Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely delightful!
Review: I was checking on this book because I just recommended it as an acquisition for the library at the community colllege where I teach. The book describes the life of a brilliant Nobel Prize-winning physicist, and shows him as a completely accessible human being. He gives a marvelously entertaining account of some of the experiments he conducted while a college undergraduate - all of them completely understandable to a layperson. But the book continues through his adult life: his attempts to learn Japanese, his experiences as a patron and legal defender of a local strip club, his encounters with military stuffed shirts during WWII, and dozens of other adventures. If you want to convince yourself or someone else that it's possible to be a brilliant scientist and a real human being simultaneously, then this is the book. Both as entertainment and as information, it's a smashing success
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Summary: A treasure to read over and over...
Review: Richard Feynman was an adventurer, a drummer, a joker, and a
genius. His tales are timeless and fantastic, and he tells them so wonderfully you'll find yourself laughing out loud. A
Nobel Prize-winner has never been so wise, and these stories convey a taste of Feynman's wild life with a free, open form; much like him! This isn't really a biography, but rather a collection of adventures that anyone will enjoy.
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Summary: Stories of inspiration and wonder.
Review: Even before finishing the first chapter I was laughing and couldn't believe how one man could have such an incredible life. You just can't stop reading it. It's like a magnet that pulls you in. And if you finish it, you feel so inspired and awed that you just can't believe it's real and you want to read it again just to make sure. -Mike Sheppar
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Summary: Did you ever think your Physics teacher was crazy?
Review: Genius.That's a word that we throw around a lot nowadays. Anybody who reaches the top of their field, comes up with a new and brilliant observation or dramatically changes the way people do things is usually branded a genius. Nonsense. I call it luck and I call it perserverence. Anybody can become really good at something if they do it their entire life. The true test of genius comes when somebody becomes an expert as something that they just started working on. Richard P. Feynman is one of the most brilliant Physicists of our age--but his book is about almost everything BUT Physics. Feynman spends a little more than a paragraph discussing his Nobel Prize, and spends more time on the subjects that interest him even more, such as bongo drums. More time is spent covering Feynman's escapades in Las Vegas than his lectures at Cornell. Feynman was a junior engineer on the Manhattan Project, but anybody expecting any deep observations about Oppenheimer, or any essays about the morality of nuclear energy will be disapointed. Instead, Feynman relates to us his stories of mischief in the New Mexico desert. And who WANTS to read about Feynman's lectures in quantum mechanics? Who WANTS to read about his Nobel Prize? There are plenty of textbooks on those subjects. Feynman would rather tell us about his loves, adventures, and observations outside of the classroom. Feynman seems happier about being able to pick the locks of the world's most expensive safes, choreographing ballets using nothing but bongo drums, and outsmarting everybody that he comes in contact with. If there were Nobel Prizes for curiosity, mischief, and all-out general smart-aleckness, Feynman would have to make multiple acceptance speeches. Equal part Stephen Hawking and Hunter S. Thompson, Richard Feynman has led a life rivaled only by that of Forrest Gump. But Feynman, instead, actually goes looking for adventure, and when he can't find it, he usually creates it. A must read for those people who want to know if there is life beyond Physics.
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Summary: Just plain hilarious!
Review: I can't see why so many idiots give Feynman's books bad reviews and say "the guy is OVERRATED man!" These people are probably just jealous because Feynman was UNDOUBTEDLY the coolest smart-person who ever lived. Moreover, this is the book which provides conclusive proof of that fact. Anyone who says Feynman was overrated is blatantly wrong -- In fact, I have been interning at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, where I met a man named Don Thompson who actually met Feynman when he did his post-doctoral work at Caltech. As Don says, "Feynman was just as funny, brilliant, and vibrant as all the books and accounts say he was." So, buy this book, and don't believe all the idiots who give it bad reviews.
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Summary: An insightful reflection on today's society.
Review: Richard Feynman's hilarious voice is very prevalent in this book, as he describes growing up fixing radio's, working in a hotel, life at MIT and Princeton and working for the military. He gives an ingenious and insightful reflection on society along with an interesting autobiography. I began reading this book afraid that I would have science concepts forced in my face, which did occur occasionally, but I was left with a feeling that I actually got to know Feynman's personality and that just a little bit of his genius rubbed off on me. Toward the end of the book I began to get a little lost by the concepts and equations while he was a professor but I do not think that was a problem in the writing, more of a lack of scientific concepts on my part. Feynman has a knack for the description and deciphering of peoples personalities, while oddly enough he complains of trouble with his social ability.
Overall I enjoyed the book, more because I enjoyed Feynman's success and personality, than because I enjoyed the science.
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Summary: This book is no joke!!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman". This book is very interesting and it was very hard to put down. The many anecdotes kept me laughing and wanting more. Even though the events occurred before present day, many of the stories can still capture in intrigue of the youth of America today. This book is one of my new favorites even though the only reason I read it was for a physics project. I am happy to know that there are other books by Mr. Feynman such as "What do YOU care what other people think?". I have actually already purchased this book and cant wait to begin reading it. I enjoyed this book because not only is it science, but it is also fun science! I have never been a great admirer of the science world, but Mr. Feynman's book helped me change my entire outlook.
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Summary: Melissa Robbins' Review
Review: The novel, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!", by Richard Feynman was very interesting I must say. The numerous stories of events during his life were very comical and entertaining. Feynman's humorous tales of his ideas and experiences made it hard to put down. Although the book is written by a physicist, it is not your typical science book. It tells about the things Mr. Feynman did from his childhood all the way up to his life as an adult. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting an enjoyable biography about a wonderfully successful physicist.
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Summary: It's about life, not science
Review: I had read the book in seventh grade, but after re-reading it this year, I have gotten so much more out of it. During my first read, I enjoyed it because of the quirky nature of Mr. Feynman. I remembered very little, except that it was a fun read. After this last read, I can relate much more the Feynman because I can relate better to more of his book. Although I am no longer the inquiring mind that I once was (because of the strict constraints of school), I am more mature and can see the depth behind Feynman. He is an extremely unique man, and it shows throughout his book. His book isn't bogged down with the extraneous physics concepts that he must have to have been included in the Manhattan project, but he explains the concepts in English. The short 'chapters' of the book also make it an easy read. There are short insights into Feynman's life, and once you get dipped in, you get pulled back out into a different part of his life.
His common sense and aptness to see the easy way through a problem is the best part of the book. He is the kind of person that, instead of working for 45 minutes, would rather think for 30 minutes and work for thirty minutes. Instead of 45 minutes of labor, there are only 30 minutes of labor. He finds the easy way through things. Unfortunately, this also shows the rigidness of society, especially while he is a child. His experience working shows how society is resistant to change. Although his ideas are great and more efficient, his boss and co-workers laugh at his innovation because of slight mishaps. He is the epitome of anyone who feels trapped within society's tight bounds. He shows you a different perception of the world that helps you free yourself from those tight bounds.
In the end, although the entire book is interesting, the take-home message is not to take anything 'proven' or ingrained, for granted. Prove it to yourself, instead of believing what people say. From Feynman's childhood experiences, to his life in college and beyond, he jumps at opportunity to learn, and show himself what most people assume are true.
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Summary: my review is short enough you can read it instead of a title
Review: people who are considering this book, please realize anyone can read it. it is the best nonfiction book i have ever read which may not be impressive because i generally read fiction. however, this book is not a lecture on the universe or anything. instead it is more about feynman and what he thinks. if you are an engineer i think you will like this book. feynman is a real person. sagan drives me crazy. it is so philosophic. this is more a collection of stories.
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