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Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character | Richard Phillips Feynman
Richard Feynman (1918-1988), winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, thrived on outrageous adventures. Here he recounts in his inimitable voice his experience trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and Bohr and ideas on gambling with Nick the Greek; cracking the uncrackable safes guarding the most deeply held nuclear secrets; painting a naked female toreador - and much else of an eyebrow-raising nature. In short, here is Feynman's life in all its eccentric glory - a combustible mixture of high intelligence, unlimited curiosity, and raging chutzpah.
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caffeinated
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I updated my phone's OS and now I can't post on Litsy anymore 😣.
Anyway, I started reading another book 😊

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Pickpick

I was not expecting this book to be so interesting. Each chapter goes off in a direction you do not expect. As a kid he fixed radios, his time through college, his wild interests from hypnosis to safe cracking, to exploring different cultures, safe cracking, his art which I had to Google and actually really love.
His misogyny is strong, he drops in that he has 3 wives but never how they met or anything else about the women.
Overall a fun read.

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Reading through this and it has some of the best chapter openings. Turn the page not knowing where this story is going to go:

"I learned to pick locks from a guy named Leo Lavatelli."

"I used to cross the United States in my automobile every summer, trying to make it to the Pacific Ocean. But, for various reasons, I would always get stuck somewhere - usually in Las Vegas."

"Once I was at a party playing bongos, and I got going pretty well."

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TimSpalding
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Feynman is interesting, but, with all due respect, kind of an asshole. And he doesn‘t know when he‘s not being interesting.

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DarkPizza
Mehso-so

It was fine. Dr. Feynman definitely seems like he was a fun and interesting man. There was a lot of stuff about women that truly has not aged well... but attitudes were very different in the 40s and 50s, when much of the book takes place, and even in 85, when it was released. I was pleased with how openly Feynman discussed sex and drugs, and with how little racism appears in the book despite its pre-civil-rights, immediately postwar setting.

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Bookwomble
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character | Richard Phillips Feynman, Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings
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Pickpick

It took me over 100 pages to decide I wanted to spend time with Feynman, but he grew on me (despite the chapter on his "pick-up artist" phase ?). Or, rather, the stuff he was talking became more interesting, as I'm left not really knowing much about Feynman's interior world. I understand his second volume of memoirs is more personal, and while I'm not inclined to search it out, I'll read it if I trip over it. 3.5 ?

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Bookwomble
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character | Richard Phillips Feynman, Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings
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"If I'm not actually enjoying it by page 100, I think I'll move on to something else."
That was yesterday. I'm on page 156 now, so I guess I'm enjoying it ?

GingerAntics Love when that happens. 4y
19 likes1 comment
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Bookwomble
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character | Richard Phillips Feynman, Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings
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Am I enjoying this? 🤔
Well, I'm not not-enjoying it.
If I'm not actually enjoying it by page 100, I think I'll move on to something else.
I'm not joking, Mr. Feynman!

saresmoore 😄 4y
23 likes1 comment
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Bookwomble
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character | Richard Phillips Feynman, Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings
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“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It's their mistake, not my failing.”

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Sophie_Evans
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“ Have fun work hard.
Have a positive outlook on life.
Grab your chances.
When it's not fun, move on.“

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RileyEvans
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mrroysanchez
Pickpick

This is an amazing book.
Feynman describes his problem solving and thinking process by telling hilarious and surprising stories. He teaches himself how to crack safes, pick up showgirls, and solve complicated mathematical equations in his head. I learned so much.

Really, the best part of this book is Feynman‘s explanation of why textbooks are written so poorly. It exemplifies how bureaucracy harms education.

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Patchshank
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Somehow I forgot all about this book until now.

It's a book of autobiographical stories of the shenanigans Feynman got up to. Usually involving his curiosity and a new idea. Being an extremely curious person he would also learn all sorts of random skills. Sometimes later on in his life these random skills came in handy to solve problems. It's a really funny book. He really was a character.

#tarottakeover @ErinSueMreads @Meaw_catlady

24 likes3 comments
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Querencia
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Pickpick

Been some time coz I was juggling through many books. And this fellow comes up and steals all my time 🤣❤
One of the greatest and craziest intellects of our time 💯 I learnt and laughed and wished if he was one of my teachers 🥺😍 Can a scientist BE any more fun?? 😝🤣🖤
#science #feynman #joking #scientist

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sircacofonix

I wonder why. I wonder why.
I wonder why I wonder.
I wonder why I wonder why.
I wonder why I wonder!

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GoneFishing

[John] von Neumann gave me an interesting idea: that you don't have to be responsible for the world that you're in. So I have developed a very powerful sense of social irresponsibility as a result of von Neumann's advice. It's made me a very happy man ever since. But it was von Neumann who put the seed in that grew into my active irresponsibility!

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Gezemice
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I know this is for #nonfiction2019 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa , but I love ticking off lists so I wanted to see how I did this year. I read 22 nonfiction books (and dnf-ed 2). Covered most! Some choice picks: The New Jim Crow, American Wolf, Steve Jobs, Becoming, The Future of Humanity, Let‘s Pretend This Never Happened, Surely You‘re Joking Mr Feynman!

AiBBot I am still working on my 2017 Bingo card. Well done. (edited) 6y
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yagati_a
Pickpick

Tour de France ! Richard Feynman is such a character. A must read for everyone. Honest, Frank and adventurous indeed.

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knzii

I couldn‘t see how anyone could be educated by this self-propagating system in which people pass exams, and teach others to pass exams, but nobody knows anything.

