List Price: $15.95 Details

Save: $1.96 (12%)

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime & FREE Returns

FREE delivery Monday, October 25 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon

Or fastest delivery Thursday, October 21. Order within 16 hrs 18 mins

In Stock.

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

$$13.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Return policy: Returnable until Jan 31, 2022

1-Click ordering is not available for this item.

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Monday, October 25 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon. Order within 16 hrs 18 mins

Used: Acceptable | Details

Sold by DFLBooks22

Fulfilled by Amazon

Share <Embed>

Other Sellers on Amazon

$15.70
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: TRUE web DEALS

$11.87
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: Ambis Enterprises

$13.26
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: indoobestsellers

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

Follow the Authors

Richard P. Feynman

Ralph Leighton

"What Do You Care What Other People Think?": Further Adventures of a Curious Character Paperback – February 6, 2018

by Richard P. Feynman (Author), Ralph Leighton (Author)

948 ratings

Book 2 of 2: Feynman Series

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$9.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$17.95

$13.96

$1.51

Paperback

"Please retry"

$13.99

$9.99

$5.80

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$19.46

$10.60

Enhance your purchase

The New York Times best-selling sequel to "Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

Like the "funny, brilliant, bawdy" (The New Yorker) "Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!" this book’s many stories―some funny, others intensely moving―display Richard P. Feynman’s unquenchable thirst for adventure and unparalleled ability to recount important moments from his life.

Here we meet Feynman’s first wife, Arlene, who taught him of love’s irreducible mystery as she lay dying in a hospital bed while he worked on the atomic bomb at nearby Los Alamos. We listen to the fascinating narrative of the investigation into the space shuttle Challenger’s explosion in 1986 and relive the moment when Feynman revealed the disaster’s cause through an elegant experiment: dropping a ring of rubber into a glass of cold water and pulling it out, misshapen. In "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century lets us see the man behind the genius.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date

February 6, 2018
Dimensions

5.3 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
ISBN-10

9780393355642
ISBN-13

978-0393355642
See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Richard P. Feynman
4,416
Paperback
67 offers from $5.43
Richard P. Feynman
1,847
Paperback
79 offers from $5.95
Richard P. Feynman
511
Paperback
86 offers from $3.50
Richard P. Feynman
583
Paperback
52 offers from $6.25
Richard P. Feynman
280
Paperback
90 offers from $1.85
Richard P. Feynman
650
Hardcover
42 offers from $128.35

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Richard P. Feynman
4,416
Paperback
67 offers from $5.43
Richard P. Feynman
1,847
Paperback
79 offers from $5.95
Richard P. Feynman
583
Paperback
52 offers from $6.25
Richard P. Feynman
511
Paperback
86 offers from $3.50
Richard P. Feynman
280
Paperback
90 offers from $1.85
James Gleick
609
Paperback
173 offers from $1.49

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Feynman’s voice echoes raw and direct through these pages."
― James Gleick, New York Times Book Review

"One final, welcome jolt from Mr. Feynman…There are a great many things for all of us in this book."
― Peter Gorner, Chicago Tribune

"There is nothing obtuse or difficult about [this] book. Indeed, Feynman’s rendering of such a potentially complex subject as the Challenger disaster is straightforward, lucid, and accessible."
― San Francisco Chronicle

"One of the greatest minds of the twentieth century…[He] was also stubborn, irreverent, playful, intensely curious and highly original in practically everything he did."
― New York Review of Books

"A gentler book [than “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”], and for those interested in the man, a more substantial one."
― Bettyann Kevles, Los Angeles Times

About the Author

Richard P. Feynman (1918–1988) was a professor at Cornell University and CalTech and received the Nobel Prize for physics in 1965. In 1986 he served with distinction on the Rogers Commission investigating the space shuttle Challenger disaster.

Ralph Leighton lives in northern California.

