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Summary: ¿Continuation of a curious character¿
Review: This book is a continuation and addendum of sorts to Mr. Feynman's first biography, "Surely you are joking, Mr. Feynman". The two major stories of the book involve Mr. Feynman's enormously influential first wife, Arlene and the second story involves Mr. Feynman's work in the Challenger disaster investigation. Sprinkled around these two major bookends are other humorous adventures and observations about a trip to Japan, being labeled a sexist pig by feminists, and hotel hunting in Europe to name just a few.
The Challenger investigation takes up a sizable chunk of the book and is sometimes filled with drier material. But the compelling event and frustrating insight into government bureaucracy holds some interest to make up for the technical specifications.The first part of the book where his wife Arlene is discussed is so touching and powerful that the reader will be hard pressed not to get teary-eyed. As noted in the review about the first biography, Mr. Feynman was an extremely curious person who explored things out of simple curiosity. His life's quest was nothing simpler than a desire to understand Nature. All the while, he tried to have the best time he could. Hopefully this reader can take away at least a little bit of that.
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Summary: Great Book
Review: This book is one of the best books. It helps you to look at yourself, and not at what other people think
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Summary: Interesting follow up
Review: This book is the follow on to the book "Surely you must be joking, Mr. Feynman". In the first book there was a time line that progressed from youth to Professor at Caltech. This book is much different in that 45% of the book describes his pre- 1986 life and 55% describes his involvement in the Challenger shuttle accident investigation. This investigation was a mere 2 years of his life (and the final 2 years as well). The same brilliant character shines through in both parts of this book. There are many interesting vignettes of this iconoclast that are not in the first book. The most interesting part is the description of his relationship with his first wife Arlene who succumbed to TB while he was still a young man. He really had a great heart for those close to him. He didn't suffer fools willingly and often was abrupt to the point of rudeness. More interesting observations are available at feynmanonline^com. Detailed there is a more balanced view of the man and his foibles.
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Summary: Interesting follow up
Review: This book is the follow on to the book "Surely you must be joking, Mr. Feynman". In the first book there was a time line that progressed from youth to Professor at Caltech. This book is much different in that 45% of the book describes his pre- 1986 life and 55% describes his involvement in the Challenger shuttle accident investigation. This investigation was a mere 2 years of his life (and the final 2 years as well). The same brilliant character shines through in both parts of this book. There are many interesting vignettes of this iconoclast that are not in the first book. The most interesting part is the description of his relationship with his first wife Arlene who succumbed to TB while he was still a young man. He really had a great heart for those close to him. He didn't suffer fools willingly and often was abrupt to the point of rudeness. More interesting observations are available at feynmanonline^com. Detailed there is a more balanced view of the man and his foibles.
Rating:
Summary: A Worthwhile Follow-up to Surely You're Joking....
Review: This book is the follow-up to Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character and I recommend that it should be read only after reading that volume. The book is organized as a series of loosely related chapters that illustrate Feynman's unique perspective and his ways of interacting with the world. It is less personal than the preceding book in that some of the chapters are more about science-related topics and less about Feynman. Some of the chapters fill in details that were introduced in "Surely You're Joking" while others cover new topics. His description of the government sponsored independent commission that investigated the space shuttle Challenger explosion is revelatory both for its insight into the process and workings of such commissions (and Feynman's frustrations with them) and for his description of his own style of investigatory technique which we all can apply. The reader does not have to be a scientist, engineer, or a skeptic to appreciate this book and I recommend it as informative, amusing and well worth reading.
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Summary: Interesting book, but perhaps self-contradictory...
Review: This book offers a spectrum of insights into professor Feynman's life. From his personal struggles with his wife's illness early in his life, to his role in the Challenger disaster investigation, we get a more personal view into the man behind the legends. The anecdotes dealing with his time on the Roger's commission on the Challenger disaster are truly worth reading to get an outsider's inside view on how such inquiries work. We get particular insight into the work and ideas behind the famous eureka moment demonstrating the O-ring material weakness in cold temperatures. Feynman is humble in describing the contributions that others provided in formulating his ideas during this investigation.
Clearly a gem worth reading whether or not you're familiar with the eariler book, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
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Summary: Excellent followup for Feynman
Review: This book offers a spectrum of insights into professor Feynman's life. From his personal struggles with his wife's illness early in his life, to his role in the Challenger disaster investigation, we get a more personal view into the man behind the legends. The anecdotes dealing with his time on the Roger's commission on the Challenger disaster are truly worth reading to get an outsider's inside view on how such inquiries work. We get particular insight into the work and ideas behind the famous eureka moment demonstrating the O-ring material weakness in cold temperatures. Feynman is humble in describing the contributions that others provided in formulating his ideas during this investigation.
Clearly a gem worth reading whether or not you're familiar with the eariler book, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
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Summary: After Shuttle Columbia, it's time to re-read this.
Review: This is being written in the evening after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. While all the would-be experts go onto Larry King and Good Morning America and try out for the Olympic Conclusion High Jump Team (while the real experts -- and I just got off the phone with one -- have a pretty good idea what it was, and turn down same interviews), right now, this is a good time for those who are interested to read the background of the previous Shuttle disaster. All of Part II, about 2/3 of this book, is titled "Mr. Feynman goes to Washington: Investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster." Incredible, absolutely true, and only the tip of the iceberg, according to somebody who was there. There's a pattern to this sort of thing, a combination of hubris and unwillingness to face reality, and Feynman's book lays it bare like nothing else I can think of. The only other document that comes close in my mind (at least, as I recall the details) is the old "Far Side" cartoon, showing a rope-and-tire swing over a tiny little pond. There's a big chunk of the tire missing, and a shark fin cruising around below. Two kids on the bank, one says to the other "You go tell Billy's mom, and I'll go look for another tire." We've seen this before (Shuttle, Concorde), we'll see it again, but meanwhile Feynman's account is a must-read. You will not be disappointed.
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Summary: Richard Feynman is a great man!
Review: This is truly a great book and a must-read for anyone interested in science. It is humorous and provocative at the same time. This Nobel Prize winning physicist led an eventful life and has a unique way of recounting it. I devoured this book in a few days and strongly recommend it.
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Summary: Good but not as good as SYJ!
Review: Though a fine addition to the bestseller "Surely Your Joking", this book lacks the humor and wit of the first. But anyone who wants to read more about the wonderful and adventurous life of this Nobel Prize winning physicist should definitely buy this book. But if you haven't read SYJ, then go buy that book first, read it, then come back and buy this one.
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