Perfectly reasonable deviations from the beaten track : the letters of Richard P. Feynman
- Responsibility
- edited and with additional commentary by Michelle Feynman ; foreword by Timothy Ferris.
- Imprint
- New York : Basic Books, c2005.
- Physical description
- xxiii, 486 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Online
Available online
At the library
Science Library (Li and Ma)
Stacks
| Call number | Note | Status |
|---|---|---|
| QC16 .F49 A4 2005 |
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Description
Creators/Contributors
- Author/Creator
- Feynman, Richard P. (Richard Phillips), 1918-1988
- Contributor
- Feynman, Michelle.
Contents/Summary
- Publisher's summary
-
An extraordinary volume of never-before-published letters written by one of America's most beloved scientists Richard P. Feynman, brilliant physicist and beloved teacher, is an iconic figure in the world of science. Born in 1918, Feynman received his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1942 and went on to win the Nobel Prize in physics in 1965 for his research in quantum electrodynamics. Besides his work as a physicist, Feynman was at various times an artist, dancer, bongo player, and lock picker. While there have been many books celebrating his myriad scientific achievements and personal eccentricities, his personal correspondence has remained largely hidden from view. Now, for the first time, we have the privilege of reading his wonderful letters to students, long-lost relatives, former lovers, crackpots, colleagues, and die-hard fans. From his early love letters to his first wife Arline, who died of tuberculosis, to his decades-long attempt to resign from the National Academy of Sciences, Feynman shares his views on feminism, fatherhood and everything in between. These letters, which span a full half-century, tell the story of a marvellous and inventive life, and reveal the pathos and wisdom of a man many felt close to but few really knew. By turns abrasive and charming, intimate and inspiring, we see the many sides of Richard Feynman, and treasure him all the more.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
- Publisher's summary
-
A Nobel Prize-winning physicist, a loving husband and father, an enthusiastic teacher, a surprisingly accomplished bongo player, and a genius of the highest caliber---Richard P. Feynman was all these and more. Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track--collecting over forty years' worth of Feynman's letters--offers an unprecedented look at the writer and thinker whose scientific mind and lust for life made him a legend in his own time. Containing missives to and from such scientific luminaries as Victor Weisskopf, Stephen Wolfram, James Watson, and Edward Teller, as well as a remarkable selection of letters to and from fans, students, family, and people from around the world eager for Feynman's advice and counsel, Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track not only illuminates the personal relationships that underwrote the key developments in modern science, but also forms the most intimate look at Feynman yet available. Feynman was a man many felt close to but few really knew, and this collection reveals the full wisdom and private passion of a personality that captivated everyone it touched. Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track is an eloquent testimony to the virtue of approaching the world with an inquiring eye; it demonstrates the full extent of the Feynman legacy like never before. Edited and with additional commentary by his daughter Michelle, it's a must-read for Feynman fans everywhere, and for anyone seeking to better understand one of the towering figures--and defining personalities--of the twentieth century.
(source: Nielsen Book Data) - Supplemental links
- Table of contents
Subjects
Bibliographic information
- Publication date
- 2005
- Note
- Includes index.
- ISBN
- 0738206369 (alk. paper)
- 9780738206363 (alk. paper)
- 0465023711 (pbk.)
- 9780465023714 (pbk.)
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