The Last Lecture
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| The Last Lecture | |
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| Author(s) | Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Hyperion |
| Publication date | April 8, 2008 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and paperback) |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 1401323251 |
| OCLC Number | 183266069 |
| LC Classification | QA76.2.P38 A3 2008b |
The Last Lecture is a New York Times best-selling book co-authored by Randy Pausch,[1] a professor of computer science, human-computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Jeffrey Zaslow of the Wall Street Journal. The book was born out of a lecture Pausch gave in September 2007, Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.
The book has often been compared with Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie, a book on lessons the author learned from his dying college professor. When asked about his knowledge of the book, Pausch replied that he had never read that book, and commented that he "didn’t know there was a dying-professor section at the bookstore”.[2] Speculation that the book would be turned into a movie was turned down by Pausch himself.[3]
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[edit] Background
Pausch delivered his "Last Lecture", titled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, at Carnegie Mellon on September 18, 2007.[4] This talk was modeled after an ongoing series of lectures where top academics are asked to think deeply about what matters to them, and then give a hypothetical "final talk," i.e., "what wisdom would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance?"
A month before giving the lecture, Pausch had received a prognosis that the pancreatic cancer, with which he had been diagnosed a year earlier, was terminal. Before speaking, Pausch received a long standing ovation from a large crowd of over 400 colleagues and students. When he motioned them to sit down, saying, "Make me earn it," some in the audience shouted back, "You did!" During the lecture Pausch was upbeat and humorous, shrugging off the pity often given to those diagnosed with terminal illness. At one point, to prove his own vitality, Pausch dropped down and did push-ups on stage.
[edit] Synopsis
The Last Lecture fleshes out Pausch's lecture and discusses everything he wanted his children to know after his pancreatic cancer had taken his life. It includes stories of his childhood, lessons he wants his children to learn, and things he wants his children to know about him. He repeatedly stresses that one should have fun in everything one does, that one should live life to its fullest because one never knows when it might be taken.
In the book, Pausch remarks that people told him he looked like he was in perfect health, even though he was dying of cancer. He discusses finding a happy medium between denial and being overwhelmed. He also states that he would rather have cancer than be hit by a bus, because if he were hit by a bus, he would not have had the time he spent with his family nor the opportunity to prepare them for his death.
[edit] Reception
The Last Lecture achieved commercial success on the market. It became a New York Times bestseller in 2008, and remained on the list for 112 weeks, continuing into the summer of 2011.[5] It has been translated into 48 languages and has sold more than 5 million copies in the United States alone. There was also speculation that the book would be turned into a movie, which has since been personally turned down by Pausch. He commented that "there's a reason to do the book, but if it's telling the story of the lecture in the medium of film, we already have that", in a reference to the video.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ "Hardcover Advice list". New York Times. 2008-06-22. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/books/bestseller/0622besthardadvice.html?_r=1&oref=slogin.
- ^ Martin, Douglas (July 26, 2008). "Randy Pausch, 47, Dies; His ‘Last Lecture’ Inspired Many to Live With Wonder". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/26/us/26pausch.html.
- ^ a b Wilson, Craig (April 8, 2008). "Professor Pausch's life, 'Lecture' go from Web to book". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-04-07-pausch_N.htm.
- ^ "Randy Pausch". University Lecture Series: Journeys. Pennsylvania 15213, United States: Carnegie Mellon University. http://www.cmu.edu/uls/journeys/randy-pausch/index.html. Retrieved 2009-01-28. "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, September 18, 2007: Randy Pausch"
- ^ Schuessler, Jennifer (September 19, 2010). "Hardcover Advice". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2010-09-19/hardcover-advice/list.html.
[edit] External links
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