Randy Pausch

Reflections of a Carnegie Mellon computer science professor who lectured on "Really achieving your childhood dreams," shortly after having been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  His advice concerned seizing the moment while living, rather than dying.

The last lecture

Arihant Verma

First thing that appealed me was that it was written by a computer scientist.
Second thing that drew me to it, was that it is wonderful having knowledge from the person that has actually known that he's limitless after knowing that he's going to die soon(After I read tuesdays with morrie).
Third thing, why anyone, should just read it already, the reason and the testament are some of the starting posts on www.nithmemoirs.blogspot.com.

lily

as a student at CMU, I felt obligated to read this (they sent me a copy before my first semester, for God's sake).

I've never been a fan of memoirs but this book really turned me further away from nonfiction/memoir-type literature. it's evident that Pausch came from a rather privileged background or at the very least hit the mark with his luck throughout his life. a lot of his advice reflected this sense of entitlement and pomposity (e.g. not everyone can always carry $200 in their wallets, not everyone has as extensive of networks/connections in life and industry, etc.)

although his stories were interesting and well presented, and the "morals" of each opportunity weren't too cheesy/cliché, I couldn't shake the arrogance that crept between the pages. while I do respect Pausch as a person and his accomplishments, I couldn't get through his book without feeling rather salty.

and honestly, by no means am I from an underprivileged background. in general, I hate complaining about the inequality of privilege, but his lack of humility (unless he was talking about his battle against cancer) made it difficult for me to finish this book.

interestingly enough, I enjoyed his actual lecture, which I watched after reading The Last Lecture.

all in all, not a bad read but I would recommend one to watch the actual lecture instead.

Jeffrey Zaslow

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: 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 didnt 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, wasnt 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 humour, 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.

The Last Lecture

Ayesha ahmed

When I watched the video on Youtube, I felt like the book was a waste of time, which really wasn't, but because I enjoyed watching over reading... that must mean something. I never prefer watching over reading. The ending was the only part where I got emotional, but while reading the book I just did not "feel" it. Point is: watch the video, do not read the book. You're welcome.

Utkarsh

One of the quick reads but thoroughly enjoyable. Nothing as profound wisdom imparting but is there really such a work. Nevertheless, life lessons and anecdotes served in a bit sized form.

David Melvin

it was interesting to read about the perspective of a man leaving his children earlier than he wanted.

Hrishikesh Bhaskaran

Nelson Zagalo

Sendo um livro escrito por um dos mais conceituados cientistas do campo de Entretenimento Digital, ganha toda uma nova dimensão quando sabemos que o autor sofre de uma doença terminal e que deverá partir pouco depois daquelas palavras escritas no papel. Por sinal já partiu.

Análise: http://virtual-illusion.blogspot.pt/2...

Nitin Ranjan

This is a personal memoir, a farewell gift from a dying parent to his kids. It’s heartfelt for the family, but from the perspectives of a person reading the book, it just feels overrated. Lots of little things that we experience in life, & lots of little lessons we learn daily. 

My favourite line from the book: “Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”

Saneesh

A must read for anyone who wants to understand the importance of time and the sad fact called death!

'A phenomenon' SUNDAY TIMES 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: 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 humour, 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.

Enjoyed the YouTube lecture video more than the book. Recommend anyone to the watch the video before reading the book.

Suhasa SJ

Rebecca Owen

For a book about a lecture delivered by a dying man, this is a very optimistic and enjoyable read. As a young academic, it is particularly inspiring and motivational. This reminds you of the importance of using your time well in life, and prioritising those that matter.

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: 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', wasnt 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 humour, 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.

Lessons in Living

Anish Ravipati

There’s something about memoirs written by terminally ill patients. They have a level of self-awareness and understanding of what has brought them joy in their lives that is truly inspiring. This book is no exception - Randy’s voice lives on through his words in this book and in the process of reading it, I didn’t always view it in the lens of a memoir, rather, it was a father telling stories about his life to anyone who would listen. And that was a beautiful thing.

