Unfortunately, when most people hear of theoretical physics, they picture endless equations with weird symbols on a seemingly infinite number of chalkboards. However, rarely, if ever, are they able to gain insight into the minds of the people that have to deal with such a subject on a daily basis. Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman offers such an opportunity. Written by the 1965 Nobel Prize winner, Richard Feynman, Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman, offers a crash-course into the thought process behind working with science, without being mired down with the equations. In this book, Feynman explains that curiosity is a necessity for the eternal learning process. In other words, to truly become proficient at something, you must be willing to learn about it in and out of the classroom. However, rather than reiterating his view point thousands of times, he does it discretely through a series of personal anecdotes, many rich with humour as well as experience. Throughout the book, Richard Feynman warns against the dangers of “fragile” learning, promoting knowledge through understanding rather than through memorization. However, rather than repeating himself, he gives multiple stories, ranging from his travels to Brazil to his collaborations with the famous high-roller, Nick the Greek. The language used in this book is very colloquial and easy to read. This is due to his skills as a captivating story-teller as well as the fact that many of the chapters are taken directly from lectures he has given at various points in his life. While Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman is very readable, Richard Feynman would have done well to include diagrams or schematics to help explain some of the more abstract scientific concepts he brings to light. Nevertheless, this autobiography serves as a useful tool for those interested in gaining a background in science. However, the wide array of stories also give the reader a taste of more esoteric topics as well, such as gambling, playing the bongos and safe-cracking, appealing to a wide range of interests and people.
Unfortunately, when most people hear of theoretical physics, they picture endless equations with weird symbols on a seemingly infinite number of chalkboards. However, rarely, if ever, are they able to gain insight into the minds of the people that have to deal with such a subject on a daily basis. Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman offers such an opportunity. Written by the 1965 Nobel Prize winner, Richard Feynman, Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman, offers a crash-course into the thought process behind working with science, without being mired down with the equations. In this book, Feynman explains that curiosity is a necessity for the eternal learning process. In other words, to truly become proficient at something, you must be willing to learn about it in and out of the classroom. However, rather than reiterating his view point thousands of times, he does it discretely through a series of personal anecdotes, many rich with humour as well as experience. Throughout the book, Richard Feynman warns against the dangers of “fragile” learning, promoting knowledge through understanding rather than through memorization. However, rather than repeating himself, he gives multiple stories, ranging from his travels to Brazil to his collaborations with the famous high-roller, Nick the Greek. The language used in this book is very colloquial and easy to read. This is due to his skills as a captivating story-teller as well as the fact that many of the chapters are taken directly from lectures he has given at various points in his life. While Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman is very readable, Richard Feynman would have done well to include diagrams or schematics to help explain some of the more abstract scientific concepts he brings to light. Nevertheless, this autobiography serves as a useful tool for those interested in gaining a background in science. However, the wide array of stories also give the reader a taste of more esoteric topics as well, such as gambling, playing the bongos and safe-cracking, appealing to a wide range of interests and people.
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