Start reading "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0393355640
Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reissue edition (February 6, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780393355642
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393355642
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.3 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #49,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #173 in Scientist Biographies
- #389 in Physics (Books)

Customer Reviews:
948 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Richard P. Feynman
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Richard P. Feynman was born in 1918 and grew up in Far Rockaway, New York. At the age of seventeen he entered MIT and in 1939 went to Princeton, then to Los Alamos, where he joined in the effort to build the atomic bomb. Following World War II he joined the physics faculty at Cornell, then went on to Caltech in 1951, where he taught until his death in 1988. He shared the Nobel Prize for physics in 1965, and served with distinction on the Shuttle Commission in 1986. A commemorative stamp in his name was issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 2005.
See more
Ralph Leighton
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Ralph Leighton (born 13 November 1949) is a biographer, film producer, and friend of the late physicist Richard Feynman. He recorded Feynman relating stories of his life. Leighton has released some of the recordings as The Feynman Tapes. These interviews became the basis for the books Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think?, which were later combined into the hardcover anniversary edition Classic Feynman: All the Adventures of a Curious Character. Leighton is an amateur drummer and founder of the group Friends of Tuva. In 1990 he wrote Tuva or Bust! Richard Feynman's Last Journey.
See more

Customer reviews

5 star		80%
4 star		13%
3 star		4%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Grant Cairns

highly recommended

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

These “further adventures” follow on from the book "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!”, or rather, the first half does. The second half is Feynman’s account of his role on the commission into the Challenger shuttle disaster. The book concludes with Feynman’s 1955 Nat Acad Sc address on the value of science.

Feynman was undoubtedly one of the great names of twentieth century science, and a remarkable individual. His "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!” is an exceptional book: definitely 5++. The sequel, “What do you care what other people think?”, is perhaps not quite as good, being somewhat disjointed, but it is clearly still a solid 5 stars. A fascinating read.

25 people found this helpful

Helpful

Excellent message presented in a friendly, readable way -- not a sermon.

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2017

Verified Purchase

Richard Feynman was a truly excellent teacher. He was entertaining, creative, and knowledgeable. His well-known Nobel-prize winning work and iconoclastic behavior prove the point: follow your own thinking. The lesson of this book is the best possible lesson: do not let other people's expectations control what you do. Why give them power over you?

21 people found this helpful

Helpful

Drjackl

A truly Interesting Man.

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2018

Verified Purchase

This compilation presents some funny, serious, sad and inspiring stories about Feynman, told by Feynman. From his romance with his high school sweetheart and first wife, to his trials and tribulations on the Challenger Commission, Feynman pushes against the system to get to the truth. I wish I had known him.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

HarbinCreative

Feynman Is an Approachable and Likeable Genius. A rare American bird.

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

Richard Feynman was a genius. A rare bird who wasn't afraid of controversy or expounding his own strong opinions. Of course he had the "ace up his sleeve." He was the most innovative and brilliant scientist and physicist. I liked his other books as well, where he talks candidly about how his curiosity and native intelligence was active at a very early age. Be charmed and educated. Read the book.

18 people found this helpful

Helpful

Koen Swings

Memoires of a brilliant mind

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

By recalling and retelling episodes of his life, Feynman offers us a detailed insight on his unique approach to view the world and solve its problems. An approach that is rooted in doubt (not artificial certainty) and in a desire/love to understand the world at its most fundamental level. In the current decade where one seems to have given up on this ideal of being able to understand the world at its fundamental level, this serves as an example, a beacon that hopefully would inspire many to follow his lead and counter react the current superficial black/white attitude to solve the world’s problems.
The following quote from the book illustrates this perfectly: “Our freedom to doubt was born out of a struggle against authority in the early days of science. It was a very deep and strong struggle: permit us to question—to doubt—to not be sure. I think that it is important that we do not forget this struggle and thus perhaps lose what we have gained. Herein lies a responsibility to society.”
In many ways, Feynman’s view of the world is very similar to Elon Musk’s who has turned this not in a scientific but a commercial success.
The book also offers a detailed review of the way the commission operated that investigated the accident with Space Shuttle Challenger.
Highly recommended!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Jeff Whitmire

I love this book

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

I love this book. Hilarious writing from one of my intellectual heroes and a rare, true genius. I first read this book in the early 90's, but bought it recently for my son as a Christmas gift since he liked "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman" so much. Such a character and an inspiration to wring as much out of life as possible.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Umer Vakil

Fails to disappoint. A great sequel!

Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2011

Verified Purchase

Just absolutely wonderful - another collection of anecdotes from Feynman's life. The first part of the book almost seems indistinguishable from 'Surely You're...', using the same style of narration to present details of incidents. These 'incidents' are often unconnected and span from childhood recollections from Feynman's life and his original encounter with Arlene (his wife) to the time he spent during a trip to Brazil. Each story is amusing whilst managing to provide a deeper glimpse into the erratic, comical yet intelligent character of Feynman.

The second and greater part of this book deals with Feynman's presence on the committee investigating the 1986 crash of the Space Shuttle Challenger, capturing the incredible dissatisfaction felt by him as he is plunged into the administrative bureaucracy of Washington and NASA. The descriptions of the shuttle and its faulty components are illustrated clearly with the help of figures and photographs. These illustrations help the reader visualize the circumstances of the crash and where the the major fault within the shuttle actually lay. These are particularly helpful in eliminating any ambiguity in the description of technical rocket components (O-rings, etc). Despite the serious content, this part of the book retains the strong elements of humor found within rest of the book. It manages to paint a ludicrous picture of the way things tended to be handled in NASA (e.g. NASA informing an official that the probability of failure of an manned rocket is 1 in 100,000 which implied that "you could fly the shuttle every day for an average of 300 years between accidents- every day, one flight, for 300 years- which is obviously crazy!"). He also points towards the general errors made by large organizations such as NASA due to the divide between levels of management by narrating personal conversations with the management, engineers and workers. The perspicuous manner with which he describes his involvement in the investigation almost makes the reader feel as if he were right alongside Feynman while he was dealt the task of investigating the crash.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed "Surely You're Joking..." and is willing to put his mind to a bit more work to enjoy the second part of the book. Overall, it is a great book that any Feynman fan will be willing to appreciate!

13 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Steven Unwin

Valuable insights from Richard Feynman

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2009

Verified Purchase

Having read Genius: Richard Feynman and Modern Physics I'd discovered the fascinating work and life of Richard Feynman and was keen to learn more. This is the second of two books Feynman wrote. I happened to come across this book first and perhaps I've read them in the wrong order, no matter.

The book is autobiographical, but in a typical spirit of nonconformity is not a biography. Rather it is a collection of anecdotes written about episodes in Feynman's life. The first half of the book is a selection of these short stories, in no particular order, each describing in a matter of fact fashion an aspect of Feynman's life. Each as a side effect provides an insight to his thinking and attitude to life and learning. Clearly this material was a key resource for James Gleick's work and I had the feeling that these were stories which didn't find their way into Feynman's previous book `Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman'. As a consequence Gleick's book provides a more rounded and complete picture which ties these snippets together. However Feynman's book has more to offer.

The second half of the book has a detailed account of the work on investigating the cause of the Challenger Shuttle disaster. This description will be of interest to anyone who wants to find out the technical details of just what went wrong, but more interestingly has some fascinating insights into the afflictions that can infect the thinking of large organisations. In the case of NASA this led to mistaken understanding of safety and risk, which when compounded by poor communication between management and staff created a widespread blind spot, which extended well outside NASA, about the challenge and dangers of space flight. There are lessons here for any organisation, which even if they don't surface as safety issues, will undoubtedly have impacts in some aspect of the organisation's performance.

On a personal note, I've left the best bit of the book until last, appropriately because it is the last nine pages. Here is reproduced a public address given in 1955 to the National Academy of Sciences titled `The Value of Science'. Feynman gives a brilliant description of the absolute and essential role of exploration in creating advance, and the fact that non-scientists have little comprehension of the real learning process by which this advance is made. For me this short concluding section of the book was worth the price alone, illustrated by the books concluding paragraph..

"It is our responsibility as scientists, knowing the great progress which comes from a satisfactory philosophy of ignorance, the great progress that is the fruit of this freedom of thought, to proclaim the value of this freedom; to teach how doubt is not to be feared but welcomed and discussed; and to demand this freedom as our duty to all coming generations."
In short, if you want to find out about Feynman, Genius is a more complete read, having read that you may be inspired to read this book to find out more. However if you want to learn of lessons from the Challenger disaster, or simply read the description of exploration in `The Value of Science',this is a book well worth reading.

14 people found this helpful

Steven Unwin

Valuable Insights from Richard Feynman

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2009

Verified Purchase

Having read Genius: Richard Feynman and Modern Physics I'd discovered the fascinating work and life of Richard Feynman and was keen to learn more. This is the second of two books Feynman wrote. I happened to come across this book first and perhaps I've read them in the wrong order, no matter.

