Do you have questions about the book? Thoughts that you want to reflect or receive feedback about? Post them here and answer eachother's. I'll give bonus for those with high levels of participation.
305 Comments
Jackson Stone
4/29/2012 11:18:59 pm
I wonder what criteria Randy used to decide what pictures to use in his last lecture?
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Pratyusha Manthena
5/1/2012 12:08:50 pm
I think that he probable used his childhood dreams as his basic structure for everything in his last lecture. He probably use that as his criteria.
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Ashleigh Little
5/1/2012 10:19:05 pm
It's cool that he could remember all of those things form his childhood, I definitely couldn't! Do you think he had to go through some of his old stuff to remember again?
Grace Lu
5/2/2012 12:10:03 am
RE: Ashleigh Little
Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:08:54 am
I agree with you Pratty! He probably thought about his childhood dreams first and looked for photos that went along with them.
Rinith Prasad
5/3/2012 08:02:55 am
I think he used what he thought portrayed the time and thoughts of the era of his life he was talking about. Like the last one was his final slide; him and his children happily playing.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/6/2012 02:02:50 am
I think he just dug through a lot to see the ones that really captured his childhood and the ones that were very special to him, and some pictures that he would look at every day when he wakes up.
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:02:58 am
RE: Ashleigh Little
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Rahi Patel
5/6/2012 06:16:22 am
I think that this is good! I mean I really like the picture in the back cover of the book, but what did he use to pick the pictures... maybe what would pull at the heart strings the most...
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Kate
5/8/2012 01:18:01 am
I bet Randy's criteria for which pictures to use was which pictures meant the most to him. If it was an important picture that represented something significant in his life then it would be used. If it was an ok picture but really didn't mean much, then I predict he probably didn't use it.
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Camden Herald
5/10/2012 11:31:47 am
I don't think he really didn't have any pictures that didn't mean little to him, I think every picture he has was a priceless memory. He even said, in every pictures he is always smiling.
Taddie Cook
5/8/2012 08:47:17 am
During the entire video, I was sitting there thinking about what he had cut out or changed. It would be intresting to see what he used as his first powerpoint before he changed the slides.
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Josh Fink
5/10/2012 01:26:30 pm
I was wondering the same thing! Randy would always talk about cutting slides and making his presentation short enough to fit the time limit. I would of liked to see what lessons Randy had in store that didn't make it.
Caden Fernando
5/8/2012 09:03:39 am
I think he chose pictures that people could relate to but still made his childhood dreams individual. He showed pictures of himself at an early age creating the dreams and also as an adult, achieving them.
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Nicholas Castorina
5/9/2012 12:32:11 pm
I agree with you Caden. He picked the most relevant pictures he could find to what he was talking about during his lecture. He took all of these pictures and they paid off in the end. I think that the pictures not only made the lecture interesting and funny, but also served a purpose by showing what he was like and how he progressed through life 5/9/2012 12:26:40 pm
According to the book,"...I amassed 300 images of my family, students, and colleagues, along with dozens of offbeat illustrations that could make a point about childhood dreams" (pg.25) Randy's criteria for his pictures was based upon the central theme of achieving your dreams.
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Selase Buatsi
5/9/2012 02:59:16 pm
Like Mukund says he probably did have many things from his childhood still with him. You know how he also had the giant teddy bears? I'm pretty sure that those bears were from pretty far back in the day. He probably had his childhood picture grouped together. He sounds like a very organized person. I think that he looked through his pictures before coming up with a topic. However that is my opinion.
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Daxton Davidson
5/1/2012 01:00:58 am
How long did he have to live by the time he finished writeing the book?
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/1/2012 03:46:36 am
He only had a couple of months after he wrote the book to live.
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Miika Jarvela
5/2/2012 07:19:11 am
RE: To both Chandru and Daxton
Chandru Sundarrajan
5/2/2012 10:12:15 am
That's exactly what I thought Miika! It would be physically impossible for me to write a book in four months, leave alone the fact that if you are dying.
Taddie Cook
5/3/2012 03:55:42 am
RE:Chandru
Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:08:31 am
He did not literally sit a desk and write down the book for hours together. He was smart. Remember how he communicated to the writer through headphones as he was biking? He multitasked! he followed his own strategy of head fake. He was getting his exercise on the bike, and dictating the story at the same time. He channelized his energy for important things he needed to do.
Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:17:57 am
Just like Taddie said, Randy spoke to Jeffrey Zaslow through his cell-phone headset about his stories while riding his bike around his neighborhood. Then Jeffrey Zaslow would turn his stories and put it into writing. He mentions this in the introduction of the book.
John Wang
5/8/2012 11:02:10 am
@Miika:
Pratyusha Manthena
5/8/2012 11:07:41 am
I agree with John. The book had everything that the Last Lecture did. I think that he used the Last Lecture as sort of a base for his. I am guessing this is why it took such a short time to write a great book. Also like you guys mentioned before he was a multi-tasker so he probably did this as he wrote the book.
christian Spiller
5/1/2012 11:51:14 pm
not very long he had like 4 months at book
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J.C.
5/3/2012 09:26:25 pm
He actually had pleanty of time to finish the book. It wasn't until he was FINISHED that he had about 4 months to live. Besides he probably figured even an unfinished book for his kids would have been better than no book at all.
Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/6/2012 02:04:15 am
Well before the book and lecture, he said the doctor told him 3-6 months, so I'm assuming he had about 3-4 months left.
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Lea Balcerzak
5/7/2012 11:40:45 am
True, yet Randy actually lived for alomst another year after he gave his last lecture. They were saying that he had 3-6 months left of GOOD HEALTH.
Neil Bhamoo
5/8/2012 08:19:34 am
Re: Lea's comment: Does that mean he lived the rest of the time in bad health?
Taddie Cook
5/8/2012 08:48:23 am
He died in 2008, and the book was written in 2007. No idea how many months that was. I hope he lived out longer than the 3-6 months.
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Lea Balcerzak
5/9/2012 10:06:45 am
Taddie, he did live a bit longer. He gave the speech in Deptember and died in july of next year.
Lea Balcerzak
5/9/2012 10:07:22 am
*sorry, SEPTEMBER not Deptember
Melody Siebenmann
5/1/2012 01:31:50 am
What happened to Randy's family after his death?
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Ashleigh Little
5/1/2012 10:17:19 pm
I searched it and I found on Oprah's website(http://www.oprah.com/world/Dr-Oz-Remembers-Randy-Pausch/4#ixzz1tiZG7h7T) that they are doing great. Here's a quote from her through Skype.
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:24:25 am
Do you know whether Jai got help from those counseling stuff after Randy died? But I'm glad to hear that they are doing fine!
J.C. Humen
5/2/2012 01:17:21 am
Well they ust moved on. They're living a normal life without Randy. They do get proffits from Randy's book so in that way even in death he's able to provide for his family.
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/2/2012 10:13:28 am
Yep, a certain percentage of the profits when you buy the book goes to college funding for his children.
Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:11:35 am
Yes, you can say that Randy's Last Lecture is performing his strategy of head fake even after his death. It is helping his family financially while teaching life lessons to everyone else.
Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:26:41 am
RE: Mukund
Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 08:00:24 am
Omg. There are too many head fakes! He was really clever in slipping those inthere.
Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 10:35:51 am
They most likely grieved of his death but they are getting support from Jai's side of the family and I'm sure their kids are looking up to their father and what a great man he was and learning what he taught them in his last lecture.
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Jamie Stivers
5/1/2012 10:14:39 pm
How will his children react when they hear the news that he will be dying soon, and how will Jai keep them grounded?
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J.C. Humen
5/2/2012 01:23:57 am
Well like all children would react. They were obviously upset and likely wanted to stay close to their dad every second of the day. However, it's very possible that they were far to young to even understand the concept of death so they didn't even get that they might not get to see their dad again. This makes me think that their mom won't have to much trouble with the matter until the children have grown up and started to wonder where their dad is.
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Surabi Rao
5/2/2012 01:24:04 am
His kids will be really sad. I feel SO sorry for them.... Jai will probably let them see their relatives a lot, which might help them feel less sad about the loss of their father.
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:37:20 am
I know right? I wonder what the children will think about Randy and the stuff that he left for them when they grow older.
Miika Jarvela
5/2/2012 07:32:41 am
Like J.C. and Surabi said, they obviously had to move on. They can't spend the rest of their life mourning over something that could not have been prevented. It must be very hard for the children to have to live without their father. Although it is not easy for them, I am sure that they are fine and will live up to their father's precedents. Their father has a legacy set up and has many expectations for them. I am sure that they are proud to have him as their father, a wise man with a lot to give to the world.
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5/9/2012 12:14:54 pm
I agree with Miika. While it may have been hard for his children to accept Randy's death, they probably moved on. His children were to young to understand death, which is why Randy decided not to explain his situation to them until the end. I think that his children took comfort in the fact that Randy did so many things to ensure that his kids knew that he loved and enjoyed every moment with them. As he said at the end of the speech, his last lecture was dedicated to his family (the second head fake). While his children may have felt terrible at first, they are probably proud and respectful of their dad, who had made a powerful impact with his speech and attitude toward life.