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Smangela
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Gabe is obviously the best. This is completely outside my wheelhouse and I‘m so excited to have received something I would have never picked up myself. But those are the rules. If you are one of the 3rd place winners you get to pick a book off your TBR (up to $25) 😳😍

Want to get in on his new #giveaway? Use my link!

http://vy.tc/evWsX54

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Gezemice
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Pickpick

Mr. Feynman was a curious character. Besides being a great physicist and lecturer, he was also a practical jokester, a ladies man, a musician, a polyglot, and most of all, he possessed a childlike excitement for learning, a thirst for all knowledge. Great, no-nonsense writing, but my narrator, Ralph Leighton, talked in a sing-song voice, which I found annoying. I recommend reading it instead. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

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Dolly
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Mehso-so

Interesting in several thought provoking ways but much of this book was over my head in the math department. Science and number nerds may love this but I delayed reading Sing Unburied Sing for this!

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Gezemice
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1. Plan less. Read more of my favorite authors. Read more in Hungarian. Read more about different cultures.
2. I will be still reading War and Peace, but Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman should come in soon at the library.
3. Knitting while listening to audiobooks
4. Around the Year in 52 books, #LitsyClassics2018
5. My triangular lap pillow - holds up books so I don't have to
6. @BarbaraTheBibliophage @IWriteInTheNight @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

See All 27 Comments
Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Lol! I would have never guessed! 😉Actually, I didn't, we never talked about it but I am not too surprised. I should just stop making a reading list and read yours! 7y
IWriteInTheNight I like your reading goals, mine are similar as well. I am currently reading Russian literature. Do you have any suggestions for Hungarian authors? 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice I was thinking something similar, instead of planning and making lists I should just read whatever you read next year! 😂 7y
BookishTrish @IWriteInTheNight I am into Russian lit too and am constantly curious about Hungarian lit. I can recommend 7y
BookishTrish This ones about a Hungarian family 7y
IWriteInTheNight @BookishTrish oh wow thanks so much!😍 id definitely check them out! May I ask which of the Russian books do you like? I am currently reading master and margarita have you read it? 7y
BookishTrish @IWriteInTheNight Absolutely! It's an amazing experience! I should really reread it sometime. My favourite Russian books (well some of them) are 7y
BookishTrish And many many many more that I can't think of off the top of my head 😁😜 7y
IWriteInTheNight @BookishTrish I am currently reading Anna karenina. We both have similar taste in Russian lit so now I feel I can ask you for recommendations😜. 7y
Wbabdullah #audioknitting and #audiocrafting rules! What a way to maximize time and relaxation!! 7y
Gezemice @IWriteInTheNight I am not really a good one to ask! I have been out of Hungary for 20 years and I will have to ask my old friends for recommendations myself. I meant that I want to read the books I inherited from my mother, most of which are Hungarian translations of world classics, and my childhood favorites. The most well-beloved Hungarian novel is The Stars of Eger, the translation is atrocious, however, and unfortunately titled 7y
Gezemice @IWriteInTheNight Another childhood favorite is The Paul Street Boys by Ferenc Molnár, I believe this has a good translation. Abigél by Magda Szabó was another favorite of mine but I am not sure if there is a translation. It is such a great YA novel, I think it would make a successful movie (it was a great mini-series in Hungary) 7y
Gezemice @IWriteInTheNight You are probably better off with @Bookishtrish 's recommendations, I will look at them myself, thanks! :) (edited) 7y
Gezemice @IWriteInTheNight Oh, the Litsy links are useless! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/420692.Eclipse_of_the_Crescent_Moon , unfortunately Abigel is not available in English but this has some English reviews https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1845128.Abig_l . I thought maybe I should translate it.... 7y
Gezemice @IWriteInTheNight @BookishTrish I love Anna Karenina, too! And anything by Dostoyevsky. Currently reading War and Peace. It is testing me but it is good. 7y
Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Maybe we can just share what we both are planning to read. Since I want to have less planned reading, I should have more time just to read whatever we both may like! 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice Sounds like a plan. But let‘s share as we go, that way we can both follow our whims. I could plan out the whole year, but I know I won‘t stick to it, I couldn‘t even stick to my original AtoZ pucks last year. Maybe do our own book club of two email meet up with what‘s on our radar for each month...approximately/hopefully 7y
Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa That sounds like a good idea! Let's do it! 7y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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I‘m don‘t believe this quote is from this book, but here‘s my #Study quote, a few days late for #QuotsyDec17

“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.”

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soldeace
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After being lured into clicking an Audible daily offer WHICH DIDN'T EXIST for the n-th time, I got so pissed that I bought a long-sitting audiobook in my wishlist which isn't even on a sale. Ha! Take that, Amazon!... 🤔

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Listener15
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Day 20: Celestial/Solstice. I couldn't find any Solstice books, so those involving space and stars will have to do! #riotgrams

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needleminding
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#AprilBookShowers Day 17 #OntheNightstand
Anyone else have yet to build or buy the perfect nightstand or booklover-supporting headboard?

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GoneFishing

You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It's their mistake, not my failing.

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Oblomov26
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Pickpick

Richard Feynman, physicist, Nobel prize winner, participant in the Manhattan project, teacher, storyteller, safecracker, drummer and lover of women. A truly unique character, who in many ways I find myself respecting, for his curiosity, his approach to solving problems, a man who lives life on his own terms, but his attitude to women can be grating and feels out of touch with modern values. A good book, a great raconteur, but not without issues.

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Vaiva
Pickpick

That's a great book for everyone who loves science, understanding people and their mind. It's funny, sarcastic and about love for life and science.

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