Name: Sarah Sammis's review of "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" by Richard P. Feynman
Item: "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
Rating: 5
Author: Sarah Sammis

Richard P. Feynman

Ralph Leighton

The Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist talks about his adventure-filled life in a series of transcribed taped discussions

Adventures of a Curious Character

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

The outrageous exploits of one of this century's greatest scientific minds and a legendary American original.

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

Noreen Farsai

The questions of the students are often the source of new research. They often ask profound questions that I've thought about at times and then given up on, so to speak, for a while. It wouldn't do me any harm to think about them again and see if I can go any further now. The students may not be able to see the thing I want to answer, or the subtleties I want to think about, but they remind me of a problem by asking questions in the neighborhood of that problem. It's not so easy to remind yourself of these things.

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 combustible 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.

Adventures of a Curious Character as Told to Ralph Leighton

Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman

Aske Dørge

Sebastian Stockmarr

Sven Schmidt

Piet Terheyden

Sarah Sammis

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It really gave dimension to a man I've heard so many stories about from my father in law. My husband got a kick out of seeing me read the book too. He had read it a few years ago and after I would finish a chapter he'd want to chit-chat about what I had just read.

Andrew Kachnic

It’s really solid. Feynman is an entertaining character, and the stories are engaging. I chuckled out loud many times while reading, usually because of some clever idea or ironic twist. Beyond the enjoyment of the stories, you get an appreciation for the science behind it. You witness the scientific process in all these forms and permutations. You see the interpersonal struggles and the scientific struggles. The book is great at showing you how science works

That aside, there were some editing issues. Many of the stories have misogynistic comments from Feynman, and a few are even entirely based on his misogyny. The way he discusses women is… reflective of his time. Beyond the casual misogyny, some of chapters feel like they’re misplaced in the book, not lining up with the timeline.

At its best, it’s fantastic. At its worst, it’s tough to read. Luckily, the highs are far more frequent than the lows, and the book remains entertaining. 8/10

Eugene

Quite narcissistic storytelling, but I guess that’s required in autobiography. The stories are fun, lighthearted, but the thing I really loved about this book it’s his thought process and scientific approach towards different aspects of his life

Frederik Creemers

A lot of reviews on this site say that Mr. Feynman sounds like a selfish man, who takes pleasure in the pain and misfortune of others. Ican certainly see how, but I really enjoyed his view on science and education.

Liam Ellul

Such a fun read. Very inspiring autobiography of a curious and playful character.

Hooman Rostami

Wow! Feynman was a douchebag despite his genius and talent in physics. The books is a loose collection of some stories happened to him. Must of them goes like this: he does something super genius , and people are like “no you didn’t”, and he shows them and the bow to him and his glory! I didn’t know it was possible to be this douche and genius at the same time! And I don’t think some of them actually happened! Some of them sounded like invention of his imagination!

The book has some sexist/male chauvinist stories of him where he learn from a “master” that the way ti get the attention of a lady is to accuse her of “being a whore”! This is not something that you would expect coming from a “genius”.

Other than that, the book is badly written, he jumps around from period ms of his life, one time he is talking about his first wife, then he starts telling another story where he mentions his second wife, and similar stuff!

I can not understand so high average score!!! People are overestimating the book. It can gets maximum a 2 from me. I can not recommend this book.

Enjoyable from start to finish... 

This book tells the life of a man who appears to have done it all and achieved in every aspect. If you have even a mild interest in science or the people who worked on the Manhattan Project then definitely pick this up. 

The chapters are written like anecdotes roughly ordered chronologically, which makes it easy to jump in and out of Mr Feynman's adventures.

Highly recommended.

Adventures of a Curious Character As Told to Ralph Leighton

Feynman was clearly a very passionate man when it came to science, and the scientific method. Obsessive about figuring out the result himself. This book is funny and interesting. Whilst I don't think many of his morals or principles would stand up to the scrutiny of today, there are lessons in this book that could benefit us still.

- Do the work to prove things to yourself it is fundamental in creating and maintaining an understanding. 

Liam Richardson

Feynman was clearly a very passionate man when it came to science, and the scientific method. Obsessive about figuring out the result himself. This book is funny and interesting. Whilst I don't think many of his morals or principles would stand up to the scrutiny of today, there are lessons in this book that could benefit us still.

I think that these are:

- Do the work to prove things to yourself it is fundamental in creating and maintaining an understanding. 

- Play with the things that hold your intellectual curiosity.

altlovesbooks

I guess I went into this book expecting something that it wasn't. I read this with a book club and was expecting something a bit more biographic than what I was given. Rather than it laid out like a life story, it came off more like grandpa at the Thanksgiving table telling you the same sorts of embellished stories he's told you every year previous. Sure they're amusing anecdotes to a certain degree, but it's definitely not biographic. 

