Customer Reviews

Boxed Set Of Pleasure Of Finding Things Out & Meaning Of It All

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In this series of lectures and interviews, Feynman lays out his, sometimes surprisingly philosophical given his aversion to such things, outlook on science, religion, and life in general. As an added bonus, you get a lecture or two on his "absurd and crazy" ideas, like nanotechnology, that give you a real feel what Feynman was about.

This book held a lot of credibility with me. First, Feynman was a singular individual, unswayed by pomposity and false pretenses, with no hidden agenda, and little desire to have other people like him - a rare thing. Second, the book is poorly written. The editors, on purpose, left it raw and unrefined, just as Feynman spoke it, to let more of Feynman come across. The result is uneven, jarring, and a little hard to read, and this, to me, is a good thing. Whenever I see fresh, sparkling, vibrant prose I don't believe it, because show me a more effective speaker than Hitler or a more electrifying call to action than the "Communist Manifesto". Without the swaying torrent of rhetoric, the message of the book stands on its own merrit.

Read this book. You'll walk away from it a little wiser.

This book is a collection of Feynman's most memorable essays and speeches, in which he talks about the Manhattan project, his childhood, the future of physics, the unscientific nature of society, among other topics. This is a book for the non scientist, as there is very little physics required, and it talks as much about the future of science as it does about the future of society.

Feynman is a remarkable character, which many virtues and flaws which are readily detectable in the book. It is a short, quick read that left me wanting to learn more about him.

This is a great book to read on airplanes, or at leisure. Each short work is fascinating, and I felt both marvelled at Feynman, and at the process of discovery.

It is a very human book, and combines very well the soft, sparky, almost childish side of a person, and the deep, analytical, thought provoking, more adult part.

I also made me think about the atomic bomb, since I was born in the 60s, I was too young to remember that frenzie.

The book is also great to get stories and quotes for training and conversation.

The book is not an arid description about a methodology for discovering things, or a novel.

Great couple of out of print books. Richard Feynman deserves his reputation as one of the two greatest (with Einstein) physicists of the 20th century.

Yet another glimpse inside the mind of one of the most brilliant and most peculiar physicists of recent times, this book is perfect for those who enjoy physics or even just a good story. If you enjoyed the other semi-scientific Feynman books, you will not be disappointed by this one.