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Title: Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman - Adventures Of A Curious Character
Author: Ralf Leighton
Genre: Non fiction
Rating: 4.5/5

Adventures of a curious character indeed! If you happen to be one of those who has an appetite for Non-Fiction and are ready to appreciate the little adventures that one has in life, one who can enjoy with the joy others get with the little nitty-gritties of their lives, you must read this book.

It’s not a masterpiece of literature, and hasn’t got any of those adventurous thriller stories with shrewd plots and characters – the only thing this book has is entertainment, and that too, in plenty.

Contrary to the suggestion that one can get from the title of the book along with the cover page, this book is NOT written by Richard P. Feynman. It’s a collection of anecdotes and stories from His life as complied and edited by Ralf Leighton over the 8 years of association he had with Feynman. The book is packed with a bundle of funny and intriguing incidents and adventures that Feynman had almost all the time.

As stated already, this book cannot be rated or reviewed on the general lines of any literary work. But you can definitely have an insight into the mind of one of the greatest geniuses of modern Physics. You would surely appreciate the child-like curious and inquisitive mind of this champion and would understand why is it that he managed to become what he was! Starting with the stories of his childhood, to the college days, and his famous association with the Los Alamos project, to his Cornell and Caltech days, this book has so many narrations with so many different facets of this genius that one can simply not avoid being in awe.

If one manages to read and interpret the stories properly, not only would one be able to adore this rather eccentric scientist, but would also get to analyze his character properly. A man with no hidden face and motives, this person was a living legend. While some of the stories reflect his passion for science and his uncanny ability to associate everything with Science, the others mirror his brilliance in appreciating the other beauties of life and his never ending zeal to learn more.

What a reader would surely appreciate is Feynman’s talent in being a storyteller. He manages to narrate such intricate details of Physics as well as his philosophy of life, with such an ease that you almost get lost in the stories. It would need a very alert mind to figure out the pun he intends, and the frustration he has with the system. Adamant to the core in defying the regular pattern, he makes you agree on most of his reasons for being a rebel by choice.

The language is extremely simple, much like a regular conversation. The chapters have been organized in a little chaotic and unrelated fashion, but the entertainment each story packs, and the lesson that one observes at the end of every such story compensates for it all. What I appreciated the most in the book was the fun and adventure each story brought, and Feynman’s quality to learn something useful from every adventure of his life.

A great read – value for one’s money – as I would put it. I really wish and try to make my life as adventurous and as colorful as Feynman’s was. I adore this person, and so would anyone who reads the book.