Chandru Sundarrajan
5/2/2012 10:22:05 am
I maybe wrong, but I think somewhere in the book, Pausch mentioned his kids weren't aware of his dire situation. Either way, I think it would be terrible for the children. However, the kids may not yet understand the concept of death, as J.C. mentioned. I remember when my sisters were 4 and my grandmother died, they were simply not able to understand the situation. Of course they felt sad, but the whole concept was confusing to them and they flooded me and my parents with questions about life.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 10:42:21 am
Yes, I agree with Chandru and J.C., I believe even Randy said that their children are too young to understand death and the meaning of the loss of their dad. They will definitey feel sad and mourn over the death, but when they get older they will look back and ask, "how was my dad like" and when they see the last lecture, they will see what a brave and caring dad they had. Jai's family will support them with whatever they need
Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:39:40 am
No, you're right. He did mention somewhere in the book that his children didn't know about his medical condition yet.
Ryan Kinder
5/3/2012 02:07:33 am
To be honest I don't think Jai will be able to keep them grounded completely. She will be there for comfort, but they are going to have to find their own way to cope.
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Sierra Latshaw
5/4/2012 03:40:36 am
All children react differently to death but since his kids where so young they were probably sad their father was no longer with him. I also think they might have been a bit puzzled that their dad had died as the concept was probably fairly new to them. I think Jai kept them grounded by showing them Randy's lecture and telling them stories about their father.
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Selase Buatsi
5/10/2012 11:26:21 am
I agree with you Sierra. Whenever I think back to the 'Last Lecture', I try to imagine how everyone reacted when he finally died. I was thinking about how the kids would have taken it and I felt really bad. They were so young that they might not even know what was happening. It's like when you see those kids in the movies and when someone dies they're like 'Did they go to sleep? When are they going to wake up". I think that may be how his children felt. They probably went home wondering why their daddy didn't wake. It will probably take them a while to figure out why he's not coming home.
Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:15:12 am
Jai seemed like a very pragmatic lady in the Last Lecture book. She would lead her children by example. She has the support of her family to help her. Remember they moved from Pittsburgh to Virginia for the same reason?
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:32:19 am
Just like J.C. said, I don't think they will understand the concept of death yet. Since all three of the children are too young, maybe they will just like wonder where their dad went, but I don’t think they would realize until later that their dad is gone-gone.
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Eugene Han
5/8/2012 04:03:47 am
I'm pretty sure they won't be as emotional as if they were junior high - high school kids, so it won't be as grieving. However, there might be a tint of memories still in their heads. Jai might be able to keep them grounded by just trying not to remember...
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:16:30 am
I think that Randy did a fantastic job with leaving Jai in the most comfortable position possible. He has provided her with a wonderful location near her family members, as well as some great advice on how to take care of herself and their children once he is gone. I think that Jai can definitely heed to his advice and be able to keep the kids in check, while continuing to let them know that their father loved them. Of course they will be sad to hear the news, but Randy prepared well in making sure that they had plenty to remember him by. His lecture will help them get through the hard times when they miss him, plus the videos and letters that he has left. All these things will help to make Randy's death just a little more bearable for his family.
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Taddie Cook
5/8/2012 08:51:45 am
I agree with Kate. If my dad were to die, I would want him to write a book telling me all about his life. Even though I didn't know Randy, I feel like I learned a lot about him through his book. I hope his kids feel the same way.
Nicholas Castorina
5/9/2012 12:37:33 pm
I also agree with Kate and Taddie. If i was young and I didn't get to know my father that well, I would wan't him to write a book about his life and who he was so I could know him better as a person. Because it was written by him, it would be like listening to your father talk about himself so you can know him better.
Nicholas Castorina
5/9/2012 12:35:04 pm
I really don't think they would know how to handle it. They are all at a young age and they will probably be very sad at first but as time goes on, they will get better. As for what Jai can do to keep them grounded, I have no idea how she is going to keep them from being upset.
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christian Spiller
5/2/2012 12:11:37 am
i wonder what kind of slides that he cut off from his slide show
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Ashleigh Little
5/2/2012 11:13:53 am
Probably ones that weren't essential to his speech. He could have cut photos that all had the same genre, like family, childhood, etc.
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Kassidy Cragg
5/7/2012 11:09:37 am
yeah i agree with Ashleigh.... he probably just went through like we do with our projects if we had to shorten the lengh, anything that doesnt make the presentation better.
Raghav Kotha
5/3/2012 07:59:12 am
For specific slides: I am pretty sure he cut off the ones about the arcade, hot air ballon, etc. The ones he left on were the ones that showed his outlook on life and his family.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/6/2012 02:06:07 am
He probably cut off the ones where it shows his scars on his stomach and the ones that had his colleagues in them and the ones that weren't that meaningful to him.
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:17:14 am
Knowing how logical Randy is, I would say that he cut out any pictures that reiterated the message already conveyed.
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:35:29 am
Probably he got rid of the slides that he felt was unnecessary or the ones that he felt directed to the same topic as the other.
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5/9/2012 12:43:10 pm
Randy deleted the slides that least pertained to his main topic: Achieving Your Dreams. Also, since we know that Randy gave high value to time, he might have deleted slides that restated, or gave unnecessary information.
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J.C. Humen
5/2/2012 12:38:06 am
REPLY TO JACKSON- I think he basically thought of the things that he most wanted to leave his children with such as life lessons answers ro problems and questions they may have had and then what he wanted to leave his wife with. After that he used concise writing like what we learned from Ms. Aston earlier this year and cut out any unnecessary details until it was short enough to present as his last lecture.
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J.C. Humen
5/2/2012 01:29:42 am
You know what I really wonder about all of this is was Randy truly satisfied when he died. Did he have any regrets or unfinished business? After all, he even says in the book that he didn't get to achieve all his dreams. Basically what I'm asking is, do you think that when Randy reflected on his life that he was truly satisfied with it, with what he left for his kids, with what he left for his wife, with what he left for the world, and with how he used his time?
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/2/2012 10:17:19 am
I'm sure anyone wouldn't be able to fulfill all their dreams if they are suddenly confronted with cancer, but Pausch managed to achieve most of them according to the book. I do think he was satisfied with his life though, and in the ending months, he took care of all his financial and family needs. He very well prepared his kids and family for the future, which is miraculous. I was astonished at how calmly he handled the situation.
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Shishir Jessu
5/5/2012 01:24:24 am
I would say that he seems like he has done everything he desired to do. For example, one of his big dreams was to join the NFL, but he was never able to accomplish that, right? However, as he indicates in the book, a failed dream can have as much of a benefit as an accomplished one, because it can positively change your life and change your perspective on the world for the better. The whole point of this lecture, titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams", is not about doing every single thing you want to do. It's about learning from one's experiences and changing the way you think of things. He had a great family who he loved, and who loved him. His completed book, along with the lecture and the letters and such other things he left for his kids, is more than any parent could hope to leave. He truly showed his legacy.
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:20:00 am
Randy himself says that he accomplished all of his childhood dreams, except being on the NFL, which he had no regrets about. His memory of football is about the coach and the major life lessons learned like head fake and mastering the fundamentals and giving a task all of your ability.
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:47:27 am
I would say he lived his life without any regrets. Randy accomplished many of his childhood dreams and did so many things in his life. If he hadn't given the Last Lecture, I bet he would have regretted that at the end of his life. But he did, so I'm glad for that.
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Kate
5/8/2012 01:42:11 am
In my opinion, I can see Randy being nothing but satisfied when he died! Even though he addressed the fact that he did not achieve all of his dreams, such as the NFL dream, Randy stated that he was completely okay with that. He still learned and gained something from it. I think that after doing his lecture, Randy would be completely satisfied when reflecting upon his life. He felt that after the lecture, and along with the other things he had left them, that there was going to be enough to remember him for his wife and kids.
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5/9/2012 12:50:56 pm
Based on his tone in the book and speech, Randy was very satisfied with the way he died. While he may have had a few regrets, I think that Randy died in peace knowing that he made an impact in the world, and achieved his dreams. Randy dedicated so much time for his family, and I think that he was satisfied with the mementos he left for them. He made the best of the limited time he had and by maintaining a strong attitude, he was able to enjoy his last moments.
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Vishnu Kunadharaju
5/10/2012 01:37:38 pm
I think Randy had fulfilled everything from everything from his childhood dreams up til now. But probably the only regret he will have is that he will never get to see his children grow up and that he will not be there for his children.
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J.C. Humen
5/2/2012 01:29:58 am
You know what I really wonder about all of this is was Randy truly satisfied when he died. Did he have any regrets or unfinished business? After all, he even says in the book that he didn't get to achieve all his dreams. Basically what I'm asking is, do you think that when Randy reflected on his life that he was truly satisfied with it, with what he left for his kids, with what he left for his wife, with what he left for the world, and with how he used his time?
