Rating: 
Summary: Leftovers from Surely Your Joking
Review: Not a bad book, but not quite five star.
The first chapter "The Making of a Scientist" is from the
Horizon[BBC]/Nova[PBS] documentary The Pleasure of Finding Things
Out. I very much enjoyed watching Chris Sykes documentary, and
he went on to write the book No Ordinary Genius (also another
Sykes documentary about Feynman). I mention all this because
the book, and chapter is unable to convey Feynman's Brooklyn
accent (that really adds).Feynman hated writing, and most of this text was transcribed and
edited, so it has that feel. Some people will like that, and
as Sykes notes: others won't (poor English). The best way to
understand Feynman is to read his three volumes, and that's not
easy (and they are written in this same style with hard hard). The Challenger Chapter is very important and stands on its own
merits. Enough said about that. "For a successful technology,
reality must take precedence over public relations,
for Nature cannot be fooled."
Appendix F, Personal Observations on the Reliability of the Shuttle
-- R. P. Feynman
Rating:
Summary: Leftovers from Surely Your Joking
Review: Not a bad book, but not quite five star.
The first chapter "The Making of a Scientist" is from the
Horizon[BBC]/Nova[PBS] documentary The Pleasure of Finding Things
Out. I very much enjoyed watching Chris Sykes documentary, and
he went on to write the book No Ordinary Genius (also another
Sykes documentary about Feynman). I mention all this because
the book, and chapter is unable to convey Feynman's Brooklyn
accent (that really adds). Feynman hated writing, and most of this text was transcribed and
edited, so it has that feel. Some people will like that, and
as Sykes notes: others won't (poor English). The best way to
understand Feynman is to read his three volumes, and that's not
easy (and they are written in this same style with hard hard). The Challenger Chapter is very important and stands on its own
merits. Enough said about that. "For a successful technology,
reality must take precedence over public relations,
for Nature cannot be fooled."
Appendix F, Personal Observations on the Reliability of the Shuttle
-- R. P. Feynman
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful book.
Review: Not as entertaining as its predecessor, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman", but still quite entertaining in its own way, more than half of this book is devoted to describing the experiences of Feynman as he took part in the committee investigating the Shuttle Challenger disaster. As anyone who's read the first book can imagine, setting Feynman loose on a governmental committee is not exactly a recipe for smooth interaction; what it IS a recipe for is getting far more straight answers uncovered than the bureaucrats want. Not to say that this book isn't funny, but if you're looking for a chuckle, read the earlier book. If, on the other hand, you're in the mood for being reminded, in a fairly lighthearted way, just why it is that bureaucracies are not a good thing, this is the book for you. In addition to the section on the Challenger investigation, there are a few biographical anecdotes, as well as a closing lecture on "The Value of Science", all of which are good reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Has some shining moments
Review: Not quite as good as "Surely you're joking..." but written in the same spirit. Especially interesting was the section on the Challenger disaster. He solved the problem with beautiful simple logic that will have you saying, "Gee, why didn't I think of that!" Especially revealing was his encountering government red tape and annoyances, which goes to show several heads in Washington need to roll.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Journey of Life and Times of a Genius Physicist
Review: Review of Richard P. Feynman's "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" The novel "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" by Richard P. Feynman is an outstanding book about a curious physicist. The novel's title comes from Feynman's attitude of standing up and saying what is on his mind. He tries to persuade that idea to his future wife Arlene, who always watches what she says and is careful not to offend anyone. Arlene would also tease Richard with that line when she sent out greeting cards with her name and his nickname, "Putsy" on them. Feynman would be ashamed of that name and Arlene would use that line against him. This book is about a remarkable journey through the life and times of Richard Feynman. It details a tragic loss in his life, but also great accomplishments. Funny stories of booking a hotel, impressive speeches where people brag about shaking his hand, and Feynman being called a sexist pig will have you laughing out loud. Feynman is a world famous physicist who travels the world working on famous projects. The Manhattan Project, atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the Challenger accident are just a few to name. Readers will love the portion of the book that details the Challenger accident where Feynman was a key player in determining the cause of the accident. The tale is fascinating how he worked with the media and traveled all over from Washington D.C. to Florida, and Alabama to Texas to find valuable information. This book is a great find for all readers. The stories on the value of science to create and solve problems is magnificent. "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" will also touch your heart with life lessons and losses. This wonderful novel will have you crying tears one page and dying laughing on the floor the next. Treat yourself to a dynamic journey through science by reading "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" by Richard P. Feynman, whose remarkable road ended on February 15, 1988 due to a battle with cancer.
