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.

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.

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.