Rating: 
Summary: funny, informative, and even a little inspiring
Review: "Tuva or Bust!" is the story of three friends in the 1980s, who were determined to travel to Tuva, a little known land in Central Asia, which at that time was part of the Soviet Union. Their original motivation? As Richard Feynman says in the first chapter, "A place that's spelled K-Y-Z-Y-L (Tuva's capitol) has just got to be interesting!"The book chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Ralph Leighton, one of Feynman's longtime friends. Though the book is subtitled "Richard Feynman's Last Journey," it's really Leighton's story; Feynman is more of an inspiration and a supporting character. Over several years, Leighton and his friends wrote letters, researched articles, read books, and became more and more fascinated by Tuva, a tiny country in the middle of nowhere. They learned, among other things, that Tuvans practice three different types of steppe herding lifestyles, within a hundred miles of each other, and that Tuva is the home of throat-singing, a musical technique in which a single person produces two notes at the same time. Leighton's narration is chatty, reminiscent of Feynman's autobiographical works; one suspects Leighton learned to tell anecdotes from his friend. However, Leighton isn't as inherently fascinating a narrator as Feynman. Also, Feynman's persistent cancer, which kept him from participating in several preliminary trips, and finally killed him shortly before Leighton received permission for a group of Americans to travel to Tuva itself, casts a pall over the book. Still, this is a fascinating story -- a great example of what people can do if they really care about a cause, and don't realize precisely how little chance they have of succeeding. It is also informative, if somewhat superficial in its description of Tuvan culture; I now want to know more about Central Asian peoples, and Tuvans in particular. But while the chapter "Reflections 2000," included in the new paperback version of "Tuva or Bust!" is interesting, I really don't think it was fair of Leighton to mention a new idea for a Tuvan monument to Feynman, and refuse to give any details. Now I want another reprint!
Rating:
Summary: funny, informative, and even a little inspiring
Review: "Tuva or Bust!" is the story of three friends in the 1980s, who were determined to travel to Tuva, a little known land in Central Asia, which at that time was part of the Soviet Union. Their original motivation? As Richard Feynman says in the first chapter, "A place that's spelled K-Y-Z-Y-L (Tuva's capitol) has just got to be interesting!" The book chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Ralph Leighton, one of Feynman's longtime friends. Though the book is subtitled "Richard Feynman's Last Journey," it's really Leighton's story; Feynman is more of an inspiration and a supporting character. Over several years, Leighton and his friends wrote letters, researched articles, read books, and became more and more fascinated by Tuva, a tiny country in the middle of nowhere. They learned, among other things, that Tuvans practice three different types of steppe herding lifestyles, within a hundred miles of each other, and that Tuva is the home of throat-singing, a musical technique in which a single person produces two notes at the same time. Leighton's narration is chatty, reminiscent of Feynman's autobiographical works; one suspects Leighton learned to tell anecdotes from his friend. However, Leighton isn't as inherently fascinating a narrator as Feynman. Also, Feynman's persistent cancer, which kept him from participating in several preliminary trips, and finally killed him shortly before Leighton received permission for a group of Americans to travel to Tuva itself, casts a pall over the book. Still, this is a fascinating story -- a great example of what people can do if they really care about a cause, and don't realize precisely how little chance they have of succeeding. It is also informative, if somewhat superficial in its description of Tuvan culture; I now want to know more about Central Asian peoples, and Tuvans in particular. But while the chapter "Reflections 2000," included in the new paperback version of "Tuva or Bust!" is interesting, I really don't think it was fair of Leighton to mention a new idea for a Tuvan monument to Feynman, and refuse to give any details. Now I want another reprint!
Rating: 
Summary: Something To Do
Review: A peculiar book: Ralph Leighton's TUVA OR BUST isn't really about Richard Feynman, who, the more one reads about him, begins to seem a genius, yes, but more than a little insufferable. He does instigate this whimsical notion of visiting Tannu Tuva (which had become Tuvinskaya of the U.S.S.R. (the book takes place from the late 1970s to Feynman's death in 1989), but the ball is picked up by Leighton, and Feynman is merely a supporting actor in the book. The quest carries itself through many frustrations, mostly having to do w/ the hermetic paranoia of the Soviet Union, which seems to work like an enormous rural county: If you know someone, then things can be smoothed out; if not, then the official channels will be little help. I'm not sure why anyone would read this book. There's no reason to if you're interested in Feynman, because, besides his concoctions to fit in at Esalen, amongst the New Age mumbo-jumbo, his mind is absent from the book. His personality & his drumming are there on occasion, but Feynman's thinking, no. Leighton is not intrinsically interesting, and though a fluent writer, gives little sense of character. All the foreigners are forgettable, so the index is very handy. When a name turns up on page 150, say, then one can look it up to see which person this is. As one reads, one begins to have the same thoughts about oneself that one has about Leighton's attempts to visit Tuva: Why am I going on?. Moreover, I think that one comes up with the same answer: Just to get through the damn thing. By the time that Leighton reaches Tuva (without Feynman, who died just a smidgen too soon), the appearance is anti-climactic, and the land is colorless: A Nevada trailer-park suburb, but with yurts instead of double-wides. TUVA OR BUST! becomes a critique of bureaucracy. The slow, spirit-killing, mind-numbing bureaucracy of the Soviet Union ensured that Feynman would die without reaching Tuva. Our world, in which stupid little men can control our lives, is death to the spirit, and is death to the spirit of Feynman, insufferable though he may be, and inexplicably kow-towed to by everyone (you get the feeling that Feynman never opens a door for anyone or shuts one for himself). TUVA OR BUST!, in its pedestrian prose, preaches, unwittingly, I think, for a freedom for whimsy, for the spirit, for the individual. At the same time, excepting the author and his male friends (his wife is also colorless), the book has no individuals. So, by the end, nothing: No Tuva to speak of, no more Feynman, nothing but an accomplishment to scratch off the list.
Rating:
Summary: Mostly Great, But Slightly Condescending!
Review: Did you know of certain artists who painted scenes on a human hair! Yes, bring your magnifying glass! Or singing in 2 part harmony with only one singer! I surely did not before reading this book! However, as a stamp collector starting at a very young age (about 7) , I also was fascinated by the Tanna Tuva stamps, and still have a nice assortment of diamonds and triangles. This book is an amusing and informative read, not least in its descriptions of meetings between Soviet and western scholars during some of the "Bad Old Days" of the 1980's Cold War, including moments like the shooting of KAL 007 near Korea. At times , though, there does seem to be a slightly condescending attitude towards a small section of Siberia based on what seems "funny" to English speakers. Nonetheless a very worthwhile read, with many amusing anecdotes, not to mention the amazing cancer recovery attitude of Mr. Feynmann himself!
Rating:
Summary: Eureka!
Review: Ever wonder what happened to the country that issued those funny shaped stamps in the 1930s? A Nobel physic winner and friend tried wading through Russian Red Tape to find out.
Rating: 
Summary: Desperately seeking Tuva
Review: Having just seen -- and very much enjoyed -- the film Genghis Blues, I decided to try and find a copy of Tuva or Bust. No copies even at The Strand (!) If anyone has an extra copy and would consider selling it to me, please drop me a line. THANKS!
Rating:
Summary: Tuva or Bust! A journey worth taking.
Review: Having the priviledge of seeing the play QED catalyzed my purchase of this wonderful book. This is no ordinary journey by no ordinary genius(es). It is a hilarious example of persistance required to learn all there is to know (without the aid of the Internet!) about an inaccessible culture, and then secure permission to travel to a dream-like land. This easy to read book makes me want to pick an obscure topic and make it my own hobby. My only disappointment is that the narrative lacked information about Professor Feynman's more personal trials and thoughts during this demanding period of his life. There were many chapters that rarely mentioned Feynman as the "journey" continued. Beyond that, it is a must read, not just for Feynman fans like myself, but for all of us that need to refresh ourselves with a bit of eccentricity in the form of a unique, personal goal.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly interesting travel saga featuring R. Feynman
Review: I began reading "Tuva or Bust" as a result of my admiration
for physicist Richard Feynman. Although subtitled "Richard
Feynman's Last Journey," "Tuva or Bust" is more about the
efforts of the author, Richard Leighton, to get permission and the means to visit a Soviet republic formerly known as
Tannu Tuva in the 1980's because "any country whose capital
is spelled 'Kyzyl' must be worth visiting."
The book is simultaneously an adventure story, a manual on
how to do research and a loving (in a manly way) tribute to
the genius of Richard Feynman. I learned more from this
little book than from the last half-dozen tomes consumed.
As an added bonus, (the hardcover edition, at least) contains
a vinyl record with samples of Tuvan "throat singing" in which
the singer produces two notes simultaneously!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing.
Review: I bought this book because I enjoy reading about Richard Feynman. I did not enjoy this book, although I really wanted to. Not only is this tale only peripherally about Richard Feynman, it turned out to be an amateurish, dull, and plodding recounting of an apparently frivolous goal turned obsession. The writing was lifeless and tedious. Although I got through the whole book, I found myself wondering why I bothered. If anyone wants my copy, e-mail me.
Rating: 
Summary: Drags
Review: I enjoyed the beginning of this book, but after a while it just drags. Could have been a nice story in the New Yorker, but as a book it just doesn't cut it. Forced my way to the end. Summary: Couple of guys want to get to this obscure place cause they like the name. Jump through lots of hoops trying to get permission. One of them dies. Permission comes. That's all folks.
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