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An illuminating portrayal of Richard Feynman—a giant of twentieth century physics—from his childhood tinkering with radios, to his vital work on the Manhattan Project and beyond
Raised in Depression-era Rockaway Beach, physicist Richard Feynman was irreverent, eccentric, and childishly enthusiastic—a new kind of scientist in a field that was in its infancy. His quick mastery of quantum mechanics earned him a place at Los Alamos working on the Manhattan Project under J. Robert Oppenheimer, where the giddy young man held his own among the nation’s greatest minds. There, Feynman turned theory into practice, culminating in the Trinity test, on July 16, 1945, when the Atomic Age was born. He was only twenty-seven. And he was just getting started. In this sweeping biography, James Gleick captures the forceful personality of a great man, integrating Feynman’s work and life in a way that is accessible to laymen and fascinating for the scientists who follow in his footsteps.
| Prologue | 3 | |
| Far Rockaway | 17 | |
| MIT | 51 | |
| Princeton | 93 | |
| Los Alamos | 153 | |
| Cornell | 207 | |
| CalTech | 281 | |
| Epilogue | 429 | |
| Acknowledgments | 441 | |
| Notes | 445 | |
| A Feynman Bibliography | 493 | |
| Bibliography | 499 | |
| Index | 517 | |
| Illustration Credits | 532 |
Anonymous
Posted June 9, 2000
I have read other books by this author. He describes his subjects with the utmost scrutiny. The other well known books about Dr. Feyman give him a superfical look of a very clever man. He was. They did not share his agonies, frustrations that were everlasting and devastating to most people. It might split many other people in pain. Looking at his career, successes, acknowledgements, and his God given abilities. Gleich helped me put Dr. Feyman's story in order to give him a human image which made me look at him with all the more admiration.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.mybabyboylucas
Posted November 30, 2012
I read Gleick's book on Isaac Newton several times and felt compelled to read this as well. For some reason I've been hearing more and more about Feynman lately and wanted to learn about him in depth. Gleick's book is absolutely fascinating, giving incredible detail about everything from his youth to women to relationships with other famous scientists of the day. The only reason I didn't give it 5 points is some of the science details were a bit overwhelming for my non-genius brain. Incredible man! A real gift to the world! Plan to read Chaos next!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 15, 2007
Gleick is an outstanding writer, and this is an exceptional book. However, if you are looking for an indepth/dumbed down description of the science of Feynman, with charts and lots of analogies (as you would find in his other work 'Chaos'), then this book will disapoint.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 16, 2006
Genius is about Richard Feynman, an extraordinary physicist, and a very eccentric person. It documents his life, from birth to death and everywhere in between. It begins with his early childhood, his inspirations, and his discovery of physics. It details his undergraduate studies and his increased interest in quantum physics. It describes his journey through Princeton and Los Alamos as well as his Nobel Prize winning theory. Finally, the biography documents his works on the challenger disaster as well as his death. The author had good reason to write this biography. Richard Feynman was a very interesting and eccentric character. The author, in my opinion, might have been trying to show that even if you go against the flow, you might very well be right. Feynman developed the quantum theory of electronics despite the beliefs of the time which were contrary to his theory. It shows how one should pursue what one feels to be right in the face of adversity. Furthermore, Feynman played an integral part in many of the important scientific events of the mid 20th century and the author felt that he needed to be appreciated. As such, I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read about a very interesting man who changed the course of history in some cases. If you are seeking to study quantum physics, this book contains many of the details necessary to understand Feynman¿s thoughts as well. All in all, it is quite a good read.
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Posted May 7, 2009
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Overview
An illuminating portrayal of Richard Feynman—a giant of twentieth century physics—from his childhood tinkering with radios, to his vital work on the Manhattan Project and beyond
Raised in Depression-era Rockaway Beach, physicist Richard Feynman was irreverent, eccentric, and childishly enthusiastic—a new kind of scientist in a field that was in its infancy. His quick mastery of quantum mechanics earned him a place at Los Alamos working on the Manhattan Project under J. ...