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/2/2012 10:17:42 am
I'm sure anyone wouldn't be able to fulfill all their dreams if they are suddenly confronted with cancer, but Pausch managed to achieve most of them according to the book. I do think he was satisfied with his life though, and in the ending months, he took care of all his financial and family needs. He very well prepared his kids and family for the future, which is miraculous. I was astonished at how calmly he handled the situation.
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J.C.
5/3/2012 09:22:56 pm
Well this is true, but what I was thinking was that many things may have been left out of the book. After all, he couldn't have possibly explained everything in his life in a single book.
Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:51:59 am
I agree with you. Not only did he accomplish many of his childhood dreams, he prepared his family for a future without him.
Ashleigh Little
5/2/2012 11:19:55 am
I think that he was satisfied because even if he didn't get to fulfill all of his dreams he got to most of them with the time he had left. Like Chandru said he made sure that his family was prepared for the future after he was gone.
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:22:59 am
He was very aware of the finite time the terminal illness gave him. In fact, in one of the sections, he was thankful that the cancer gave him an advanced notice of his death so that he could plan and leave a legacy for his family.
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Giselle Peng
5/8/2012 10:48:15 am
I don't think that he could have ever been truly satisfied when he died. When your time is finite, there's always one more thing that you didn't do, one more thing that you couldn't take care of. On the other hand, however, I believe that he was satisfied that he did all he possibly could to make his passing easier on his family. After all, it's not every family that gets a whole book to remember their loved one by.
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Nicholas Castorina
5/9/2012 12:40:14 pm
J.C., I bet that he didn't have any regrets when he died. He enjoyed every last second of the last few months he had left and accomplished many things in that short amount of time. I think that he was satisfied with what he did and I don't think he would change any of it because all of his decisions led up to what he was like.
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J.C. Humen
5/2/2012 01:30:30 am
You know what I really wonder about all of this is was Randy truly satisfied when he died. Did he have any regrets or unfinished business? After all, he even says in the book that he didn't get to achieve all his dreams. Basically what I'm asking is, do you think that when Randy reflected on his life that he was truly satisfied with it, with what he left for his kids, with what he left for his wife, with what he left for the world, and with how he used his time?
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/2/2012 10:17:54 am
I'm sure anyone wouldn't be able to fulfill all their dreams if they are suddenly confronted with cancer, but Pausch managed to achieve most of them according to the book. I do think he was satisfied with his life though, and in the ending months, he took care of all his financial and family needs. He very well prepared his kids and family for the future, which is miraculous. I was astonished at how calmly he handled the situation.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 10:48:32 am
I don't believe Randy was truly satisfied. I'm sure he wanted to be there for his wife and kids as their kids grew up. He probably wanted to teach his kids so much, about what's right and what's not, and how to behave. He wanted to be there for Jai on her birthday, the last birthday he would spend with her, but he wanted to do the lecture for his kids when they grow up and to tell the world how they should cherish everyday of their life, no matter how long they live, even if it's for one more day. I'm sure he wanted to help the family atleast settle in to their new neighborhood and I'm definitely sure he regretted his several tumors causing him to die.
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 11:55:34 am
I bet he regretted those things, but I think he tried his best to squeeze in those stuff that he ought to miss in that little time he was given.
Chandru Sundarrajan
5/2/2012 10:25:27 am
Just out of curiosity, how would you all react if you suddenly had just 6 months left to live? Would you spend the rest of your life like Randy Pausch did, or in other ways?
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Vishaal Sakthivelnathan
5/2/2012 11:37:03 am
That is a really good question Chandru. If I had 6 months left to live, I would probably make the most of it. There is no point of crying and mourning most of the time since you are not getting a lot accomplished. I would live my life out to the maximum that I could. Life is a precious gift and we must not waste it. I would have done what Randy did.
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 12:03:32 pm
You're right. We have to be positive and make the best of the situation.
Catherine Jackson
5/2/2012 10:16:16 pm
Ever hear the song Live Like You Were Dying? "I went skydiving, I went rocky mountain climbing...I loved deeper, I spoke sweeter"
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Surabi Rao
5/2/2012 11:56:17 pm
What a good question! I would spend 5 out of those 6 months traveling the world, and then use the last month to write a Last Lecture- type book to my sister. I would try and fulfill dreams I had all my life.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 10:51:45 am
To what Surabi said, i definitely would try to fulfill all the dreams I ever had as a kid and I would love traveling around the world with my family. I would make the biggest presentation ever with all the pictures with my family and the greatest moments in my life, and give a last lecture!
Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:25:43 am
We all know that death is a fact. Once we are born, we will die. It is all a matter of time management. Instead of being swayed by self pity and emotions, I would logically get to task. One by one, I would check off the things I needed to do and live my life to the fullest by seizing the day. Carpe Diem!
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:31:09 am
That's a really great way to put it, Mukund! We know we are going to die, so let's make sure to get it all in before our time comes. I wish I could live every day with that mind-set: seize the day! What type of things would be on your checklist? Which activities qualify as living your life to the fullest- is that a matter of opinion?
Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 12:02:09 pm
If I had 6 months left to live, first I'm going to go to L.A., California to see Korean Town, then to Massachusetts to see Harvard then to New York to see the Statue of Liberty. After I'm done with all that, I'm going to fly back to Korea and go see the elementary school I use to go to. Then I'm just gonna spend the rest of my life with my family and friends.
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Coleman Wylie
5/7/2012 11:36:32 pm
That is a very good question Chandru. I would say that I would try to live life to the fullest; I would do all the things that I always dared of doing and all the things I've always dreamed of. I may not be able to do it all, but I will at least die trying. I would finish all of my unfinished business and comfort my family. And, like Randy, I would try to adopt a positive attitude, without being in denial. With all of this, I could accomplish a short and full life.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:05:58 am
Interesting question Chandru...that really makes you think hard! In all honestly, I completely respect the way Randy handled the end of his life, and I think that I would probably spend my time similarly to the way he did. If I heard news that I would only live for 6 more months, I would want to spend that time contacting all of my friends and people I know, spreading the word of God, telling people things I've been holding back, and just making sure everyone would have something to remember of me. I realize that not all of these things are what Randy talked about, but some of them are pretty similar. I would also want to make a video of myself, write personal letters, and take lots of pictures so that the people I loved could know how I felt about them.
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Giselle Peng
5/8/2012 10:38:06 am
That was actually something that I pondered a lot as I read the way Randy dealt with his diagnosis. I wondered whether I would have handled it nearly as well. Honestly, I think the answer is no.
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Pratyusha Manthena
5/8/2012 11:11:58 am
If I had six months to live, I would probably achieve everything I ever wanted to do. Or at least try to. This is my impression after reading the book. However before I read it, I probably would have said staying home with my family. But now, I truly understand the meaning of living your life to the fullest. I understand how important it really is to achieve all of your dreams.
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Helen Zhang
5/9/2012 10:31:40 am
Great question. If I had 6 months to live, I wish I could handle it in as positive of a manner has Mr. Pausch did. However, I don't think I would. As many other people said, I would probably try to accomplish every one of my goals. I'm only talking about the ones you can achieve in a short amount of time, such as going skydiving. Also, as Pratyusha said, I would spend as much time as possible with my family.
Sanjuktha Pendyala
5/9/2012 11:55:37 am
I probably would spend my days like him because before you die you want to tell to so many people on how you feel, how to follow your dreams and etc. I would, too, write a book and letting the world to pursue your dreams and be determined in what you do. You wouldn't want to waste one second of your life.
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5/9/2012 12:03:42 pm
If I only had 6 months to live, I would try to keep a positive attitude like Randy and enjoy those last moments. I would probably quit school, go on a vacation somewhere, and stay close to family. Lastly, I would try to make the most out of every moment and attempt to fulfill my dreams.
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Vishaal Sakthivelnathan
5/2/2012 11:34:05 am
If Randy was alive and lived through his chemo, would the magnitude of his last lecture changed?
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Vishaal Sakthivelnathan
5/2/2012 11:34:39 am
I mean cancer, not chemo.
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Jenna Song
5/2/2012 11:49:49 am
If I was in the same situation as Randy was in, I think I might have been in shock for a few days, but I would have tried to prove that I'm still as very much as alive. In the book Night, people who gave up living eventually died. I wouldn't want to be the ones who gave up, I will try anything to prove myself I can do more better things, and I will try to do something I enjoy every last minute of my life.
Chandru Sundarrajan
5/3/2012 06:36:53 am
Wow, that's an interesting thought! I do think him dying made the story more heartfelt, because it naturally makes the reader feel sorry. However, the message in his last lecture was amazing nevertheless. Actually, when I was reading the story, I thought he had miraculously survived because the story was written so in depth!
