Genius

The Life and Science of Richard Feynman

By: James Gleick

Narrated by: Dick Estell

Length: 20 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the national best seller Chaos comes an outstanding biography of one of the most dazzling and flamboyant scientists of the 20th century that "not only paints a highly attractive portrait of Feynman but also . . . makes for a stimulating adventure in the annals of science." (The New York Times).

©1993 James Gleick (P)2011 Random House

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.

What a Life

I am sorry I l left this so long before I wrote the review; I like to write them while I am on the last few pages and all is still fresh in my mind.

So...in summary only...here was a tireless intellectual, a rigorous mind, a loving husband, a man who subscribed to now rules that compromised his fundamental beliefs. Yet, here also was a man that went to Brazil to spend a week with a woman of questionable virtue to get a break from the stress of thinking.

My whole experience was enhanced when I found out that Feynman had been recorded giving 7 lectures to students at Cornell in the 1950's. Bill Gates had saved these and made them available on the internet: there Feynman was, alive, humorous, his coarse New York accent untainted, his clean clear thinking on show as if still here.

Nobel Prize winner, uncompromising, funny, passionate, tireless, the book brings him alive. How I'd love to have had dinner with him!

Insight into a genius

What made the experience of listening to Genius the most enjoyable?

This book is quite extensive. What makes one a genius is a riddle and this book nicely pondered questions around it

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Learning that Dick did physics just for the excitement of finding out things. Even though for the advancement of physics it could have been more benefitual if he had read more about other peoples research. But then on the other hand it was important that he had his own way of thinking and calculating

Any additional comments?

So far most informative book about Feynman that I have read.

Hello, goodbye, I don't know why?

I loved the book. I had the good fortune to spend some time with the man in the early 80s and have read some of his books, but to have this account, gives me a more filled in picture and deeper appreciation of the man and of those times. I hated to see it end, as I was saddened to see him come to an end. Great man, damn strait, with clever convolutions.

Feynman Life and Science

This book is half biography and half science. Feynman was one of a kind and had a remarkable career. You can???t help thinking that this is how brains are supposed to work. The science exposition is clear and easy to follow. The narrator is a perfect match to the material.

Great book, performance is uneven

Fascinating (obviously) material very well presented. My only complaint is the narration. I certainly want to cut the narrator some slack because of the topics in the book. However, the mispronunciation of Murray Gell-Mann's name is pretty bad. Not just that, but when he book gets to the part that ACTUALLY DISCUSSES the common mispronunciation, the narrator changes his pronunciation to the correct one. Fine, I get it, but hen he goes back to his earlier, incorrect pronunciation later in the book. Other pet peeves include 'jargon' (JAR-GAHN, as if it were two words) and 'coital' (he somehow manages to give it three syllables.

Again, great book, but some of these avoidable miscues took me out of the narrative.

Enjoyable and highly educational

The author manages to eloquently capture his colorful main character but also teaches the non scientist a great deal about physics and mathematics in an understandable way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Great book, read in 1950s style.

Dick Estell is to reading as Jonah Hill is to acting. Developed some quirks, and uses them over and over, not necessarily how the book would sound in my own head. Gleick is always fantastic, though, and I would listen to his books read by anyone. Dick hada hard time pronouncing names (even though there was a whole section about how to pronounce one of them), and technical words like scalar. Even "short-LIVEd" he reads as in "LIVE TV."

Surly you are joking Mr. Feynman, aren't you?

A respectable and admirable work. This book interprets Feynman as "A different being who plays human" way. I have to say that the book ignored some details in certain events, is it for their insignificance or something else that's not clear for me. Would definitely enjoy listening to it again.