Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing delivery
Review: I was moderately disappointed by the book. It held great promise, as I've an active interest in Richard Feynman, and have been reading several "find yourself" books, so a story that connects the two should have been perfect. Should have.
The annecdotes of dealing with Feynman as he coped with cancer were touching, and Feynman's downsides (example: Feynman's reluctance to help former students of his after an obligatory two year period) were uniquely captured here. Despite that, the writing on him and the relations were very thin. Indeed, Murray Gelman had as big a place in Mlodinow's life.
In the end, we're left with a story of a sharp mind (Mlodinow) who struggles with his desire to be a physicist. In the end we are left with too little on both his final decisions as well as the hyped interactions with Feynman.
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I'd never completed reading a book in one sitting even if it was only forty pages long. This is the first book on which I've accomplished that feat. Witty, engaging, humane and above all such an easy-read - this book is blue print for how science related books should be written for general public.
Rating:
Summary: Tuesdays with Feynman
Review: I'm tempted to describe this book as self help for PhD's with fear of failure, though perhaps that's a bit uncharitable. Mlodinow describes his troubles starting new physics research at lofty CalTech after his PhD dissertation, a year of soul-searching and insecurity about his abilities. In search of a mentor, he had several conversations with Feynman and had the foresight to record these, at a time when Feynman wasn't a public celebrity yet. The result is a mixture of an abbreviated personal diary, accounts of the atmosphere and personalities at CalTech, simplified descriptions of the physics involved (e.g. string theory), and some conversations with Feynman. Note that the latter make up only a fraction of the book. If you're looking to learn more about Feynman, there's not a lot of new material here. If you're curious to read his advice to a promising young physicist, this book may be for you. It's well-written, engaging, and a quick read.
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't do justice to Feynman
Review: I've always been a fan of Feynman and had looked forward to reading this book. What a disappointment. The book turns out to be mostly about the author's own years at Caltech, with ill-fitting bits of his conversations with Feynman wedged in between. He tries a little too hard to interpret Feynman's intentions in every little phrase, perhaps due to the lack of material since he knew Feynman merely as a colleague. And really he misinterprets in a lot of the cases, making a fuss where there isn't much. I get the feeling that either he selected his stories poorly due to his lack of understanding of why Feynman was great, or he simply did not have anything better to offer but still used Feynman's name in the title for marketing purposes. The book may sell better as a result but it'll be at the unjustifiable expense of diminishing Feynman.
Another problem I have with this book is that it's written to appear as if it's nonfiction. Yet the preface states, "The book...is not a novel...But I have combined and altered events...I have altered names and personalities in order to best portray my experience." Pardon me but, how is this not a novel again? Hearing this sort of nonsense from a theoretical scientist is worrisome.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Human Tale of Science and Life
Review: I've been a Feynman fan since back in the 60s. I've read most of the popular books about Feynman and by Feynman, as well as some of his technical ones. Although this book's principle character is the author, there are many interesting snippets from the last few years of Feynman's life. This is a very pleasant book. In addition to containing painless discussions on the work of theoretical physicists, it shows that even the greatest scientific giants have their weak points that make them as human as the rest of us. The book is very well written and in an engaging style that makes it difficult to put down. There are a few lessons in there for all of us.
Rating:
Summary: Includes Gems of Feynman's Words in His Last Years
Review: In the winter of 1981, Mlodinow became a post-doctoral fellow at Caltech, where two Nobel Prize winners, Richard Feynman and Murray Gell-Mann, had offices down the hall. The author wanted someone to help him emerge from his creative drought, and figured that it would be his idol Feynman. One day he knocked on the door to Feynman's office, and was welcome ... This is the story of the author's young days as well as Feynman, Gell-Mann and the world of the physical theory named string theory in its beginning. In an early chapter we learn that Feynman used to say there were two kinds of physicists, the Babylonians and the Greeks. The former focused on the phenomena, and the latter, on the underlying order. Gell-Mann was a Greek, and Feynman considered himself a Babylonian. Echoing this, the author understandably writes in a later chapter, "Feynman scorned string theory, Murray championed it. That was Feynman and Murray - attracted by each other's genius, repelled by each other's philosophy." I have found the following gems of Feynman's words told to the author: "An important part of the creative process is play." "The scientist's imagination always is different from a writer's in that it is checked." "She (Arlene, Feynman's wife in his first marriage) taught me that one has to be irrational sometimes." You might find some more you like in this book. In the last chapter the author thinks of Feynman in this way, "If there is one thing he taught me, it is the importance of being truly committed to whatever it is we are striving for." This small and readable book would a good addition to the bookshelf of the fans of the People's Physicist Feynman. It is to be noted that "Some Time with Feynman" is not a different book by the same author but the European title of this book.