Rating:
Summary: Not Joking this time
Review: The follow-up to the successful, "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman" this book offers four pretty distinct parts. First section describes how his father taught him to think about the world and his father's ambition to make young Richard a scientist. The end of the book is Feyman's case for the importance of science. In between we get the sad, but sweet story of his first wife and the utterly compelling story of his time on the committee investigating the challenger explosion. It was my favorite part of the book. The description of how government committees decide facts and make recommendations was eye opening. It was the best description of how these things work that I've ever read. Feynman was constantly up against a committee chairman that wanted to keep everyone in a room asking questions of experts. Feynman didn't like that setup. He wanted to travel out to NASA and talk to engineers, so he did. Going to Huston and Canaveral, Feynman learned something about the nature of NASA that probably goes for any big organization. He found that NASA was a unified force when their goal was putting a man of the moon. Information was shared freely and appreciated at every level. Once that goal was met NASA became compartmentalized. Leaders at the top spent their time reassuring Congress that NASA would achieve their goals with low costs and high safety. Engineers at the bottom realized that this wasn't entirely possible. The middle managers didn't want to hear the challenges because they would be forced to report it to the top bosses who didn't want to hear it. It was much easier for top bosses to paint a rosy picture to Congress if they were unaware of the actual challenges of making it work. The end result was that top bosses said that the likelihood of a mission death was 1-100,000 while engineers on the ground felt that the likelihood was more like 1-300. Feynman concludes that maybe the shuttle program was a bad idea. It could never live up to the ambitious projections of the leaders and the American public was being lied to. NASA should be honest with the American people, Feynman thought, then Congress and voters can decide if they are getting enough for their money. It was a surprisingly thing to hear from an advocate of science and discovery. But Feynam reckoned that the amount of science and discovery has been little compared to the cost. He complained years after the first shuttle launch he still hadn't read any significant experiments in scientific journals. In all, I liked this book a little better than "Surely You're Joking." It was a little more thought provoking than those fun tales.
Rating:
Summary: Not Joking this time
Review: The follow-up to the successful, "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman" this book offers four pretty distinct parts. First section describes how his father taught him to think about the world and his father's ambition to make young Richard a scientist. The end of the book is Feyman's case for the importance of science. In between we get the sad, but sweet story of his first wife and the utterly compelling story of his time on the committee investigating the challenger explosion. It was my favorite part of the book. The description of how government committees decide facts and make recommendations was eye opening. It was the best description of how these things work that I've ever read. Feynman was constantly up against a committee chairman that wanted to keep everyone in a room asking questions of experts. Feynman didn't like that setup. He wanted to travel out to NASA and talk to engineers, so he did. Going to Huston and Canaveral, Feynman learned something about the nature of NASA that probably goes for any big organization. He found that NASA was a unified force when their goal was putting a man of the moon. Information was shared freely and appreciated at every level. Once that goal was met NASA became compartmentalized. Leaders at the top spent their time reassuring Congress that NASA would achieve their goals with low costs and high safety. Engineers at the bottom realized that this wasn't entirely possible. The middle managers didn't want to hear the challenges because they would be forced to report it to the top bosses who didn't want to hear it. It was much easier for top bosses to paint a rosy picture to Congress if they were unaware of the actual challenges of making it work. The end result was that top bosses said that the likelihood of a mission death was 1-100,000 while engineers on the ground felt that the likelihood was more like 1-300. Feynman concludes that maybe the shuttle program was a bad idea. It could never live up to the ambitious projections of the leaders and the American public was being lied to. NASA should be honest with the American people, Feynman thought, then Congress and voters can decide if they are getting enough for their money. It was a surprisingly thing to hear from an advocate of science and discovery. But Feynam reckoned that the amount of science and discovery has been little compared to the cost. He complained years after the first shuttle launch he still hadn't read any significant experiments in scientific journals. In all, I liked this book a little better than "Surely You're Joking." It was a little more thought provoking than those fun tales.
Rating:
Summary: Richard Feynman: contemporary Leonardo - PART II
Review: The title of this review may sound as a little bit of an overstatement, given Leonardo Da Vinci's stature, but it is a very close way to depict this distinguished North American physicist who, among MANY other things, won the Nobel Prize, worked in Project Manhattan (at Los Alamos lab) and was part of the team that investigated (and discovered) the cause of the explosion of the Challenger. If this could already be enough to elevate him a lot, you'll discover through this book how his life was constituted by one of the most interesting and rich cultural mosaics one can imagine. Always struggling to look at things "differently", Feynman became a very sought-after educator, teaching at the United States most prestigious universities, as well as other schools in places like Brazil. At the end of the day, Feynman's most important teachings might come as: 'Never take yourself too seriously' (as other reviewers have already commented), 'Always keep an open mind' and 'Focus your efforts on what really matters'. If you enjoy this book (which I'm sure you will), check out what could be considered the first part of it: 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' : Adventures of a Curious Character; as well as Tuva or Bust! Richard Feynman's Last Journey - both, highly recommendable.
Rating:
Summary: Is reviewing a book with such a title any serious?
Review: The very valuable part is the first one, especially the story which gives its title to the book, very sad and well written. "It's as simple as 1, 2, 3..." will occupy you for hours counting and reading the sequel. The bigger part 2, "Mr Feynman goes to Washington" is far less interesting, with unending details and poor editing. To be read only once in one's Feynman addicted life. The epilogue finds more room in "The meaning of it all".
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration to me and many more, I am sure
Review: This book does complete justive to Feynman, and his life. That a genius such as Feynman, can be so simple, practical - should be an inspiration to all of us. This is the story of a person, who loved science and life - and more importantly, did not think of science as an esoteric skill that only a few could possess, but instead tried to apply it to things that we do in everyday life. What was special in this book though, was that it has presented a rare side of any scientist. People, usually, think of scientists, and especially, physicists, as people for whom their studies carry more importance than everything else, including their loved ones. Feynman proves that, being a genius does not require him to live upto that msleading expectation. He was always true to his philosophy of not caring for what others thought, which is reflected in him starting this book with stories about his life with his first wife, and giving it as much inportance as him being on the challenger commission.
| 
