosing to be a fun-loving Tigger over a sad-sack Eeyore. Life is short, a fact affirmed once again with the passing of Randy Pausch on July 25, 2008. This "last lecture" is no less significant for the young and healthy as it is for the sick and old. Dream big, reach for the stars now...

I picked up this book because my son had it assigned as summer reading going into his senior year of HS. I had heard good things about it, but I was not ready for this. This was just amazing and thought-provoking. I fear a kid in HS won't get all the good stuff packed into this that, as a Dad, I picked up. I am amazed at how hard it hit me, and yet how much I enjoyed reading and learning from him. I can see he was an amazing person, and fate was just not on his side. Words just don't do this story justice; you need to read it, and possibly more than once, as you go through life. I hope his family is well. It has been many years now, I know, but with such an amazing Mom and Dad, I am sure his kids are going to be fine. He seems to have found the magic key to leaving them a great message of love.

First, I'm not a friend, student, or family of Professor / author Randy Pausch. Having read the 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star reviews, I felt a bit shocked. I liked the book much more than other reviewers who criticize the book for having more ego than depth, and less lessons of "the dream"--- minus a demand for a public journey through "My God, where art thou, my God." I don't think Dr. Pausch's book needs to include his personal beliefs about God (whatever those beliefs are--or are not) for this book to impart some lasting wisdoms. Part of the beauty of the slim treasure, "The Last Lecture", is in its brutal simplicity. Sometimes, people need reminded of the basics: Say please and thank-you; Wash your hands before you eat; Don't be purposefully mean--or rude--to others; Play nice; Dream Big; When you lose your dreams, STOP, refind them, enjoy them, LIVE them. Randy Pausch didn't include all those--I think he skipped the "wash your hands" one (LOL). But, he presents short reminders of very basic, simplistic, meaningful rules of living. In today's world of rudeness, meanness, random murders...(etc)..., I don't think these are meaningless topics to include in a person's "last book". Could it have been more in-depth? Yes, I guess so. Yet, if I was dying, would I have the composure to write ANY words of meaning? What would any of us say if we had the chance to write and publish a book? If you could write 10-pages before you die, what would YOU include? Randy Pausch describes "The Last Lecture" as 53 mini-lectures, and I think that is fitting. The book itself, I believe, would make great reading for our children ...pre-teens, teens, young adults... the people who need reminded to have manners, to dream (a lot), and work hard toward those dreams. I'm also quite impressed by the "Alice" Program (computer programming) which Dr. Pausch created. I thought it touching to hear a man describe writing Thank-you notes, even to the hospital workers who have treated him these last months. Too few of us stop to say thank-you. Randy reminds readers how much more meaningful it feels to receive a written thank-you. I chuckled to read about his sewing endeavors-- and how he worked so hard to win the REALLY BIG stuffed animals at fairs---and more importantly, WHY it felt so important to him to win those. This little book makes a big window into the thinking of a big dreamer (a very positive trait), a man intelligent enough to see bigger than most people ever see, and to allow readers to gain just a little understanding of the rules by which one man lived his journey--his life. I do wish Randy Pausch had explained more about how everyday people can use the "head fake" in everyday situations... how people can positively manipulate to achieve positive outcomes in everyday relationships. I think the Professor has much, much more to teach--this book offers the first lessons. Maybe, he'll be able to write book number two-- I hope. I wish I'd been one of his students. Indulge yourself...indulge your "inner child" and buy the book. Or, buy a copy for a teen you know. It's worth the money.

This book is very powerful. One does a lot of soul searching as one reads the book. It is very moving.

This is one of the rarest of rare books, which appeals to everyone who reads it. This is a book that can make you laugh or cry, or perhaps both at the same time! The background is significant. The author, Professor Randy Pausch, then in his mid 40s, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told that he had only a few months to live. He had been married for only eight years and had three young children. Randy and his wife Jai faced this tragedy with remarkable fortitude. They decided to make the best of his remaining time, moving to a different city, putting their affairs in order, and so on. However, the professor wanted to leave a unique legacy for his students and – more importantly – his children: a lecture on achieving one’s childhood dreams. Most of this book is about how this “last lecture” took shape in the author’s mind and how it was eventually presented to a packed audience. Despite the devastating circumstances, the author does not lose his sense of humour. For instance, in one of the early chapters, this is what he says about his lecturing skills – being known as the best speaker in the computer science department of his university was like being known as the “tallest of the seven dwarfs”! As the book progresses, he addresses a variety of topics. Some of his most memorable one-liners are as follows: • Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. • He changed my life. I could never adequately pay him back, so I just have to pay it forward. • It can be a very disruptive thing for parents to have specific dreams for their children. • Time is all you have. And you may find out one day that you have less than you think. Many of the chapters are illustrated with photos from the author’s own collection, which impart a warm personal touch to his narration. Interestingly, this book does not contain the last lecture itself, though we are told that it consists of about 300 slides containing mostly pictures and very little text. However, the video of this lecture is available on Internet, and it is extremely inspiring. By the time you finish this book, you will start thinking of Randy as a good friend and guide. Though the author left this world a few months after the publication of this book, I am sure that his circle of friends and admirers will never stop growing.

The edges of the pages looked like torn using a scale. It is not smooth cut. Feels of a low quality book.

Excellent book. Quick delivery. Good quality

I first came across Randy Pausch through his academic work on virtual reality, and his contributions to the user experience of the magic carpet ride prototype at Disney's Epcot in 1995. In 2007, he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, and decided to share his insights into life through a "last lecture" at his university. The lecture was the basis for this book, published in April 2008. Randy Pausch died in August of that year, aged 47. In this book (and in the lecture), Pausch addresses his diagnosis head-on, wanting to talk about "the elephant in the room": how he and his wife found out, and what it means - particularly for their three young children. There's a neat moment when he describes his childhood passion for winning giant stuffed animals at carnivals, and then bringing his collection on stage during the lecture to give away to the audience; he loved the symbolism when a student (whom Pausch knew had also been diagnosed with cancer) selected the giant elephant (in the room). His impending death makes him pay closer attention to those around him - noticing, for example, how his doctor answered "You probably have three to six months of good health" to his question "How long before I die?". The way the doctor tried to put his response in a positive light reminded him how, at Disney World, if guests ask "What time does the park close?", the cast member is supposed to answer "The park is open until 8pm". He also collects words of wisdom about death and the brief span of our lives - thus, when Krishnamurti was asked about the most appropriate thing to say to a friend who was going to die, he replied, "Tell your friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Wherever he goes, you also go. He will not be alone." [p184]. And he addresses the reader directly on p111: "Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less time than you think." A moving, thought-provoking book. Recommended,

絶対読むべき感動の本です。 生きることの素晴らしさを考えさせられます。