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Raghav Kotha
5/3/2012 07:57:10 am
I agree with Chandru completely. I think dying did make it more heartfelt. Many people who have cancer, but still have a chance of living pray, and ask to live. But not many people who are sure to die, have a positive outlook on life.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 10:55:25 am
I wouldn't think so Vishaal, because yes he can live more now but he would still keep the way his lecture was because he cares for his kids and wants them to grow into the most successful kids ever like any parent. He wants to tell the world you have to life to the fullest everyday and make the most of it.
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:28:39 am
The impact would not have changed in my opinion. The only difference would have been his family would have enjoyed his company and guidance. Perhaps he would have added more life lessons about coping with the disease without seeming preachy.
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 12:10:10 pm
I bet!!!! I think his Last Lecture would be about luck more than anything else! And probably his Last Lecture would have been just a normal Last Lecture before he retired, not before he died.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:11:10 am
Great question! I would probably say that Randy's lecture was more meaningful because of his condition. It wasn't just some random person leaving advice; it was someone who had gained an even greater perspective and wisdom from being in death's grasp. Randy probably could have said many of the same things in his lecture, but they might not carry as much value or meaning as they did because of his fatal condition.
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Taddie Cook
5/8/2012 08:53:58 am
I don't think the magnitude would have changed. He wrote the book knowing he would die soon, but not dead yet. I think also that a lot of people who read the book don't know if he is dead yet. We are all just inspired by the bravery and enjoyment that Randy has knowing that he only has a few months left.
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Giselle Peng
5/8/2012 10:45:20 am
I agree with the idea that his dying made it more poignant and heartfelt. However, (and this is stating the obvious, but I think it needs to be said) I would personally much rather he have miraculously survived and the magnitude of the Lecture diminished. Either way, it's still an amazing lesson to learn about life, and people would see that regardless of whether he lived or not. But I believe that Dylan, Logan, and Chloe having a father and Jai having a husband is far more important than the impact of Randy's words.
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5/9/2012 08:25:41 pm
Randy's lecture was so dramatic because it showed how Randy had adopted a positive attitude, even on the brink of death. Randy's lecture had so much magnitude because of the condition he was in. Randy had delivered the lecture so well because he really believed in what he was saying,and wanted to create a great memory for his family. If he survived through cancer, it would have been celebrated since it showed that keeping a positive attitude, and enjoying every moment life does make an impact on a person's life. Even if he survived, the magnitude would have not decreased since he sill had fought with cancer.
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Jenna Song
5/2/2012 11:51:50 am
As I was reading the book, I noticed that Randy didn't mention his sister as much as of the other family members. I wonder if they got distant after Randy married. I also wonder how much of a big impact his sister has gotten from Randy's death. I also wonder how his sister's children will live up to his legacy.
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:31:31 am
Randy had to use a rule of thumb in keeping the lecture just one hour long. If he kept adding about his parents and sister into the lecture, it would have gone way beyond and hour. Remember that he had to zip through the last few slides to keep it within an hour?
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Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 06:30:22 am
Mukund, now that you mention it, he did seem to go through them pretty fast! If he was that limited on time, I think he did the right thing and stuck to his theme - following your dreams
Giselle Peng
5/8/2012 10:51:25 am
I agree that he did have to make his lecture more concise, but when I was reading the last chapter of the book, I got a different impression as to why he sped through the last few slides. I remember him saying that he got choked up at the end and wasn't even sure if he could get through it without tearing up. I actually think that he went quickly through the last few slides not because of the time limit, but because he wanted to avoid getting emotional in front of the audience.
Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:38:43 am
You're right Jenna, he really only mentioned his sister one or two times! I kind of wanted to know more about her! But Mukund makes a great point. Randy did mention that it wasn't so much about his home life as it was about how to follow your dreams and help others achieve their dreams. If he had decided to include things about the rest of his family, I'm sure that there would have been way too many stories and details to even fit. Plus, that was not a part of the point that Randy was trying to get across about dreams.
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Jenna Song
5/2/2012 11:52:49 am
Did Randy's wife, Jai, ever consider of remarrying after Randy died?
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Ashleigh Little
5/2/2012 12:11:20 pm
I think that's always something the person who is dying and the spouse have to think of. I mean she wouldn't probably get married right after he died, and it would take a while for her and the kids life to get back to normal. She would also want to find the right person who she thought was a right fit for the family and could take the place Randy did without becoming Randy. So yes, I think that she has considered remarrying. Even in the book Randy says that if she finds the right guy then he is fine with her remarrying and I think that is important for her to know.
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 12:12:41 pm
I thought it was really sweet but sad when Randy said that he was fine with Jai remarrying if she found the right guy.
Vishaal Sakthivelnathan
5/2/2012 09:18:52 pm
I really think that she would not have even touched the cover of remarraige. She was so dedicated to Randy that she would not want to betray him. I mean Randy set up all these plans for the children. You know how some people say that when people say that when someone dies their body leaves not their soul. I think that Jai thought the same way .
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/3/2012 06:38:31 am
I definitely agree. Why on earth would Jai even think of the idea of remarriage, because of the dedication Randy had to the family?
Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 10:59:02 am
She wouldn't remarry because Randy meant a lot to her and her kids even though their kids didn't really get to know Randy a lot. She is also in her 40's I believe, I may be wrong about that.
Miika Jarvela
5/12/2012 01:38:55 am
In all honesty, people have to move on. I know that she was dedicated to Randy, but she probably needs somebody to comfort her now that the love of her life has died. She would have to be alone for the rest of her life otherwise. The choice is up to her, though: if she doesn't find the RIGHT person, then she probably wouldn't remarry. What's the harm if she finds somebody good for her? Should she really have to be all alone just because of this?
Mukund Kunitmad
5/6/2012 02:32:38 am
Remarrying is not something that is planned. The matters of the heart happen spontaneously.
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Jackson Stone
5/2/2012 11:05:19 pm
Did Jai re-mary?
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Surabi Rao
5/2/2012 11:58:21 pm
I looked it up, and I don't think she remarried. However, she is planning to write her own "Last Lecture" book: http://voices.yahoo.com/jai-pausch-widow-randy-pausch-6931896.html
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Raghav Kotha
5/3/2012 07:55:42 am
I know Surabi already answered this, but I just wanted to say that judging by Jai's character and by all the life changing moments she spent with Randy, it would be hard for her to re-marry. Also, she might not have dwelled on it too long because she lived near family, so she had enough moral support.
Jackson Stone
5/9/2012 01:20:48 am
I agree Raghav
Madiha Rehan
5/3/2012 12:01:32 am
my question is, why did Jai keep telling Randy to refuse to do the Late Lecture when she knew how important it was for him?
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Taddie Cook
5/3/2012 03:59:25 am
Jai wanted Randy to spend time with his family because she knew how important it was for him to spend time with his kids. She was worried that Randy would be spending too much time on the last lecture because he gets so involved in projects.
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Raghav Kotha
5/3/2012 07:51:20 am
I think it is because Jai wanted to be with Randy and the kids as much time as possible. In my opinion when someone finds out their loved one will die soon, they would want to cherish every last moment with them. This is why I think that she did not want him to give the Last Lecture, because of the time he would have to spend on it.
Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 11:01:02 am
It would be her last birthday that Randy would spend with her, and she wanted Randy to spend his last months with their children and help unpack the house and settle in
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:36:13 am
I think Jai would have been worried on many fronts. First, she wanted Randy for herself and her family considering the limited time they had with him. Secondly, she did not want Randy wasting his energy on the Last Lecture. She wanted him to harness all the energy he had towards getting better.
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 12:17:11 pm
I know people already answered this question, but it's because Jai didn't want Randy to waste time on anything else other than famiy.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:26:24 am
Jai did not want Randy to do the lecture because she knew that he would get incredibly wrapped up in it and then lose precious family time. Jai was concerned, just like Randy, about the amount of time that he had left to spend with his kids. Also, the lecture would cause Randy to miss Jai's birthday, which would be the last one they would get to spend together. All in all, Jai wanted Randy to spend as much time as possible with her and their children.
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Ryan Kinder
5/3/2012 01:32:49 am
I wonder, out of all the memories he talked about in his speech, which was his favorite.
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Raghav Kotha
5/3/2012 07:48:30 am
According to me, I think any of the ones when he was enjoying a happy moment with his family was his favorite.
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Rinith Prasad
5/3/2012 08:27:50 am
I think he enjoyed every single one of them. He really embraced them and explained them in detail.
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5/9/2012 08:29:28 pm
I agree with Rinith. He must have enjoyed every single memory since they all pertained to how he achieved his dreams.
Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/6/2012 02:01:16 am
I think he liked almost every single one, but especially the last picture with him and the three kids.
