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Dying Professor Delivers Lessons In Life

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By KAREN HAYMON LONG

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 1, 2008

"The Last Lecture" (Hyperion, $21.95), a best seller written by a professor dying of pancreatic cancer and a Wall Street Journal writer, is the perfect example of how the Internet is changing publishing and what people read.

More than 10 million people have gone to www.thelastlecture.com to watch a 76-minute video of Randy Pausch's final lecture at Carnegie Mellon University, where he taught courses on virtual reality and human-computer interaction.

Thousands who watched the humorous and poignant lecture have since bought the book written with Jeffrey Zaslow and published in April. And many likely were moved enough by Pausch's thoughts on his life's lessons that they might even change the way they live.

During his lecture, Pausch barely mentioned the cancer he expects will soon kill him (as of May 13, he was doing fairly well, according to an update page on his Web site, download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch). He also said he wouldn't talk about his three children, ages 5, 2 and 1, because that would upset him too much.

What he talked about were his dreams as a child and how he fulfilled almost every one. He talked about the many lessons learned from his parents, coaches, professors, colleagues, mentors and students. He stressed that, as a Disney Imagineer once told him, if you give most people time, they will pleasantly surprise and impress you. Most people have something good in them, he said more than once during the lecture.

He also stressed the importance of learning the basics - something a football coach taught him early on - and not letting brick walls block your dreams and aspirations.

Another life lesson: Don't be afraid to ask for help getting a job, getting into graduate school or reaching other goals, and return that in kind by helping others.

It is obvious in the online video that Pausch is a wonderful teacher. He's glib and funny and has stand-up comic timing. He says he was encouraged to go into teaching because he was a born salesman, so why not put his talents to work selling education?

He seems proud of the profession and his dedication to it, which is another valuable lesson for those who strive for happiness. Love what you do, and do it well.

Pausch, who's just 47, offers another important lesson: "It's not about how to achieve your dreams," he says. "It's about how to lead your life."

He and Zaslow collaborated on the book in a unique way. They talked for hours by cell phone while Pausch was out riding his bicycle, a daily ritual to relieve his stress and strengthen his body.

Fleshing out Pausch's lecture, the book tells stories from his life and offers more emotional thoughts about his wife, Jai, and their children.

Those who read "Last Lecture" will undoubtedly want to watch the real thing online. It's worth the time.

Karen Haymon Long is the Tribune's book editor.

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