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Title: "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character by Edward Hutchings, Ralph Leighton, Richard Phillips Feynman ISBN: 0-393-31604-1 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.63 (153 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Richard Feynman: contemporary Leonardo
Comment: The title of this review may sound as a little bit of an overstatement, given Leonardo Da Vinci's stature, but it is a very close way to depict this distinguished North American physicist who, among MANY other things, won the Nobel Prize, worked in Project Manhattan (at Los Alamos lab) and was part of the team that investigated (and discovered) the cause of the explosion of the Challenger. If this could already be enough to elevate him a lot, you'll discover through this book how his life was constituted by one of the most interesting and rich cultural mosaics one can imagine.
Always struggling to look at things "differently", Feynman became a very sought-after educator, teaching at the United States most prestigious universities, as well as other schools in places like Brazil.
At the end of the day, Feynman's most important teachings might come as: 'Never take yourself too seriously' (as other reviewers have already commented), 'Always keep an open mind' and 'Focus your efforts on what really matters'.
If you enjoy this book (which I'm sure you will), check out what could be considered part two of it: What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character; as well as Tuva or Bust! Richard Feynman's Last Journey - both, highly recommendable.
Rating: 4
Summary: Riotously funny from an outstanding scientist!
Comment: Dr. Feynman is definitely someone who I would have liked to have had for a teacher and as a friend. His unique vision of the world, and his proprensity for practical joke playing as a means to teach others are right up my alley. This was one of the smartest people who ever lived, because intelligence lies not just in the ability to do something like physics well, but in the ability to convey how interesting it is to students, to encourage others, to solve problems, and do all of this with a sense of humor. Howard Gardner talks a lot about multiple intelligences. This was a man who was larger than life, and displayed more intelligences in one person than he actually had a right too! It is too bad that he wasn't appreciated in life as he has been after his death. In science sections of bookstores you can see how popular his writings and information about him has become.
The book is given a four mainly because the format is dry. It does not detract from the subject matter, at least not in my view. Were that more scientists were able to view their lives and their work with a sense of humor. Another thing, is that Feynman was courageous enough to stand up to others when he knew something was wrong. A truely admirable man, in spite of his flaws. ...
Rating: 5
Summary: Feynman up close and personal
Comment: To borrow the phrase from MTV this is Feynman unplugged.
I really enjoyed his commencement talk that is last chapter in the book. He exhorts his listeners to create real empirically supportable results in their research. There is a new kind of scientist in our midst that I feel Dr. Feynman would have detested. This kind of scientist is less interested in the reality of what is being studied and more interested in advancing a certain agenda. There is a great web site (junkscience^com) that catalogues many of these scientific gunslingers.
This book is a retrospective that begins at the beginning and finishes in 1974 (many years before his report on the Challenger accident). It describes his early years working in a hotel, going to MIT, working at Los Alamos, and teaching at Cornell and Caltech. There are many demonstrations of his wicked wit and quirky (quarky?) sense of humor. He is quick to seize the opportunity to use his wit as is shown when he hides a door in his fraternity house.
This is a fun read!
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