"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman"
(Book Review)

This is more about introduction to Richard Feynman than review of this book. "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman" is one of the must read book, for anyone ,mainly who have  interest in Physics.

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": is a collection of aneqdotes by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, edited from taped conversations that Feynman had with his close friend and drumming partner Ralph Leighton.In fact, the title was also an aneqdote, it originated from an aneqdote which was:-A woman's response at Princeton University when, after she asked the newly-arrived Feynman if he wanted cream or lemon in his tea, he requested both (not knowing that they would curdle).

Moreover,his curiosity is represented by  subtitle of this book :Adventures of a Curious Character.

This book, released in 1985, covers a variety of instances in Feynman's life. Some are humorous and funny, such as his fascination with safe-cracking, fondness for topless bars, and ventures into art and samba music., romance with his girlfriend Putsy. Others are serious, including his work on the Manhattan Project (during which his first wife Arline Greenbaum (Putsy) died of tuberculosis) and his critique of the science education system in Brazil.

Childhood
Richard Phillips Feynman was born on May 11, 1918, in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York.His family originated from Russia and Poland; both of his parents were Jewish, but they were not devout. The young Feynman was heavily influenced by his father, Melville, who encouraged him to ask questions to challenge orthodox thinking. From his mother, Lucille, he gained the sense of humor that he had throughout his life. As a child, he delighted in repairing radios and had a talent for engineering.

Character

He was regarded as an eccentric and free spirit. By his early youth, Feynman described himself as an "avowed atheist".He studied Maya hieroglyphs, was a prankster, juggler, safecracker, bongo player, and a proud amateur painter. He could link anything with Physics, and always had smile on his face, perhaps this must be his his enlightment of Physics.

Works

He will be known forever for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as in particle physics (he proposed the parton model). For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman, jointly with Julian Schwinger and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965. He developed a widely used pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions governing the behavior of subatomic particles, which later became known as Feynman diagrams. During his lifetime, Feynman became one of the best-known scientists in the world.  He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb and was a member of the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. In addition to his work in theoretical physics, Feynman has been credited with pioneering the field of quantum computing, and introducing the concept of nanotechnology.

Aboveall,Feynman is a person who introduced element of humour and fun in Physics,and removed the mundane tag from this subject forever.

~By S.T