Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2478 in Books
• Published on: 1992-06-07
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
A series of anecdotes, such as are included in Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman, shouldn't by rights add up to an autobiography, but that's just one of the many pieces of received wisdom that Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman (1918-88) cheerfully ignores in this engagingly eccentric book. Fiercely independent (read the chapter entitled "Judging Books by Their Covers"), intolerant of stupidity even when it comes packaged as high intellectualism (check out "Is Electricity Fire?"), unafraid to offend (see "You Just Ask Them?"), Feynman informs by entertaining. It's possible to enjoy Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman, a bestseller ever since its initial publication in 1985, simply as a bunch of hilarious yarns with the author as know-it-all hero. At some point, however, attentive readers realise that underneath all the merriment simmers a running commentary on what constitutes authentic knowledge: learning by understanding, not by rote; refusal to give up on seemingly insoluble problems, and total disrespect for fancy ideas that have no grounding in the real world. Feynman himself had all these qualities in spades, and they come through with vigour and verve in his no-bull prose. No wonder his students--and readers around the world--adored him. --Wendy Smith

Synopsis
Winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1965, Richard Feynman was one of the world's greatest theoretical physicists, but he was also a man who fell, often jumped, into adventure. An artist, safecracker, practical joker and storyteller, Feynman's life was a series of combustoble combinations made possible by his unique mixture of high intelligence, unquenchable curiosity and eternal scepticism. Over a period of years, Feynman's conversations with his friend Ralph Leighton were first taped and then set down as they appear here, little changed from their spoken form, giving a wise, funny, passionate and totally honest self-portrait of one of the greatest men of our age.

Customer Reviews

Mr Feynman, you are awful...but I like you!
What an interesting book! Richard Feynman was an acknowledged genius and this is not an autobiography in the normal sense. Compiled from a series of interviews set up for the purpose, Feynman's sense of fun and sheer joy of physics, maths and life in general shines through.

He is not shy in taking credit where it is due - he certainly "gets" things really quickly where others struggle - but is also surprisingly honest when describing his relationships for example and is quite happy to acknowledge the efforts made by others. This is an easy book to "dip" into and one can also sit down and devote significant time to it. Not only is this one of the best science books I have read it is one of the best biographies I have read full stop.

I can't help feeling that if you were to happen acros RF in a bar (and that would not be an unusual occurrence) you would find him a pleasant and interesting companion.

Clarity and Class
Reading this book is like suddenly being best friends with one of the most talented and inspiring personalities of the last century. The preface points out a very relevant fact--Feynman's remarkable observations and adventures enough to add colour to a hundred lives, and we are only given occasional glimpses of his day job. The depth of his personality and the fluidity of his mind shine through in this book, hopefully to help clear some cobwebs from within our own heads.

Get curious about this
This book is a collection of anecdotes by Richard P. Feynman who was a Theoretical Physicist famous for winning the Nobel prize and his earlier work on the Manhattan project responsible for creating the first Atomic Bomb, the two being unrelated. In spite of the stereotypical image of theoretical physicists, or even leading scientists in general, "Dick" was renowned for his character which endeared him to many who knew him and as well as having a keen intellect this book also shows his fun-loving creative side and the fact he was also a great story teller.

The stories in this book begin early on in his childhood when he was tampering with and repairing valve-based radio's through to his time studying at MIT and Princeton then through his years at Los Alamos working on the Bomb going onto his later years teaching at Caltech and in Brazil where he learned to speak Portuguese and play Samba music. Each story is well described and as long as necessary, it's been well edited so you're rarely reminded that these were story's that were not delivered for a book but were told in a far more personal setting. The layout and organisation build an image of how his character was developed throughout the years and his curiosity and love of science as well as his ignorance to social etiquette shine through the words on the pages. The later chapters deliver his passion for genuine scientific method and thorough hard work and attention to detail which would be a good moral for anyone to take from reading this book.

Very enjoyable throughout, a must for anyone with or without an interest in science and the key figures who influenced all of our lives.