Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character

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Summary: Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman ?
Review: A radio technician, a safe-cracker, an integrator, a painter of nude women, a physicist, a Nobel prize winner, a member of the Manhattan Project, and a man who defines modesty--one of the most entertaining books I have ever read with the best title ever conceived.



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Summary: He is so fascinating.. I wish I had met him!!
Review: Honestly, before reading this book, I did not know who Richard Feynman was. Now, I am in awe of him.
Feynman has an engaging stlye of writing, different from many story tellers. He writes as he thinks, or so it seems.
A MUST read for the following people and for the following reasons:
1. People who love physics as Feynman's passion for his subject shines in this book.
2. People who want to laugh out loud as some of the nuances of Feynman's life and his wit can create a riot.
3. If you think scientists are boring with no life.
4. If you miss meeting a great person like him as much as I do. For towards the end of the book, where Feynman writes about the responsiblities of a scientist, I relaized what a remarkable mentor he would have made to many many generations.
May his tribe increase! Happy reading!

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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: Funny and smart
Review: I first heard of Richard Feynman when I was taking Physics in high school and my teacher showed us a movie in which he was interviewed. In fact, the movie had nothing to do with physics, but with Feynman's quest to visit some obscure country (Tuva??) in the South Pacific. I was struck by the man's wit, not to mention his intelligence. Both aspects of his personality came out in this entertaining book. If you have never heard of Feynman or you have and want to learn more about him, I highly recommend this book. It includes memoirs both of his work in physics and of his travels through America and around the world. I found his chapters on safe cracking at Los Alamos and on his army physical examination particularly enjoyable. "Surely you're joking..." is not too heavy on the physics aspect of his life, but it provides just enough to satisfy the scientifically curious. A great read to stimulate the mind and keep you smiling throughout.

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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: The Mad Hatter Teaches About Physics And Life
Review: I have always been interested in science and math, although I know many people are not, which might put them off from reading this book. That would be a tragic mistake. This book is eminently readable, funny, and human, and best of all requires no knowledge of calculus or particle physics to understand or enjoy.

Richard Feynman was one of the truly great minds of the twentieth century, and his lectures are considered some of the most important works of hard science to date by the overwhelming number of physical scientists in the world. This book discusses physics in language accessible to most anyone, yet has an urbane sophistication and sense of humor about it that is able to entertain a wide variety of readers. I recommend it to anyone who wants to look inside the world of a genuine genius. Inside that world they will discover insights about science, music, societal values, the educational system, and much more, while simultaneously skewering pompous blowhards who feel superior to others due to education or upbringing.

Truly Feynman was a genius for the masses; this is my favorite of his books, but I recommend them all.

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Summary: A genius of physics, common sense, and entertainment
Review: I have read the Czech translation of Feynman's book 3 times, and the original 3 times as well. It was always a very entertaining experience, and the book was among the things that influenced me a lot.

Richard Feynman has been one of the greatest and most original and unusual physicists of the 20th century. At the same moment, he was an ordinary, curious, emotional, straightforward man whose thinking was deeply rooted in common sense.

However, this book is primarily a great portion of fun. Feynman's stories involving locks in Los Alamos, doctors who considered him insane, girls in the pub, paintings with naked women, physics, rabis, magicians, maps of a cat, and other things are simply irresistable.

There may be other physicists whose life is (or was) equally entertaining and interesting as Feynman's life. But this book will make you sure that Feynman deserves your time.

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Summary: A Glimpse into Genius
Review: I read excerpts from this book in college, and after hearing about it for what seemed to be the hundredth time in a recent seminar, I finally decided to read it in its entirety. I was not disappointed. Richard Feynman reveals his inner most thoughts in the form of a series of anecdotes that will make you laugh out loud. Feynman is a true genius, but he does not come across as aloof I was worried he would. Instead, he remains grounded, and simply tells you (the reader) what happened to him in the past. I highly recommend everyone read this book whether you are an aspiring scientist or simply curious how a Nobel Prize winner leads thinks about his own dreams.

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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: Anecdotes from a model for intellectual freedom
Review: In keeping with Feynman's personality, the title of the book is a play on words. Curious can simply mean someone packed with curiosity or it can mean interesting. A character can be a person or it can refer to someone who is unconventional to eccentric. Well, whatever interpretation you wish to apply, it fits Mr. Feynman. He was clearly one of the brightest, energetic and most interesting people of the last century. His intellectual curiosity is as far-reaching as any others, and his ability to solve problems appears to be unequalled. He describes many instances where he really did not know what the circumstances were, and yet he found a problem or solution that had previously been missed. He puts it down to luck, but of course people with luck like that should spend more time at the track.
This is the most entertaining description of the life of a scientist that I have ever read. Of course he had some really good material to work with. The book is not a biography, but a series of reminiscences that are only in semi-chronological order. Once again, this is consistent with his personality.
Richard Feynman was an amazing person, with a high intelligence and courage to match. He was not afraid of anyone or anything and truly epitomized the ideal of intellectual curiosity and freedom. I consider him a hero and you will too if you read this book.