Stefanie Sugia

**short review: i should say that the lessons learned in this book is not really something new; it's something i've known before, but i get the feeling of being reminded again by this lecture. The thing that impressed me from this book is not the content, but the purpose why the Last Lecture was delivered in the first place. the last ending sentence of this book touched me that i almost cried. 

the big idea of the Last Lecture is about Randy's childhood dreams; how he achieved some of them and some he did not. some moral lessons are also taught throughout the lecture. 

i enjoyed reading this book very much and it leaves a great impression. after reading the book, i got a chance to watch the video of the real lecture; and it was just as good. :):)

good read ! :)

mayra

** spoiler alert **
           I'm actually quite torn regarding the rating of this book. I think it's more of a 2.5. I'll try and explain what I liked and what I didn't.

I'll start off by saying that Randy Pausch was an amazing guy and the way he lived through his final months is incredibly inspiring, to say the least. The way he writes about his family is heartwarming and adorable. I found myself crying pretty much every time his family was mentioned, which, if you have read this book you know, is pretty much every 4 pages. 

I really enjoyed reading this and even finished it in 2 days. I just couldn't put it down. The fact that it is written in such a personal way, made me feel incredibly connected to everyone mentioned. By the end of it, I was a sobbing mess, which is a good indicator for how much I care about a book. 

Now I'll move on to my main issue with this book. 
The author is a really privileged person. Born in 1960, to a white middle class family, he was always in a position where he was capable of achieving his childhood dreams far easier than others. He did not have to overcome the brick walls that racism and sexism bring. This, in itself, is of course not a problem. What bugs me is that he tells everyone they can achieve theirs childhood dreams too, completely disregarding his own privileged position. And please, don't get me wrong. I do kind of think that everyone can achieve their childhood dreams, but telling a POC, to "just work hard :)" while they're trying to make a name for themselves in the, sadly, racist academic world, doesn't really cut it. And I also believe Pausch did work incredibly hard to achieve his dreams. He does say that he won the lottery with his parents, which is a really important point, but I feel like he did not leave his own bubble of privilege and luck often enough. For example, the advice of having 200$ in your pocket at all times, or even the story about how he got into the Carnegie Mellon University. He got in because he had connections, not because he didn't give up. To sum my problem up, it often felt like Kylie Jenner was giving me tips on how to become a self made billionare, knowing she isn't anywhere near self made and already grew up rich and famous.

Barry Hess

Pausch's last lecture in video form is enthralling. So is the book. It's insightful to hear more details on some of the stories described in the lectures, as well as back story of the man and his disease. Pausch reminds you over and over what is important is often not what you are doing.

Nitin Khanna

Beautiful, sad and inspiring, this story gave me hope that even in the darkest hours of Mankind, there's life and humanity and humility everywhere...

Jeni Enjaian

I added this book to my to read list a while ago, back when Pausch and his subsequent death rose to prominence in popular culture. I found this book an easy read with nothing extremely challenging or even thought provoking. That's not to say that I disliked the book. I did not dislike it. However, nothing really jumped out and grabbed me, made me ponder my life goals or anything like that.

Kaitlyn Krna

"What wisdom would you impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance? If you were gone tomorrow, what would you want to be your legacy?"

Randy Pausch had months to live when he gave his last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University. The university is known for its "Last Lecture" series in which professors are invited to give a presentation where they consider their death and what wisdom they would wish to impart to the world. In Pausch's case, he discovered that he actually was dying as he prepared to give his lecture. He had young kids, all of whom were under five years of age. 

This book grew out of his last lecture. He wrote it as a way to pass on stories and impart wisdom to his children. He wanted them to know how much he loved them and how much he wanted them to succeed in life. His love for his family is apparent. And so is his love for life. He was known to truly enjoy living, and that was apparent through the stories he chose to share.

Lisette Wijkhuijs

A very fun read. Sometimes I thought it was endearing and at other times I thought he was extremely selfish. Gave me a lot to think about.

Jeremy Cote

I thought this book was great. I haven't seen the video of the lecture, but I imagine it was imbued with the same energy this book had. Pausch's writing dances on the page and it's a joy to read (even the more somber parts). I recommend it.

The last lecture

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