Dick Feynman was a Nobel laureate and professor of theoretical physics at Cornell and Cal Tech. Like many accomplished people, he had a unique reputation and a magnanimous spirit. In the classroom, his students revered him for his interesting stories. This memoir, written towards the end of his life, records his reflections on his life with the same zeal that won his students’ hearts.
To be frank, some of his stories tend towards the anti-feminist side and make women into objects instead of brilliant minds of their own. This is unfortunate. He grew up and lived in an era where women were not as valued for their professional accomplishments. This memoir sadly contains abundant references to women in sensual roles, not as reasoning equals. Of course, he worked in a male-heavy field before the “Me too” era, so his situation was different than mine 30 years later. Nonetheless, I would have liked to have heard more praising of womankind. Had he lived to this date, I suspect he would have, too.
Despite this central shortcoming, his anecdotes and perspective provides much insight. He is fiercely curious, fiercely objective, and fiercely free. He volunteered his time on government boards for schoolbooks, and he delved in many scientific fields that weren’t tightly wed to physics. He is a good storyteller, and his fascination with life comes through clearly in this memoir. I would have liked to have heard him speak had I lived in his era, despite any shortcomings of character.
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character
By Richard P. Feynman
Narrated by Raymond Todd
Copyright (c) 1985, 1998
Blackstone Audio
ASIN B00005458Z
Length: 11:31
Genre: Memoir, Science
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