Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

By: Richard P. Feynman

Narrated by: Raymond Todd

Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the most famous science books of our time, the phenomenal national bestseller that “buzzes with energy, anecdote and life. It almost makes you want to become a physicist” (Science Digest).

Richard Feynman, one of the world’s greatest theoretical physicists, thrived on adventure. His outrageous exploits once shocked a Princeton dean’s wife to exclaim: “Surely you’re joking, Mr. Feynman!”

In this phenomenal national bestseller, the Nobel Prize–winning physicist recounts in his inimitable voice his experiences trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and Bohr and ideas on gambling with Nick the Greek, painting a naked female toreador, accompanying a ballet on his bongo drums, and much else of an eyebrow-raising and hilarious nature. Woven together with his views on science, Feynman’s life story is a combustible mixture of high intelligence, unlimited curiosity, eternal skepticism, and raging chutzpah.

©1985 by Richard P. Feynman (P)1997 by Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A chain reaction is not a bad analogy for Feynman's life. From a critical mass of gray matter it goes off in all directions, producing both heat and light." (Time)

Enjoyable listen

Good natured writer, writing about life’s experiences. Gives you insight as to how a genius thinks and the risks he’s willing to take for the purest science.

Endearing

This book demonstrates that the most brilliant teacher of the 20th century was also a dear man. No lukewarm list of achievements, this spyglass peeks in on the daily life of genius as child through his extraordinary and colorful life.

Timely even now.

An oldie but a goodie!
What more can I sat?
Stay of F Feynman and Las Vegas hooker just one of diverse diamonds...

New favourite

Feynman sure had an interesting life. Great stories in here for all types of readers or listeners. Very well narrated, too! Probably the most enjoyable audiobook I've ever found. This is now no doubt also one of my favourite books in general.

He rocked the life

Absolutely loved it!
For me, story describes not a behavior that you expect from a respected professor but it makes it the the coolest book I have ever red related to science. Besides, the stories itself are hilarious but each have a clear really truthful observation about realities that force you think and analyze more in your life. And besides, such light and playful perception of the world is just delightful

an interesting read about an exceptional mind

the narrator is phenomenal. the story is written very well, and is engaging.... it doesn't get too technical.

A book to binge on

The narrator does a phenomenal job in creating if not accurate, humourous mental images of the characters in feynman's story. This puts the cherry on top on a already entertaining and informative book

Great reader

The voice performance was one of the best I've come across. He did accents for various characters, and added vocalizations for things such as instruments to aid understanding. I thought it was well done. The story itself was very good too.

Wonderful wit and wisdom. Fabulous narration.

Wonderful wit and wisdom. Fabulous narration. Will be searching for other works read by Mr. Todd.

Great view into the mind of Mr. Feynman

This book I found was a great experience of the way Mr. Feynman thanks, it is inspiring as a scientist, and interesting as another lover of math and science. This offers a great way of looking into this thinking that a scientist does, without getting the reader lost in technical terms, it was a very human experience not filled with scientific jargon, which is what I was expecting