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The Last Lecture

By: Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
Narrated by: Erik Singer, Randy Pausch
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Publisher's summary

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." ( Randy Pausch)

A lot of professors give talks entitled "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.

This recording includes an interview with the author.

©2008 Randy Pausch (P)2008 Hyperion

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What listeners say about The Last Lecture

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inspiring

this book frequently moved me to tears. a great guide on how to live life.

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Amazing book even years later

I highly recommend watching the youtube video of his last lecture along with reading/listening to this book.

I just re-listened to this book after several years and it seems to have stood well to the test of time.

It is full of wonderful life lessons. I have yet to run across a book that is better at sharing them in such a fun and impactful way.

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Great story

Powerful messages!! Ending made me choke up, but amazing. Recommend for all to read or listen to this

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a new and forever mentor

game of life changer. a man you'd strive to be like no matter your profession. or life circumstances.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

New Perspective

This author did something new with his devastating illness. While he had personal motives, he had something to say that we all should hear. I thought it would be "the lecture". It was not. It was deeply moving and thought provoking.

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    5 out of 5 stars

The Last Lecture By Randy Pausch

Should be required reading for all leadership classes, Powerful speaker, a pioneering, professor who is dying of cancer, leaves a legacy that is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Narrated by the author, it is a quick listen that will bring you back for more. One of the best listens I have ever enjoyed

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What is not to treasure?

I wish that this book came into my life decades ago. It should be annual required reading for everyone.

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Inspiring

Easy listen and is very thought-provoking. Narration is great as well, I love that it is read by the author.

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A must read!

I have listened to this book many, many times. I listen to a lot of books and remove them from my IPOD to make room for new ones but The Last Lecture has a permanent spot on my listening device... I think it should be a must read by all! It is a life evaluating, life changing book and is a must listen.

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Uplifting

Well written, great examples to live, teach and learn by. Very touching
Must read for all parents, coaches and teachers.

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