The book is autobiographical, but in a typical spirit of nonconformity is not a biography. Rather it is a collection of anecdotes written about episodes in Feynman's life. The first half of the book is a selection of these short stories, in no particular order, each describing in a matter of fact fashion an aspect of Feynman's life. Each as a side effect provides an insight to his thinking and attitude to life and learning. Clearly this material was a key resource for James Gleick's work and I had the feeling that these were stories which didn't find their way into Feynman's previous book `Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman'. As a consequence Gleick's book provides a more rounded and complete picture which ties these snippets together. However Feynman's book has more to offer.

The second half of the book has a detailed account of the work on investigating the cause of the Challenger Shuttle disaster. This description will be of interest to anyone who wants to find out the technical details of just what went wrong, but more interestingly has some fascinating insights into the afflictions that can infect the thinking of large organisations. In the case of NASA this led to mistaken understanding of safety and risk, which when compounded by poor communication between management and staff created a widespread blind spot, which extended well outside NASA, about the challenge and dangers of space flight. There are lessons here for any organisation, which even if they don't surface as safety issues, will undoubtedly have impacts in some aspect of the organisation's performance.

On a personal note, I've left the best bit of the book until last, appropriately because it is the last nine pages. Here is reproduced a public address given in 1955 to the National Academy of Sciences titled `The Value of Science'. Feynman gives a brilliant description of the absolute and essential role of exploration in creating advance, and the fact that non-scientists have little comprehension of the real learning process by which this advance is made. For me this short concluding section of the book was worth the price alone, illustrated by the books concluding paragraph..

"It is our responsibility as scientists, knowing the great progress which comes from a satisfactory philosophy of ignorance, the great progress that is the fruit of this freedom of thought, to proclaim the value of this freedom; to teach how doubt is not to be feared but welcomed and discussed; and to demand this freedom as our duty to all coming generations."
In short, if you want to find out about Feynman, Genius is a more complete read, having read that you may be inspired to read this book to find out more. However if you want to learn of lessons from the Challenger disaster, or simply read the description of exploration in `The Value of Science',this is a book well worth reading.

2 people found this helpful

Mole

An interesting collection of anecdotes

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2011

Verified Purchase

This is a follow on from Feynman's first book "Surely you are joking Mr Feynman". It sort of picks up from where the other left off, but about half of the book is devoted to his activities as part of the panel investigating the Challenger Shuttle disaster.

What I did find odd was that he seemed surprised at the behaviour and reaction of the others on the same panel; many of his comments indicate a level of bewilderment at the way that things were done and how the process was carried out. From his previous book, I would have expected him to be a lot more savvy towards the nature of those that work much more in the public sector. I wonder if he was in fact playing a double game; knowing exactly what he faced, but then pretending a level of frustration to indicate that he was not part of the same set-up. Of course, we will never know, but it is interesting to speculate.

Both parts of the book are well worth reading, and this book is one that will probably require more than one viewing.

3 people found this helpful

Nimrod

An interesting insight

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 14, 2013

Verified Purchase

Unlike the other Feynman book I reviewed, this does have a definite storyline that provides an inside view of a number of various events about which we mostly only know the headlines. Two of the most notable of these were the Manhatten Project and the Challenger Investigation.

However, it also shows the matter of fact approach by both Feynman and his first wife to her terminal illness, though unless you have similar strength of character, it won't act as a blueprint in similar circumstances. They were both remarkable people.

I do recommend this book, even though written by a man who was way above the intelligence level of most of us, because he also had the ability to engage lesser mortals by his clarity of explanation.

2 people found this helpful

NodNodPilot

Fascinatiing man and a well put together part biography

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2013

Verified Purchase

This book is centered around specific events in his life and needs to be read with companion bio's. Having said that, this is an excellent read on its own account. Every now and then a 'special' person is set amongst us and RPF is one of those. A brilliant mind but not one that has lost common sense and the ability to communicate with the ordinary person - especially those who show the same values of honesty and genuineness. I first came accross RPF in a recent TV documentary about the ill fated Challenger mission and the subsequent enquiry. RPF showed and single minded devotion to get to the truth when others around were over influenced by politics and self interest.