Rating:
Summary: Fun to read but lacks credibility
Review: It is an easy and fun read. Having said that I should point several disappointments. First, the backcover implies that the author knew Feynman fairly well. After reading the book one understands that the author is almost a total stranger to Feynman. They have very few, short, sporadic chats but that is it. This hurts the credibility of the author's claim that he understands Feynman's search in life. Second, the emphasis on author's insecurities about his academic capabilities are too hard to understand and almost irritating. Third, Murray Gell-Mann is the villain in the book just because he has very common personality traits that most of the famous scientists share. Fourth, Helen character as the department secretary is hard to believe. No administrative person in any university has such a power on a young professor that she/he can prevent him/her to consult fellow scientists. Finally, half Greek half Italian handsome postdoc fellow is in the book to fill some space. He is too obvious as a fiction trick. His character lacks the depth.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Reading
Review: Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5) July 14, 2003 The author of the book is the writer of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I have always wondered about the man behind the scenes who created the story of Star Trek: TNG. The book described the time he spent as a young promising scientist at Caltech. He was offered a job at Caltech as a freelance scientist, where he was told by the chairman that he could work on anything he wanted. The implication was that he was expected to deliver earth-shattering results in the same calibre as those of the esteemed scientists in the department. Such pressure turned out to be crushing and he decided to seek advice from someone down the hall, the Nobel Prize winner and iconoclast Richard Feynman. This book is so easy to read that I finished reading in one day. I walked into a bookstore on a Saturday afternoon, picked up this book, and read from page 1 to page 123. Then I bought the book, went home and finished the rest in the same evening. The writing in this book is both witty and heart-warming. At times, the author is so witty that I laughed out aloud at several places. "Descartes never got up before noon. He must have been a pioneer in this tradition because people didn't understand and it earned him the reputation of being lazy. Still, he managed to revolutionize the fields of physics, mathematics, and philosophy. Not bad for a lazy guy." [p.125] Although mixed with bits and pieces of science explained carefully enough that anyone can understand them, they are actually the minor features in the book. The book reads like a novel and through the 2 characters of Murray and especially Feynman, it sheds some insight about the attitude of scientists. Feynman is portrayed here not only as a super genius in physics, which of course he is, but rather as a Socrates who guides the author to find his own answers to the inquiry of science and life. The one insight from Feynman that I find most memorable is about the psychological aspect: he would convince himself that he must have an inside track in the problem so that all the other guys would have no chance, much like when the Africians go to war, and they beat drums and get themselves excited. I cannot help but to wonder that Feynman is shown almost like Captain Picard of the Enterprise in Star Trek. Perhaps this resemblance motivated the writer to create the character of Picard when he later became a writer in Hollywood.
Rating:
Summary: The human side of Caltech
Review: The author provides a very honest perspective on what it's like to be a grad student at Caltech. Some reviewers might be disappointed to find that the people at Caltech, including Feynman, are human and vulnerable. Mlodinow strips away the facade. At the same time, he also shows that beneath the scientific rigor, the people are more thoughtful and philosophical than one might expect. If you're a grad student at a high-powered institution (Caltech, MIT, Ivies et al), or you once were a grad student, take a couple of hours to read this book. You will relate so well to Mlodinow's experience of feeling human in a world of supposed prophets and gods. I also recommend Euclid's Window by the same author. I utterly disagree with those who criticize Mlodinow as a writer - he is both talented and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Feynman Speaks
Review: There are so many informative, detailed reviews here that one can appreciate how much of an impression this little book has made on its readers. Or is it that Feynman's mythic power and personality still deeply resonate years after his death? All I want to say is that this memoir from an earlier time in Mlodinow's life opens a window to the process of discovery in science and in individuals. It recalls a crucial period for the author, who was at a crossroad and was looking for guidance. Feynman guides by not guiding, and by holding up a mirror to Mlodinow. I also enjoyed the understandable explanations of scientific theories, the discussions of string theory, and the clear presentation of Babylonian/Grecian world views.
This book is well worth reading for both the nonscientist and the scientist, and for all those young people seeking to find their place in the world.
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