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Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 07:58:04 am
I would have to say his wife and kids. In the beginning he talked about the things he wasn't going to speak about during the speech and his wife and kids were one of them because its still too hard to talk about. Since he really loved them and the memories they shared, it must have been his favorite if he wasn't able to talk about them
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:42:47 am
That's such a cool question! That is one of those things that you would ask if you could talk to someone who had passed away. I think it would be really interesting, if you got to ask Randy a question, to find out which one was his favorite memory. We can really only make guesses or assumptions about the true answer. Sure, he probably enjoyed them all, otherwise he wouldn't talk about them, but there might be one favorite of Randy's that surprised us. I wish there was a way for us to obtain the answer!
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Raghav Kotha
5/3/2012 07:52:28 am
Why did he talk about winning the stuffed animals, what was the purpose of it?
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Rinith Prasad
5/3/2012 08:11:16 am
It was to show that even the little dreams count.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:44:19 am
Randy talked about winning the animals because that was an item on his list of childhood dreams. The purpose was to show if he achieved that dream or not (which he did).
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Taddie Cook
5/8/2012 08:56:41 am
Randy thought that winning stuffed animals made you "cool" so as a kid he wanted to be cool. That was a dream of his that did come true. It was also about percestance, and added humor.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/9/2012 11:26:09 am
Randy, as a kid always wanted to be the "cool" kid in the amusement park with everybody giving attention to you. He knew that would happen winning a giant stuffed animal. He wanted to show that winning stuffed animals, even though it may be a small dream, is something that can make you dream and it can make you very excited and open up your mind once you win one.
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Rinith Prasad
5/3/2012 08:07:17 am
I wonder why he didn't just wright the book or do the lecture. That would have saved a lot more time of his life that he could have spent with his family. He could have more time to spend with Jai.
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Sierra Latshaw
5/4/2012 03:43:57 am
Jay did both so that he could leave his children something to help them "know their father". Since his oldest child was about 5 when he died he was the only one to really have the ability to remember his dad and he wouldn't remember much just a few bits and pieces. Yes, Randy could have spent lots of time with his kids and not done anything but then they would always wonder what their dad was really like. I think that without both his kids would have wanted to know more than just what their mom had told them about their dad.
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Raghav Kotha
5/4/2012 10:45:11 am
One more thing to add to Sierra, that his friend was allready writing his ideas down on paper. So he could have done a bit of editing and easily turn it into some big name publisher. So I think he might not have not spent too much time..
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 12:22:02 pm
Adding to what Sierra and Raghav said, the book was like the second part of the Last Lecture. It continued on from the lecture and talked about additional things that he didn't get to on stage.
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Taddie Cook
5/8/2012 08:58:11 am
He wanted to share his impact with the world and with his kids. I think that was a great way to do it. I felt like I knew Randy as I read the book. If my dad was dying, I would want him to write a book.
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Teena Thomas
5/3/2012 09:27:07 am
Did Randy's neise and nephew ever take his three kids to places,like randy has asked them to?
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 11:03:58 am
They might have because Randy was like the best uncle to them and they would listen and take them maybe once a week or whenever they have time.
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Ashleigh Little
5/5/2012 05:43:46 am
I think they would try to take Randy's kids as many places as possible. I don't think they would want to disappoint Randy because he was such a good uncle.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:50:01 am
That would be a really interesting thing to find out. It seems that a lot of people are curious about the follow-ups of some of Randy's requests. When he asked for his niece and nephew to take his kids to fun places, I can't see any reason why they wouldn't follow up with that request. Randy was a big part of their lives, and I expect that they would probably feel like they owed it to him after he did those same things for them. They most likely mourned over Randy's death, and would be very happy to do any favors for him because he was a wonderful man and uncle. Haning out with his kids would provide Randy's niece and nephew with a way to connect with him after he had passed.
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5/9/2012 08:32:46 pm
Considering that Randy had made such a significant impact on their lives, I think that his niece and nephew must have taken Randy's children places. Since Randy wouldn't be alive to entertain his kids, they must have taken up that role in order to fulfill Randy's request.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 11:07:35 am
If you were a parent in the time period that Randy's parents lived, how would you have raised your kids? Would you have raised your kids as Randy's parents raised Randy?
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/3/2012 01:18:20 pm
To be honest, I wouldn't have been as nice as Randy's parents :). I would raise them more strictly like my parents raise me, but my perspective has changed now that I have read this book. I now understand how important it is to instill creativity instead of depriving them of opportunities, and this is definitely how I would raise my kids in the future.
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Raghav Kotha
5/4/2012 10:43:01 am
I guess I would have been a little less frugal, but a little more strict on everything else. I guess I would have just tweaked his parents' methods by a little bit.
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:41:06 am
The heart of parenting is the same across times. It is just the way you implement it changes because times change. Money is valuable across times. The lessons about humility, being frugal,and doing your very best are timeless
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 08:55:35 am
I suspect that I would have raised my kids a little differently than Randy's parents. I probably wouldn't have done as good of a job! I feel that if I was a parent during that time, I would want to spoil my kids and give them things, instead of living frugally like Randy's family. I don't believe I would have been as hard on my kids as Randy's parents were. For instance, when Randy was complaining about how difficult that Theory test was, his mother then said, "Your father was fighting the Germans when he was your age." I probably would not say those things to my kids. I would feel compelled to give them positive feedback even if it may be a lie (not good, I know). I also would want to keep my kids protected and never hurt their feelings or pride.
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5/9/2012 08:38:23 pm
I would have raised my children quite differently than Randy's parents. I probably would have been less frugal, but more strict. While I probably wouldn't have done as much of a great job as Randy's parents, I would try my best to teach my kids about important life lessons. Lastly, I would try to let them experience new things, so they could learn about various ideas and beliefs.
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Shishir Jessu
5/5/2012 01:18:10 am
There is another book/lecture by Randy Pausch called "Time Management." There was a chapter about this in The Last Lecture, and so my question is this: Is the advice about time from The Last Lecture taken from time management? Or is this new advice altogether?
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Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 12:27:31 pm
I don't think it's new advice altogether. I didn't read the book, but probably the time management from The Last Lecture is taken from the book/lecture "Time Management".
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 09:00:04 am
I agree with Taeeun. It makes more sense that the time management advice in the Last Lecture book would come from the "Time Management" book/lecture. It wouldn't be reasonable for Randy to come up with new advice.
John Wang
5/8/2012 10:58:37 am
Actually, since Randy actually gave the Time Management speech and published the book AFTER he finished the Last Lecture, I can only assume that Time Management would actually contain information from The Last Lecture (along with its own information).
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/9/2012 11:29:20 am
I saw the time management lecture and that lecture also was pretty inspiring, you should definitely watch it in your spare time. And I can see he got some of the points from the last lecture in his time management lecture.
Selase Buatsi
5/10/2012 11:39:01 am
Shishir I don't have an answer to your question, but I your question has inspired a new question. I was wondering: It was Randy who wrote both these books right? If it was, when did he find the time within about three months to give a 'Last Lecture' speech and write two books. I am sure that doing all these things took attention away from his family, so another question I have is: was Jai right? If Randy did all these things then it would definitely take a lot of time away from his family so wasn't Jai right when she said that she didn't want Randy to give his lecture. It did turn out to lead to time consuming things, didn't it?
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Swathi Sarathy
5/5/2012 11:46:42 am
He mentions in the book that he still hadn't even told his kids that he was dying. I wonder when he told them and how they reacted.
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Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 08:04:23 am
I bet he didn't tell them until it was almost time for him to pass. Like, when you could actually tell he was sick, I'm sure the kids would ask questions and maybe then they would talk to him.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 09:04:48 am
I agree with Bev. It would be harder for the kids to take the news when Randy still looked like he was in good health. It wouldn't make sense to them. I'm sure when Randy did tell them that he was probably closer to death and looked more sickly. Even though they were young, I bet it was extremely heartbreaking for his kids to hear this news. However, I doubt that Chloe really understood it, and maybe even Logan as well, because of their young ages.
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Helen Zhang
5/9/2012 10:40:19 am
I bet he notified his children of his situation when it was already really obvious as they can see from his appearance. As most children would be, his kids were probably very shocked. They wouldn't be able to believe one of their parents is not going to be there anymore. If one of my parents told me such a sorrow piece of information, I would think he or she was kidding. Later on, I would realize the reality and try to spend as much time with him or her as possible.
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5/10/2012 11:43:46 am
He told his kids that he was dying in his last moments. His kids were probably too young to understand death, but were probably shocked that they'd never see their dad again. While they were young they probably were confused and terrified of what was going on.
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Vishaal Sakthivelnathan
5/6/2012 02:20:26 am
This is not a question, but I found a website that shows Randy's Timeline. http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/news/index.html
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Rahi Patel
5/6/2012 07:04:24 am
WOW!! This is actually pretty interesting stuff right here!
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/6/2012 02:44:33 am
Do professors only at Carnegie Mellon give The Last Lecture, or do professors do it at all universities?
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Rudy Rampersad
5/6/2012 07:58:57 am
Last Lectures are given all across the country by professors who know what they are. It's not an exclusive thing that only Carnegie Mellon professors give.
