Pausch's Last Lecture

Co-written by computer science professor, Randy Pausch, and reporter for Wall Street Journal, Jeffrey Zaslow, The Last Lecture was published in 2008 by Disney-owned publisher, Hyperion; inspired by Pausch’s final lecture at Carnegie Mellon University on September 18, 2007. The book held many things in it, but the most important thing about it was that it included the professor’s insights of life and what does matter. Pausch never intended to make this speech since he wanted to spend the rest of his life living it to its fullest. He intended on staying by his family’s side, helping them get settled in their new home. In the end, Pausch had decided to make a last lecture upon request by the staff of Carnegie Mellon University.


His reasons were unknown until the very end of the lecture. As he helped write this book, he added his two cents of how life was like for him during his fight against pancreatic cancer. What made this book stand on its own two feet were the strong emotions that could be seen among the lines. Pausch conveys the depth of his love and affections for his family as he strives to make this last lecture even through his difficulties and hardships as he fights his cancer. The cancer eats as his life from the inside out even though it doesn’t show with the bright smile on his face every day.

The name of his speech was “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”. The reason behind this was for it to suffice as Pausch’s beneficiary factor to explaining how he made it through life the way he did. It explained many things, including the purpose of this speech: to encourage whoever listened to his speech to go and make their dreams happen instead of just dreaming them. Reading this book will teach, explain and even show readers many things, but what everyone will learn from it is: how childhood dreams are important, and why happiness is impossible without gratitude.

As Pausch explained everything, from how he was raised to how he was living that current day on September 18, 2007, the reason why he strived to make this last speech, despite the fact that it was on his wife’s birthday, was because it was for his children. Randy Pausch wanted this to be a door for his children to knowing and understanding him later on in life, when he wouldn’t there for them. It was his last dream that he intended on fulfilling despite the obvious fatigue he was experiencing.

The book relates to science concepts as Pausch explains of the time he discovered that he had 10 tumors from pancreatic cancer and of the time his wife, Jai, gave birth while having difficulties with her umbilical cord.

The pancreas is a large organ that is found behind the stomach. It makes and releases enzymes that help the body absorb foods and especially fats. Hormones called insulin and glucagon are also made in the pancreas. They help the body control blood sugar levels.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the United States. In 2008, an estimate of 37,680 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and 34,290 will die from the disease. Early diagnosis for this particular type of cancer is extremely difficult, and there is no cure.

As Jai gave birth to Dylan, Pausch had said something similar along the lines that there were some misconceptions with the umbilical cord which almost cost the life of his son. According to Dictionary.com, the umbilical cord is “a cord or funicle connecting the embryo or fetus with the placenta of the mother and transporting nourishment from the mother and wastes from the fetus.” Marie Helen Beall, MD, Clinical Professor from the Geffen School of Medicine and University of California at Los Angeles, Vice Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center states that, “Umbilical cord abnormalities are numerous, ranging from false knots, which have no clinical significance, to vasa previa, which often leads to fetal death.”

Because this book is non-fiction, it lives with the requirements of having its author to change something in science or society. For society, both co-authors, Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow have made an impact about how cancer can make someone or break someone. Randy Pausch is an icon of a man that worked through his obstacle of pancreatic cancer while being happy. This book changed society by its advertisement in helping people with cancer yet for science; there wasn’t much that could be done.