Genius

The Life and Science of Richard Feynman

De: James Gleick

Narrado por: Dick Estell

To his colleagues, Richard Feynman was not so much a genius as he was a full-blown magician: someone who “does things that nobody else could do and that seem completely unexpected.” The path he cleared for twentieth-century physics led from the making of the atomic bomb to a Nobel Prize-winning theory of quantam electrodynamics to his devastating exposé of the Challenger space shuttle disaster. At the same time, the ebullient Feynman established a reputation as an eccentric showman, a master safe cracker and bongo player, and a wizard of seduction.

Now James Gleick, author of the bestselling Chaos, unravels teh dense skein of Feynman‘s thought as well as the paradoxes of his character in a biography—which was nominated for a National Book Award—of outstanding lucidity and compassion.

Story: Great - Reading: Annoying and embarrassing

Would you consider the audio edition of Genius to be better than the print version?

I suspect that reading this book on my own would have been preferable to this lacklustre reading. If the non-nuanced drone did not lull you to sleep; perhaps, it was from the jolt of the plethora of mispronunciations - names and common words - detritus, for example. An editor would have been helpful; Estell should realize that we are blushing with him. Despite the reading, I felt both entertained and edified by this biography. A five star awaiting another opportunity.

Inspiring biography but Terrible pronunciation

I was a Physics major during the 1970s. Gleick has written an excellent biography of this inspiring genius. The scientific and historical details are fascinating. However, the audiobook is narrated by a nonscientist who has not learned the correct pronunciation of the text he is reading. He mispronounces many famous scientist names and scientific terms. Among the cringe-worthy, he reads the plural of a mathematical matrix as "mattresses" (like a bed). He calls Nobel laureate Murray Gell-Mann as "JELL Man". Physicist Christiaan Huygens is called "HUGE ens". Alas, this audio book could be narrated much better by a physicist.

Science is Fun

I loved the narration of Dick Estell, who reminds me of Paul Harvey. My time in graduate school taught me that most scientific advances come not from war or love of nature. They come from trying to prove the other guy WRONG! James Gleick captures the explosion of quantum mechanics from 1900 to 1975. The players, the papers, the conferences all come alive with the intense face to face rivalries, with Richard Feynman somehow, somewhere near the center of it all.

A GREAT READ OF A GREAT MAN

This is the best bio on RICHARD FEYNMAN by far, and it comes as no surprise that the author is JAMES GLEICK. Gleick is one of the greatest living science writers. His subject this time is the great RICHARD FEYNMAN. A scientist who is fascinating on all fronts- personal and professional.
In other writers hands this cornucopia of great material is wasted. Gleick is the right man for the job and he doesn't disappoint. He choreographs a memorable dance intertwining the personal and professional sides of this enigmatic,extroverted, exuberant, genius. whose life is a favorite study of scientific students and others like myself who have been lucky enough to discover the entrancing story of his remarkable life and work..
This is a highly readable and thoroughly enjoyable biography that anyone can benefit greatly from reading. As expected Gleick does a masterful job of disseminating all of Feynman's remarkable scientific discovery's and inventions in a manner anyone can not just come to understand- but appreciate as well . Thats a tall order that Gleick is renown for pulling off (see my review on his book on chaos theory) As far as I can recall, the narration is also quite good for both books.
Once youve read genius- or even before you read it, check out all the wonderful interviews with Feynmans on u tube. This is a great book about a great man. Highly recommended.

Read any book by James Gleick

Excellent journalism, and storytelling. I’m frustrated by the audible narrator, Miss pronouncing words and names throughout the reading.