Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, by Richard Feynman
I think this is the third time I've read this book, but it still entertains
and inspires. Feynman seemed to have an inexhaustible curiosity and tenacity
in all areas of life that piqued his interest, from safe-cracking to playing
the bongo drums, to learning Japanese. But despite the fact that practically
every story ends with him saying "and so I learned from this experience
that...", it's not tiresome.
This time through, the things that stuck in my mind included
- His resolution never to touch alcohol after feeling himself tempted to go
for a drink in the afternoon
- Mixing paints
- The way he found that after spending time learning to paint, he found
himself finding that works of art painted by great masters really did look
better
- The "Cargo Cult Science" chapter at the end where he explains scientists'
duty to be honest about their work, even if it means publishing results which
put them in a bad light
I'm not sure that Feynman would be a very easy companion to
have but he'd certainly be an interesting one.
Completed : 07-Aug-2003
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