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/7/2012 09:47:42 am
Yep, last lectures are very rare, but are given among professors in various universities, not just Carnegie Mellon.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/7/2012 10:09:51 am
Carnegie Mellon just advised Randy to do a Last Lecture there. But last lectures happen in various universities.
Rahi Patel
5/6/2012 06:11:07 am
It said that he would do many things with Dylan and Logan at the end but it never said anything of what he would do with Chloe... I wonder what he did do with Chloe... buy her some teddy bear or what?
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5/6/2012 07:44:17 am
He probably didn't do much with her. Remember how he said she wouldn't remember anything anyways. Spending more time with her would not help, she wasn't even 2 years old. Instead, he probably focused on things that she wouldn't have to remember, she could just look over and see, like a teddy bear.
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5/10/2012 11:53:24 am
Since Chloe was his youngest child, all of her memories of Randy would probably be forgotten. Therefore, Randy decided to spend more time with his other kids so that he could instill more memories into them. For Chloe, he hoped that his lectures and videos would inspire her, even if they didn't get to spend so much time together.
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Rahi PAtel
5/6/2012 06:14:13 am
I also thought that when he said that he wanted to be an Imagineer for Disney I thought that was a great dream, I mean we all have dreams, like on a bucket list... it seemed as if he fulfilled alot of the stuff on his bucket list too...
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5/6/2012 07:48:44 am
I think it is really cool how specific his dreams were. He didn't just say, "hey that looks really awesome," he said, "I'm gonna do tht some day."At some points in time, his childhood dreams may have seemed silly. Like how mine do. But it seems like he realized how not-so-silly they were at some point in his life.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 09:10:05 am
Agreed! His dreams were super specific and it was crazy how they didn't all seem very realistic, yet he managed to achieve almost all of them. That just shows how much value Randy really placed on following his childhood dreams. If I made a list of child-hood dreams when I was 8 years old, I would have probably already given up on them and said they were silly or unreachable by age 14! Randy was still achieving his dreams 30 and 40 years later!
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Rahi Patel
5/6/2012 06:18:46 am
If you could go back in time and ask randy something what would it be or say something to him or even tell him what this last Lecture has told you what would you say? What would you e-mail him? Any stories to comfort him or Jai with?
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Rudy Rampersad
5/6/2012 07:53:54 am
Although blunt, i would ask him directly about his death. That sounds bad, but it would be about how he knew he was going to go. Would it be sudden or in stages, giving him a chance to leave a farewell message or to say goodbye. Yeah, this question sounds really bad.
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Rahi Patel
5/8/2012 12:01:31 pm
No! This is a good thought! I can see where you are going with this! 5/6/2012 08:00:15 am
I think I would start by showing him, Live Like You're Dyin' By Tim McGraw on my iPod. I would then ask him, is this another "headfake?" Was this a hidden message in your last lecture? Live life not only fullfilling your dreams, but also making the best of every moment.
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Rahi Patel
5/8/2012 12:02:31 pm
Agreed! Nice song choice...
Raghav Kotha
5/6/2012 08:17:43 am
I would ask him: what would you do if you could live longer?
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/7/2012 10:14:55 am
I agree with Raghav, I would ask him what he would do if he could live longer? I think there's is an obvious answer to that question but I would ask that. And I would also ask if he had any regrets, and if he had any other childhood dreams or special events in his life that he didn't share with the world.
Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 09:27:58 am
If I could go back in time and speak with Randy, I would let him know how much his Lecture has impacted my life. My perspective has truly changed. Randy has given me new ideas about living my life to the fullest, steps to help me succeed in school and my career, but most of all his thoughts about following your dreams have affected me. This sounds dorky, but I've kind of been inspired to make my own list of dreams this year. By doing so, it will give me goals to strive for and a vision to chase after. I want to let Randy know how he has inspired me.
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Rahi Patel
5/8/2012 12:03:54 pm
I think that this is a great idea! I will do this too!!!
Josh Fink
5/10/2012 01:24:18 pm
I feel the same way, i wish everybody that has read this book could show Randy how much it has impacted their lives. It has defenitley made me look at life in a new way. I think setting goals or making a list is a great way to make you strive to achieve those marks. 5/6/2012 07:54:36 am
I think the symbolism in pooring out the soda can in his backseat was great, but why did he feel that was neccessary? Pooring out the soda did not make his life any easier. It may have made his nephew's life less stressful, but what did Randy get out of it? He says cars are only objects to get you from point A to point B, but the why did he buy such a nice new Porsche? Could he not settle for an old beat up car with crank windows, manual-locking doors, worn-off paint, air conditioner that only works half the time?
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Shishir Jessu
5/6/2012 08:10:12 am
A car that works only half the time can't reliably get you from Point A to Point B. This was just another symbol to prove a prominent theme in the book: stop worrying about the small things, because when you know it's all about to end, the time you waste on those things is time you could be spending on stuff that really matters.
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Rudy Rampersad
5/6/2012 11:48:51 am
He bought a Volkswagen Convertible, not a Porsche. There's a big difference, just saying.
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5/7/2012 07:16:26 am
Oh, sorry... I don't know where I got Porsche... but my point is still valid.
Taeeun Kim
5/6/2012 12:40:50 pm
You know how there was a similar discussion question to this? I said that he could have just told his nephews that he didn't care what they did to the car unless they were safe and maybe kicked the car to prove that he was being honest. I personally think he went a little overboard by pouring out the soda.
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Rudy Rampersad
5/6/2012 08:04:08 am
I would just like to know: What would all of you put in your Last Lecture? (Not your historical charectar's, but your own personal one)
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/7/2012 09:39:36 am
The main purpose of my Last Lecture would be to pass on some of my wisdom to future generations. I would take many qualities of successful people and back up my opinions with stories in my life, like Randy did.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/7/2012 10:17:39 am
I would talk about how to achieve certain goals in my life and how others could do it also and advice on how everyday stuff you do can lead you to success. I would definitely use some of Randy's points and great tips in my last lecture.
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Taddie Cook
5/8/2012 09:05:54 am
I know Randy did not talk about religious convictions, but I would defidently talk about God in my last lecture. I would want to talk about realizing all the amazing things he has done, and how important it is to have joy in your life. I would also talk about serving other people, and putting there needs before my own.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 09:36:47 am
In my own Last Lecture I would make God the focus. I would discuss things like "I am third", and putting the Lord and others before myself. I could also mention the importance of mission work. In addition, I would talk about how important your personal relationship with God is. Another subtopic I would like to lecture on is how to treat others correctly. I would say how crucial reading the Bible is, and how it is the guide to your life and your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/7/2012 09:38:21 am
What do you think made this book "The Last Lecture" go so viral all across the world? There are so many books out there, but why do you think this book became a bestseller instantly?
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/7/2012 10:25:21 am
Randy was a guy who was about to die. He was still positive and happy and trying to live life meaningfully and to the fullest. It became a hit because he inspired many people.
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MUkund Kuntimad
5/7/2012 12:26:46 pm
First and foremost, The Last Lecture was a tearjerker which moved many people because they could empathize with the 47 year old husband and father of three little kids. Secondly, Randy reached across people with simple personal anecdotes which they could relate to. These factors I think aded to it going viral.
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Raghav Kotha
5/8/2012 01:29:26 am
The biggest reason is probably because of his optimism and the reason that the speech was given at Carnegie Mellon(which is one of the most famous universities in the world). So another reason people wanted to read/ watch it is because it was a hit at one of the world's best universities.
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5/9/2012 10:56:38 am
I think it was so amazing just becasue it inspired so many people. People saw how it was changing the lives of people around them and got interested. I might also add that he probably got a lot of publicity. People found out fast through t.v., newspapers, and even radios.
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Selase Buatsi
5/10/2012 11:32:17 am
I think part of the reason that Randy's book became so viral is because he had thirteen tumors in his liver (I believe it was his liver). I think that alone may have gotten him some recognition, but since Randy was so up beat and positive the world was even more drawn in to his story. He had three kids that he would be leaving behind, yet he acted like he would be around forever. Another thing that contributed to the amount of popularity that Randy got was probably the fact that he still looked to be the picture of health. So all in all I think that his book became so popular because Randy had thirteen tumors inside his body but he still looked very healthy. Also he was very positive even though he only had a limited time to live.
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/7/2012 09:49:59 am
I noticed that there was another co-author of this book, Jeffrey Zaslow. What do you think he might have contributed to the story?
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Raghav Kotha
5/8/2012 01:27:22 am
In the back of the book it says he attended the lecture and wrote the story. So he probably edited it and put Randy's ideas into words.
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Taddie Cook
5/8/2012 09:07:10 am
Randy dictated the lecture to Zaslow and Zaslow wrote the stories down.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 09:39:24 am
Randy told Zaslow his stories while riding his bicycle. That way Randy could multi-task and not spend loads of time pouring into his writing. Zaslow would write down Randy's thoughts and do the editing. That is why he is the co-author.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/7/2012 10:20:30 am
If Randy was still alive, how would he and Jai raise their kids? How would they lead them in life and what advice do you think they would give them when they get older?
