Life lessons via a last lecture

How the YouTube lecture sensation became a book

 

 

Straight to paper

Randy Pausch’s YouTube video of his last lecture has been viewed over three million times. Since he became a “media-based inspirer,” in his words, he’s twice visited “Good Morning America,” has testified  before congress, and even graced Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list. His publisher, Hyperion, reportedly paid $6.7 million for the rights to publish his book, “The Last Lecture,” which is a reflection on those experiences, as well as a message to his children, ages six, three and two.

 

INTERVIEW. A last lecture is a university ritual in which professors pretend they have one final chance to share their life’s lessons with the crowd. But when Carnegie-Melon com­puter science whiz Randy Pausch, 46, signed up to deliver such a lecture, it was more than an academic exercise: Weeks earlier, doctors had diagnosed him with pancreatic cancer, giving him six months to live.

Pausch’s surprisingly fun-hearted lecture, titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” became a YouTube sensation when Wall Street Journal columnist Jefferey Zaslow spliced it into a four-minute video. From that came the new book, “The Last Lecture” (Hyperion, $22), co-written by Zaslow, which is a reflection on those experiences, as well as a message to Pausch’s kids. Since Pausch is ailing (the cancer has spread to his lungs and metastasized) we spoke to Zaslow on his behalf.

Was there anything you two wanted to accomplish with the book that hadn’t been captured in the lecture?
Yes. The lecture is pretty much a message to his colleagues and students to go on without him and do great things. But the book is a heartfelt letter to his kids. It’s all the things he would tell them over the next 20 years if he could.

But he’s also giving a lot of advice for his college students as well.
Yes, even near death, he’s still a professor. So what does a professor do? He assigns lessons. You can read the book on several levels.

Has the realization that he’s speaking to a broader audience changed the way he’s viewed this project?
Sure. One thing about the moment onstage was that it was pure and authentic. It was a guy talking to his students and colleagues. But now he’s really seen the hearts that people have. People are praying for him and pulling for him, sharing their stories. It’s pretty amazing.