Thursday, September 18, 2008

Book Review: The Last Lecture


What would you do if you were given an opportunity to speak to a large group people before you die. Well Randy Pausch was given that very opportunity! On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged.

Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, as has the book he wrote based on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come. Both his book that he wrote with the help of his friend, Jeff Zaslow, and the lecture which you can watch at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Z was given the book at a school meeting. He brought it home and I devoured it in two days. It was a very good book and highly motivational. I highly recommend reading or if you don't have that kind of time, the youtube copy of his lecture is great!

1 comment:

Tawna said...

Derek and I are going to be in St. George in a couple of weekends...maybe we can get together!!