Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character) - Richard P. Feynman

Great story

I've read the book within a week! The book is well written! I recomend the book as a must book for everyone!

Curious Indeed

Subtitled "Adventures of a Curious Character", this memoir by physicist Richard Feynman plays up both aspects of "curious".

As we follow Feynman's antics from MIT to Princeton to the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos to his adventures in Brazil, it's easy to see how Feynman's peers might have had the impression he was a bit odd. And yet the driving force in all of Feynman's activities was an unquenchable curiosity about the world around him and about the people he encountered.

Feynman isn't the typical image that comes to mind when one thinks of scientists. Scientists who are "typical" don't learn to play the bongos and end up marching in Samba bands during Carnivale in Rio de Janeiro. Nor do they become established artists holding gallery shows to exhibit their drawings, or get reputations a major players in Las Vegas. And they certainly don't spend their time learning safe-cracking or investigating out-of-body experiences in isolation tanks. Feynman did all of those things while he was making major contributions to the field of particle physics.

Feynman makes an effort at humility in places, but can't help reporting his exploits with a certain amusing swagger. He clearly enjoyed a life of being a royal pain-in-the-rear to many of the people he worked with, government officials especially. His efforts to be "helpful" were not always seen as such, especially his foray into safecracking at Los Alamos during and after the Second World War.

Feynman discusses a whole range of fascinating topics in this book, spending relatively little time on physics and instead on concentrating on his many other interests, his interpersonal relationships (he was married three times, and also wrote quite a bit about his efforts to meet women in between), and his scuffles with government and university bureaucracies. In one amusing anecdote, he agrees to give a talk for a government program only on the condition that he will not sign his name more than thirteen times in the required paperwork. When a 14th signature is required for him to receive his check, he refuses and decides that he will just not take the money, only to be told that there is no legal way for the government NOT to pay him. Feynman got great enjoyment from giving the runaround to figures of authority.

This is an enjoyable memoir that will be worthwhile to anyone interested in the personalities behind the science, and its descriptions of the Manhattan Project are a fascinating look at the beginning of the Atomic Age. The book is very accessible to non-scientists and makes for an entertaining read regardless of interest in or understanding of physics.

a nice wake-up call, entertaining and thought-provoking

I must agree with both, the three-star and the five-star-reviewers. Feynman might just have been a jerk in some ways, yet it seems unmistakable, that at the core he was a sincere and honest man, even WITH his bar-hopping adventures, which appeared to me rather harmless. What I pondered quite a bit is his approach to things religious or the lack of it. Undeniably, religion has created some of the worst habits and behaviors in history. There are untold numbers of people 'of the cloth' - not merely the ones, who make this their calling, but too many who simply align with that direction - and in spite, have engaged in abominable behavior. Here, I much prefer an eccentric scientist who spends some time in bars, able to quit doing so at the drop of a hat, than religious leaders with dual personalities. Feynman, by completely removing religion as a distraction, could indeed follow his free, adventurous spirit and his remarkable honesty.

I found it refreshing to read recollections by an accomplished person, written in the style of an everyday Joe, people like you and I. Lots of what is generally considered great art, is produced by people with tremendous personal hang-ups, yet people laud them as 'great accomplishments of humanity and its evolution' etc. What Feynman disliked and discouraged vehemently i.e. what is now evident as the 'dumbing-down' of the general public, is the 'not learning and behaving in constructive ways', something this country is experiencing more and more. We don't need a dumb public, offset by great art or science, we need a higher average level of 'being and understanding', where all engage in some art & some science and understand what they're talking about, thus making us a more considerate, meaningful species.

Amusing Autobiography of an Egomaniac

Feynman's apparent adoration of himself and his works lead me to suspect the veracity of his anecdotes. This book was a fun little read, perfect for a long plane trip, just don't expect any earth-shattering ideas or even much in the way of physics.

I agree with the other reviewers: Feynman was deeply insecure and needed recognition more than most geniuses, but I'm not sure how much that takes away from this work. Rather, the affected naivete and fourth-grade writing style made it a bit difficult to stomach at times. But who expects concise, vibrant prose from a physicist? This is not a field known for producing literary masterpieces.

Towards the end of the book, Feynman sheds some light on the Manhattan Project in his account of the physics programs at Los Alamos base. In a post-911 world, it is fascinating to learn just how lax nuclear security was in the 1940s. You might want to simply skip to those chapters.

Definitely not worth buying.

More than a compilation of funny stories

A good friend loaned me this and I enjoyed it so much I bought one for my father at Christmas. He loved it as much as I did. It is more than an autobiography of a truly stunning intellect. Mr Feynman's curiosity is contagious and has caused me to open my eyes and question why things are the way they are. The stories are hilarious. I hope you enjoy it too.