Friday, July 25, 2008

Rest In Peace Randy Pausch

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

Randy's family announced today that he had passed away from pancreatic cancer. I had written about the last lecture Randy gave last September at Carnegie Mellon after he had been told he only had months to live. The lecture was titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" and has had millions of views on YouTube. Here's the video of the speech. If you have not seen it - it's worth a watch. If you have seen it - it's worth another watch.



In addition to the video, Randy and Jeffrey Zaslow wrote a book based on the lecture titled The Last Lecture. Amazon asked Andy some questions about the book - here's a piece of how he described it:

The book is a far more personal look at my childhood dreams and all the lessons I've learned. Putting words on paper, I've found, was a better way for me to share all the yearnings I have regarding my wife, children and other loved ones. I knew I couldn't have gone into those subjects on stage without getting emotional.

The book is even better than the lecture.

Randy's wife Jai released a statement this morning - here's a piece of it:

Randy was so happy and proud that the lecture and book inspired parents to revisit their priorities, particularly their relationships with their children. The outpouring of cards and e-mails really sustained him.

Randy will be greatly missed.

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