If you take everything you read here at face value the guy clearly led an extremely varied life, which is more than I can say for myself. But the difference here is that, while I maybe lead a boring life in comparison, I'm not quite the quirky jerk that Mr. Feynman was in many of the stories laid out here. Many (most?) of the anecdotes here hinge on Mr. Feynman pulling one over on someone else, and reveling in how much more clever he is than everyone around him. It was funny in the beginning, but quickly got old for me. 

I also thought his views on women around him were problematic, and while an argument can be made about him being a product of his time, it's never too late for improvement and self reflection. You won't find a lot of either here.

Sharath Satish

Prior to reading this book, I assumed it was all going to be physics, physics and physics. Boy was I proved wrong. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, regardless of whether you like science or not.

Jens Madsen

What a character! Richard Feynman was not just a gifted scientist, but a great storyteller and allround charismatic guy. As a research Engineer, I can honestly say that such a confluence of scientifc and social skills is rare, particular at this level. Feynman is my hero and this book explains why....

Andrew Louis

I don't care how much of a genius he was, this is a book that teaches boys (clearly the target audience) in tech/sciences that it's ok to manipulate people who are less clever than themselves.

This book is a nice collection of adventures of a Nobel laureate. The passion of author, his love for physics and an attitude to discover rings for himself will inspire everyone!

Caitlin Bohannon

I rarely read biographies, but this is an uncommonly good collection of anecdotes from an amazing life that both offers insight into one of the greatest scientific minds of our time while managing to be wholly entertaining. I would recommend this book to any fan of Richard Feynman, or really to anyone who can appreciate a sense of humor in a nobel laureate.

Rito Ghosh

The book is awesome. It deals with personal adventures of Dr. Richard Feynman, a Nobel Laureate and lot more. The adventure goes on in different fields- learning, teaching, the Manhattan Project, playing drums, drawing nudes, Quantum Electrodynamics, topless bars, Nobel Prize and more!

This book is a must read for passionate science students, scientists and anyone who is interested in 'living' life differently. It will definitely teach how to perceive life from a complete different perspective.

I am so much interested in this man now, I am currently reading "What Do You Care What Other People Think: Further Adventures of A Curious Character."

Sanjay Krishna 

Great book. Most of the things that Mr. Feynman talks about are much beyond my level of understanding.

Aditi

Great book. It's a very fun read, but more than that it shows you how much you can achieve by constantly challenging yourself. Recommend it to everyone.

Nelson Zagalo

Não gostei do estilo, ainda que me tenha rido com algumas histórias, o tom cómico acaba por marcar o discurso de Feynman, reconhecido pela sua humildade, com um registo intenso de sobranceria. Reconheço no entanto que o teria sentido diferentemente se o tivesse lido em 1985, não apenas pela idade que tinha nessa altura, mas por estarmos numa época bastante diferente. Estes problemas de sobranceria são mais marcante em histórias que tocam o seu génio ou então áreas científicas além da Física, com Feynman a chegar ao ponto de dizer que não quer nada com abordagens científicas interdisciplinares. 

Por outro lado, o livro que se pretendia como autobiográfico não dá conta de qualquer linha cronológica, surgindo as histórias de modo desorganizado e com variações temporais que colocam eventos em choque (ex. histórias com as diferentes esposas). Do mesmo modo, vários dos ataques científicos realizados por Feynman aqui relatados acabam ficando coxos quando em contraste Feynman abusa de observações baseadas em meras histórias pessoais.

No essencial, temos um amontoado de pequenas histórias, por vezes engraçadas, por vezes entediantes, que nos dão acesso a uma parte de Feynman, mas acaba por apresentar o mesmo bastante à distância.

Aditi Verma

alina s

Vahe Taamazyan

Jeet Jhaveri

After reading this book, I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Feynman had a rich and varied life, or rather lives. Apart from being a Nobel Prize winning physicist he was a drummer, a teacher, a reviewer of mathematics curriculum for public school, a lock picker, a carnival performer and so much more. All of these things are unique in itself but what's common was his fierce desire to learn and try out new things without any inhibition of what people will think. Another point that stands out is that he's done all this before the advent of the internet or the smartphone. Achieving what he's done requires a constant battle with time, energy, money and place which I feel he has optimised very well into the life he led.

Alost

Josh Clement

I’d read so many excerpts before.. but it was lovely to absorb his full story. His storytelling is so conversational and natural you feel frustrated that you can’t pepper him with more questions.

Piet Terheyden &
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" by Richard P. Feynman

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