pausch

At the beginning of the class, Pausch said If I don't seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you.

Dr. Pausch has asked Carnegie Mellon not to copyright his last lecture, and instead to leave it in the public domain.

At the height of his career as a tenured scientist at a major university, Dr. Pausch was stricken with advanced cancer of the pancreas.

Earlier this year, Pausch spoke with Reader's Digest about what matters most in life -- making memories with his wife and three children.

Bush's wasn't the only accolade that came Pausch's way. He made Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world .

As in Randy Pausch said in the The Last Lecture, critics "are the ones telling you they still love you and care" .

Pausch is living his. 'I'm dying and I'm having fun, ' he said in the lecture.

Before his life drew to a close, Randy Pausch revealed in an interview and a book excerpt what matters most.

President George W. Bush, touched by Pausch's story, recently honored him in a letter, citing his service to his country.

At a recent conference, I was given a copy of the book, "The Last Lecture, " by Randy Pausch.

Pausch maintains his most formidable brick wall was a beautiful graduate student named Jai Glasgow.

And how can all of us take heart from Pausch's inspiring message to live each day to its fullest?

But at Carnegie Mellon University on September 18, 2007, Randy Pausch gave a last lecture unlike any other.

Dr. Pausch gave practical advice in his lecture, avoiding spiritual and religious matters.

Pausch then moved on to his dream of publishing an article in the World Book Encyclopedia.

Pausch: When I was diagnosed, we decided to move from Pittsburgh to Virginia, where my wife has family.

Pausch cautioned listeners not to waste energy on activities that seem urgent but aren't important.

The classic example of this is now Randy Pausch in The Last Lecture.

Choose instead, Pausch suggested, to spend time on activities that are deeply important, even if they don't seem critical.

'Randy Pausch's lecture moved me deeply, and I intend to forward it on.

The speech made Pausch famous all over the world.

Now Pausch has written a new book, The Last Lecture, which expands on those thoughts (see our excerpt, page 197).

ABC News, which featured Dr. Pausch on 'Good Morning America, ' named him its 'Person of the Week.

In Pausch, who died on July 25, you'll see the clarity and joy of a man who chose all along to do what really mattered.

Pausch: My wife really wanted me to do it.

"If people are finding inspiration, OK, but the book is for my kids, " Pausch said.

"Today, right now, is a wonderful day, " says computer scientist Pausch, here with son Logan, 3, last fall.

Pausch: About a month ago, the new treatment started to fail.

Pausch: More like short-term goals: making memories.

Their headlines were effusive: 'Best Lecture Ever, ' 'The Most Important Thing I've Ever Seen, ' 'Randy Pausch, Worth Every Second.

The bridge will be named the Randy Pausch Memorial Footbridge.

It would become extremely poignant in 2006, when the then 45-year-old Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

What did others take away from Dr. Pausch's fine book?

Pausch: When I went scuba diving with old friends, one of them said, "Don't bother putting sunscreen on Randy. "

Pausch first explained his childhood, as well as his family life in the 1960s.

Early on Friday morning, July 25, 2008, Randy Pausch passed away in Virginia after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 47.

Pausch: I had to ride my bike for an hour every day.

My dad was so full of life; anything with him was an adventure. (Randy Pausch)

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams