Audible Book Review - "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!" by Richard P. Feynman

I felt the need to take advantage of Audible's collection of non-fiction books. One of my co-workers suggested that I would enjoy a book by or about Richard P. Feynman, a Noble Prize winning physicist who had a most curious personality. I first heard about Feynman in the song "Every Major's Terrible" by XKCD (performed here with great skill by Errol), but later learned more about from a number of sources, including videos on his famous diagrams and his ability to crack safes at the Manhattan project. As I have an interest in science I figured I could do a lot worst than learning about a rather unorthodox professor and researcher of physics. Here is the link to Audible's page for the book. The book is a collection of reminiscences starting with stories from his childhood up through his work on the Manhattan project and winning the Nobel prize. It is narrated by Raymond Todd who does a great job. Between his wonderful narration and the first person narrative it felt like I was listening to Feynman himself.

Plot: Richard P. Feynman was was always interested in puzzles. He had to figure things out. This led him to degrees in physics and a career in teaching and research. He found a joy in physics that was unmatched by anything else. His interests included pranks, drums, girls, drawing, and solving any puzzle he could get his hands on. He fixed radios, conducted experiments in physics and biology, cracked safes, learned languages, subjected himself to sensory deprivation so he could experience hallucinations, was hypnotized, played in a samba bad in Brazil and drums for a ballet, and wished he had never won the Nobel Prize. These reminiscences roughly follow Feynman's life, but are organized by themes as well. In them he explains what led to some of his greatest adventures and the benefits he received from them. He does not dwell on his family or day to day activities. Rather, he allows the reader to experience the things that brought him joy and impacted his life in many ways. The book ends with a chapter adapted from a commencement talk he gave at Cal Tech and is a great summation of his love of science and his advice for those that look to learn from it.

My personal favorites: That one person could have so many different experiences was a delight to read about. The fact that he did (and got away with) as much as he did shows that life is only boring to those that choose to make it so. I enjoyed reading about his dedication to the things that he enjoyed. As a yellow personality I understand the desire to find enjoyment in life. While he did it in some ways that I disapprove of I can still appreciate his efforts. This book is just fun to listen to.

Considerations: As a personal memoir the book does describe his interest in some things that others may not approve of. While there is very little implications of sex, Feynman did take a lot of interest in girls. There are no inappropriate descriptions of any individual instances, i.e. the girls are all described in generic terms ("nifty" "stunning" etc,) and the only references of a sexual nature is in a short story about Feynman learning how to get girls he met in bars to do more than just make him buy drinks. There is a little language throughout the book as Feynman might be considered a "hell" and "damn" man, but there is one use of very strong language when quoting an artist friend who apparently wasn't.

In addition to providing a lot of really run anecdotes about a brilliant, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, this book did cause me to think about what it takes to have these kinds of adventures. Richard Feynman may not be a role model in some ways, but he does demonstrate how to approach life in a way that will help you experience the adventures you want to have. It really boils down to a curious mind, a willingness to try new and strange things, and the determination to follow through.