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Raghav Kotha
5/8/2012 01:25:35 am
I'm pretty sure they would have gave them all kinds of advice including all the advice in the book, but even more. They would have probably played football and always have an encyclopedia at the dining table.
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Giselle Peng
5/8/2012 10:56:12 am
I think it's hard to determine exactly how Randy and Jai would have raised their kids, but I think it's pretty clear they would have done a really good job. From what I've seen of Randy as a dad, he was a great father who would have helped his own kids achieve their dreams.
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/9/2012 08:33:08 am
I think that Randy and Jai would lead their kids just like Randy mentioned his parents led him. In the book and lecture, he mentioned how great his parents had been, so I definitely think that he would have raised his kids that way as well.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/7/2012 10:23:17 am
I heard Jai right now, still didn't show any of her kids Randy's Last Lecture. She said they're too young to understand and feel the way Randy did. Do you agree, why or why not? If not now, what age would they be able to understand fully his Last Lecture and all the emotion that was put in it?
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Lea Balcerzak
5/7/2012 11:43:36 am
This is quite interesting. I think that after all that Jai has been through, we should repsect her decision no matter what it is. She knew Randy, thereofre, she probably does know what the best time to unveil the fathers legacy to his children is.
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Kate Kaiser
5/8/2012 10:24:02 am
I agree with Jai! I think she is making a smart decision by waiting until the kids are more matured to show them the lecture. If I were her, I would wait and show them the video all at once. So that will require some waiting until all three of them (even young Chloe) are old enough to grasp what their father was saying. I would probably wait until Chloe is at least 8 years old.
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Giselle Peng
5/8/2012 11:00:32 am
That's interesting! I didn't think about it, but Jai is going to have to show them the Lecture at one point. In my opinion, she made the right decision: it will have a bigger impact on them when they are old enough to understand it.
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/9/2012 08:35:47 am
Wow! I had automatically assumed that they would have seen the lecture by now. The oldest child is about 10 years old, and the youngest I think is 6, so I would wait another two years. Even if the children don't grasp all the information at once, they can definitely watch it several times to soak the information in and get the complete essence of the values.
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5/9/2012 11:01:45 am
I think that she is right to do this. Her oldest kid, Dylon, is under ten years old. I think our age is perfect for them to actually start understanding who their father was and what he stood for. If she told them now, it would be close to meaningless. They would probably not comprehend most of the advice and they wouldn't know how to use it. I think she should ust show them things like, videos, pictures, and letters.
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Kassidy Cragg
5/7/2012 11:07:22 am
it was really cool how he accomplished childhood dreams! it would be cool to do some research and see where is family is now(:
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Raghav Kotha
5/8/2012 01:19:35 am
They still live in Virginia near Jai's parents and Jai never remarried.
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Lea Balcerzak
5/7/2012 11:39:04 am
After reading this book and learning of the story of Randy, I quite wonder how the relationship of Randy was with the rest of his family such as his grandparents, etc. He obviously had great parents, but I am curious about what his grandparents must have been like.
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Raghav Kotha
5/8/2012 01:17:00 am
I am sure Randy's grandparents were great also, because his parents probably learned from his grandparents. So he probably had great grandparents.
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Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 07:55:04 am
I was thinking the same things. He must have had great grandparents who taught their kids about parenting. Or maybe, he had bad grandparents and Randy's parents learned to not treat their kids like that...like maybe they didn't win the parent lottery, so they made sure Randy did?
Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/9/2012 11:33:52 am
Interesting question! I would assume though that his grandparents would have been similar to Randy's parents. His mom is just the right amount of strict and she takes care of Randy. His dad is a very accomplished and good dad. The way Randy's parents care for Randy and act toward Randy, I would assume they would be similar. His grandparents were probably very good parents because Randy's dad and Randy's mom ended up being very good parents too.
Aisha Espinosa
5/9/2012 07:59:41 am
Honestly, I never thought of that. But now that you mention it, I really do wonder what his grandparents were like.
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Cash Moser
5/7/2012 10:21:23 pm
Of all the questions I could ask I the best one is probably what did his family do after he died what are his kids doing, has his wife remarried or is she going to just raise her kids by herself?
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Raghav Kotha
5/8/2012 01:18:51 am
There was an article which said that she didn't remarry but she raised her kids with her parents. If you recall, in the book it said that Jai moved near her parents so they could help Jai raise the kids.
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John Wang
5/8/2012 11:36:05 am
With all the love Randy showed Jai and his family, I really don't think she would ever leave him
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/9/2012 11:36:51 am
Jai did not re-marry and she wouldn't even think about it until a few more years. Jai and the kids are living in Virginia with Jai's side of the family to support them in their time of need. For the most part, the way she was dedicated to Randy, makes me think she wouldn't remarry and raise the kids herself.
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Eugene Han
5/8/2012 04:01:31 am
I wonder how Randy got the cancer? I might feel stupid if it already told you, but I didn't notice any reasons as why to why he did (genetics, etc.). I kind of feel jealous that the kids have a dad like that; A dad that would do an hour long and 15 minute speech just for his kids before he dies. However, is my point of view wrong? I think that instead of doing a public announcement, he should've done a private one with a camera rolling. It adds the stillness and quiet eeriness that adds a touch of emotions in it. Then, he can burst out crying, leaving a sad and relieving feel to the video. Anyone agree with me? Private > Public.
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Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 07:50:53 am
Well, I guess there are different types of benefits if he did the speech public or private. I think he did it public because first of all, most professors give a last lecture before they retire, so I guess he felt the need to give one too. Also, I know he said that it was for his kids, but it also educated the audience and anyone who watched it. He seemed like a VERY reliable source and, to almost all, he inspired us to do the things we believe in. On the other hand, it would be very touching to see your dad break down while giving a private speech to you. But, instead of feeling sad about your dad, you can be proud and honored by him when throughout the entire speech he received numerous amounts of laughter and applause. I guess it would give you a "Yep. That's my Dad." feeling.
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Neil Bhamoo
5/8/2012 08:17:07 am
It discussed in the book. When Jai was trying to stop Randy from doing the last lecture so that they could spend her birthday together, he made the argument against this by saying that it would help if there was a crowd to agree with him, and that would help his kids believe him as well.
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Taddie Cook
5/8/2012 09:10:44 am
I think he did both, Eugene. He wanted the public one because he thought it could be important to have his kids see him in a formal setting giving a speech. But the book also says that he did his own private stuff, too. The book completly explains his reasoning. Just see pg 9.
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John Wang
5/8/2012 12:54:41 pm
Of course a private video would be touching and all, but it wouldn't show who Randy really was, just him near his moments of death. With the last lecture, Randy could show exactly what kind of person he was.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/9/2012 11:42:01 am
Like John and you said, a private video would be very touching and more heartfelt but Randy had a reason to do the public lecture. He wanted his kids to see how far he would go to help them in life by doing the lecture. Randy says even in the book, that he wants to have a final accomplishment and he wants people to remember him. He wanted to share all the knowledge and advice he had to the world and also tell about his childhood dreams.
Lea Balcerzak
5/9/2012 10:01:46 am
I think you have quite a good point, Eugene. I think that both ways are a great way to leave some kind of legacy for his children. None of us knew all of him and every aspect of his life though. Who knows, maybe he did leave them personal tapes and just never felt the need to share that with the public.
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Eugene Han
5/11/2012 04:39:08 am
Thanks! Thank you for all your replies, I understand the book 100% now!
maci scates
5/8/2012 05:55:29 am
I think that he picked each picture to help him remember what he was talking about.
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Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 08:07:13 am
I remember Randy saying that his parents died in like their late seventies or eighties after having a long happy life. I wonder if it like ever made him sad to think that he probably wouldn't have that.
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Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 08:07:37 am
Although, I'm sure that after he achieved his childhood dreams and gave his lecture, he felt satisfied...
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Neil Bhamoo
5/8/2012 08:23:54 am
He probably did feel bad, but not for himself. As he said in the book, he felt worse for his kids missing him, than he did for himself missing them. Other than that, I think he did achieve his goals, so he wouldn't really have a reason to feel unfulfilled.
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Lea Balcerzak
5/9/2012 10:04:23 am
Randy was only human, and I think that just like any other person with a terminal sickness, he had points in his remaining life that he was simply sad. I think that he was a very positive thinker though and smart enough of a man to know that he can't change the circumstances, and being sad won't help him.
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John Wang
5/8/2012 08:57:53 am
What are YOUR childhood goals?
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Jackson Stone
5/9/2012 01:23:36 am
Well have many but one of mine is to be in zero-gravity aswell
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/9/2012 11:45:55 am
Same with Jackson and Randy, I want to be in zero-gravity one day. I always wanted to be a doctor and yes it was a childhood dream that I had. So far I'm in luck because I am getting good grades and I have gained a lot of knowledge in the medical field. I will continue to do that in high school and college and be a doctor in the future.
Lauren Kirkley
5/8/2012 09:09:47 am
How did he accept the fact that he had cancer and was only going to live for a few more months?
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Yacine Issioui
5/9/2012 07:13:32 am
I also wonder how he came to accept his known death ahead, he didn't talk much about it in the book, but I wonder if he ever had even the slightest bit of depression.
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Lauren Kirkley
5/8/2012 09:11:16 am
Question 2: Did he have any regrets about doing the last lecture instead of being with his family?
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John Wang
5/8/2012 10:49:13 am
Of course Randy was sad that he wasn't able to have a lot more time with his family because of so much preparation on his Last Lecture (and the actual presentation itself).
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Lauren Rudd
5/8/2012 09:57:33 am
RE:Lauren Kirkley Question 1
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Tyler Smith
5/8/2012 11:11:04 am
I thought that the book was short, but hard to read. It did make me a little sad.
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Pratyusha Manthena
5/8/2012 11:18:04 am
I wonder if he was about to die, do you think that Randy would have still done a Last Lecture. And if he did, do you think it would have had a different focus than it did originally?
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John Wang
5/8/2012 12:47:51 pm
As far as I know, Randy's childhood was the most important part of his life; it's when he got all his dreams. I do not think Randy would have changed the topic of his Last Lecture. Whether he would be in a good enough condition to do it or not, I don't know.
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Andrew Pye
5/9/2012 11:04:15 am
His main message was to follow your dreams, but he probably would have learned a lot more and had a lot more to say. His message may have broadened or even changed a little bit becasue of this.
Avery Pietrowiak
5/9/2012 01:08:42 am
When I was reading the section when he was saying that his favorite crayon colors were black and white, I didn't really get that because he seems like a very colorful person with his personality. Why Black and White?
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Ali Ozymy
5/9/2012 01:17:56 am
I think what he was trying to say is that he has a very "black and white" personality. In other words, to him things are either right or wrong. He just means that to him things are "in the middle," its either yes or no, right or wrong.
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Ali Ozymy
5/9/2012 01:12:33 am
I would really like to know what Randy did with the little time he had left. Especially in the time coming up to his death.
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5/9/2012 06:57:12 am
Now that I think about that, I do wonder about that. Its very sad to think about though. I think he most likely embraced the time with his family, and spent all his last days with them and close friends.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/9/2012 11:49:35 am
I believe he even went to Congress afterward and asked them to fund for the pancreatic cancer organization and he has been working a lot afterwards to get money for pancreatic cancer research and other organizations. He was trying to help others in the future.
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5/9/2012 06:53:34 am
I didn't really have any questions about the book, he did such a fantastic job explaining every section and everything in it. Randy also went back to stories told in the beginning to bring up those lessons again, like flashbacks. He was very inspiring and strong, and I applaude him and his family so much for being that amazing. They dealt with the death sentence so well, it was all just incrediable.
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Hauwa oyebanji
5/9/2012 06:57:14 am
i would like to know how many times randy had failed and kept trying harder to acheive is goal?
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Yacine Issioui
5/9/2012 07:09:47 am
I want to know how his older boys are doing and if they still have a good memory of him?
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/9/2012 11:51:57 am
His oldest kid, Dylan is only I think 10 years old and he probably has the most memory of him since Dylan was with Randy longer and was born earlier.
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Yacine Issioui
5/9/2012 07:43:51 am
Question 2: I also wonder if Randy Paulsh has made more of an impact on people throughout his "not diagnosed with terminal illness life" or the time after his last lecture was given??
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/9/2012 09:18:31 am
Hello guys. I found out there is another speech by Randy Pausch about time management. It is a great speech and I recommend all of you all to watch it. This was actually given a couple of months after the Last Lecture, in November 2007
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Alex Berend
5/9/2012 10:32:33 am
I know he claims to have spent alot of time with his family while he was writing the lecture, but then I realized something. He had to co-write the book with Jeffrey Zaslow. When would he have time to do that? Shouldn't he have spent that extra time with his family?
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Helen Zhang
5/9/2012 10:54:26 am
Technically, by writing this book, Mr. Pausch was sending a message to his family after his death. Remember he gave the "Last Lecture" for his children. I think that also applies to this book.
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Catherine Jackson
5/9/2012 10:20:58 pm
He wrote the book after the last lecture, and someone said higher up on the page that he dictated what to write to Jeffrey while riding a bike.(stationary, I assume) So he was able to work out and write the book at the same time.
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Helen Zhang
5/9/2012 10:50:02 am
Keep in mind that Randy Pausch was an ordinary college professor. What was it about his "Last Lecture" that captivated so many people?
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Zachary Pranske
5/9/2012 11:10:30 am
I think of that just the opposite. He put so much feeling into his writing that I almost felt like I knew him personally. It captivated me, and I'm sure many more people, so I find it hard to believe that he was simply a normal college professor.
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Zachary Pranske
5/9/2012 11:13:16 am
How is his family doing now? Has Jai moved on with her life? Do the kids remember their father anymore? Have they watched the recording? Read the book? I really wish there was sort of an epilogue written by someone else at the end of the book so we could learn what life was like after his death.
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Zachary Pranske
5/9/2012 11:15:37 am
Aaaahhh my last post disappeared so I guess I'll write it all over again.
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Zach
5/9/2012 11:16:33 am
Oh wait there it is... that was weird. My first post didn't show up until I re-posted it the second time.
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Anushka Limaye
5/9/2012 11:27:59 am
I was wondering.....What do his kids think anout this now, 4 years later? What did his wife think? What des she think now? How much do his kids remember? When did his kids find out that he had cancer? How did they react?
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/9/2012 11:58:37 am
Do you think the kids will grow up to be good parents like Randy and Jai when they grow up and will the kids take on Randy's advice when they grow up and share with the kids they might have, all the knowledge?
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Nicholas Castorina
5/9/2012 12:29:03 pm
RESPONDING TO DHEERAJ: I do believe that his children will grow up to be very successful and to have a family like his. If my father died and I watched this lecture, I would be inspired by what he did and said and I would try to pursue that into my life. I think that they will grow up to be just as successful or more because of the love and inspiration they got from their father.
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Selase Buatsi
5/9/2012 02:54:38 pm
Although I've searched all over Google I can't find his children or Jai. I see picture of his family, but there is nothing telling me how they are doing. Does anyone know about how his family is doing? How do you think thy're doing. Do you think the 'Last Lecture' actually helped to ease their pain?
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Dhathri Bobba
5/9/2012 09:16:40 pm
I like how he left his family a place to live close to Jai's relatives in Virginia. I also like how he gave Jai a late happy birthday in his Last Lecture so she does not loose her last birthday with him. I wonder what made him order his book the way he did. I also wonder what made him choose to go into the field of virtual reality because there are so many other fields he could have worked on to reach disney.
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Catherine Jackson
5/9/2012 10:17:54 pm
Well, he was already working in the field of virtual reality. That was his job. Although he wanted to achieve his childhood dreams, he had to have a job. He needed to make money. So he used his job to be able to achieve his dreams. (which, by the way, is really smart. He can achieve his dream and make money at the same time.)
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Catherine Jackson
5/9/2012 10:23:10 pm
One thing I wonder is how he remembered all that stuff from his childhood. I can remember hardly anything from 3 years ago, I doubt I could remember anything at all from 30, 40, however many years ago.
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Nathan Smith
5/9/2012 10:27:07 pm
I wonder what he would've written about if his children were older
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Josh Fink
5/9/2012 11:50:52 pm
I have three main questions about the book and the lessons learned in the book.
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Selase Buatsi
5/10/2012 11:20:53 am
Notice that throughout the book Randy only talked about his sister a couple times. He never talked about telling her that he had cancer. The same is true for his niece and nephew. How do you think they took the news?
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Grace Lu
5/10/2012 11:21:26 pm
Well I'm sure his sister was supportive of him, and sad after he passed away. He also mentioned telling his niece and nephew to "hang out" with his kids a bit. Randy mentioned being thankful to have his niece and nephew, giving him the chance to "father" kids into their adult years. So I'm sure he talked to his niece and nephew about his disease, and said his goodbyes.
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Belle Tan
5/10/2012 11:25:21 am
1. I wonder how need exactly what pictures to put on his slide show, it was like he read our minds.
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Katy Hensel
5/10/2012 12:25:45 pm
I wonder first of all how Randy's kids are doing now. I kind of wish that his wife Jai would write a sort of sequel so that we would know how life for his family is now. I wonder if his kids might grow up to be jealous of the relationship he had with his niece and nephew, too. I also would really like to know if it ever upsets his wife and kids when they see the book in a store, as it is rather well known...
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Elbio Guedilla
5/10/2012 01:04:37 pm
I have no questions because it is pretty much self explainable and I like how he wrote every moment with detail.
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Zane Erickson
5/13/2012 05:47:50 am
Why do you think Randy was so positive?
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