Play Audiobook Sample
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(4.00) - 5,524 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
To his colleagues, Richard Feynman was not so much a genius as he was a full-blown magician: someone who “does things that nobody else could do and that seem completely unexpected.” The path he cleared for twentieth-century physics led from the making of the atomic bomb to a Nobel Prize-winning theory of quantam electrodynamics to his devastating exposé of the Challenger space shuttle disaster. At the same time, the ebullient Feynman established a reputation as an eccentric showman, a master safe cracker and bongo player, and a wizard of seduction. Now James Gleick, author of the bestselling Chaos, unravels teh dense skein of Feynman‘s thought as well as the paradoxes of his character in a biography—which was nominated for a National Book Award—of outstanding lucidity and compassion.
Download and start listening now!
"This book is half personal bio of Feynman, half pure physics primer - maybe even more than half. There's a bit too much dense scientific discussion to make it a casual read, but it does provide a useful overview of nearly all the major scientific breakthroughs from Einstein's relativity to nanotechnology. And it sheds some light on a very quirky genius."
— Ben (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Mesmerizing…a stimulating adventure in the annals of science…[Feynman] would be surprised by Genius, and very pleasantly so.”
— New York Times -
“The book is a moving, beautifully written literate and perceptive account of Feynman’s life.”
— Nature -
“Gleick’s narrative, consistently measured and elegant is a formidable work of scientific biography.”
— New Statesman -
“I came away from Genius feeling that I knew a lot more about Feynman and his play in twentieth century science.”
— Sunday Times (London) -
“An inspiration to anyone in pursuit of their own fulfillment as a person of genius.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“[Gleick] steadily levies just enough of the burden of Feynman’s genius on the reader so that the physicist remains, in the end, a person and not an icon of science. A genius could not hope for better.”
— Publishers Weekly -
the most touching, affecting, and important works of scientific biography to have been produced in the last 30 years, a fine book that deserves a place in every collection.
— Library Journal
Awards
-
A New York Times bestseller
-
A 1993 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Autobiography/Biography
-
A 1992 National Book Award Finalist
Genius Listener Reviews
-
—
Galen, 2/15/2023
-
" Very impressive biography of Feynman. Extremely interesting book - although with Feynman's life, it isn't too hard to make an interesting story out of it. Good balance of lucid scientific explanations and biographical narrative. "
— Hadrian, 1/28/2014 -
" James Gleick on Ritty! A winning combination. Even if I couldn't follow all of the science all of the time... "
— Ariane, 1/25/2014 -
" Bio of Richard Feynman: genius, physicist, teacher, and prankster. "
— Chip, 1/22/2014 -
" might be the best biography I've read. equal parts awesome and educational/mind-expanding. "
— Christopher, 1/7/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book. Since I'm not very well-versed in science, I've found that biographies of famous scientists are easier for me to digest, and I do pick up some tidbits of scientific information. Feynman really was quite a genius and a wild character as well. If I could ever understand his proposition that not only can an electron be in two places at the same time, but that the electron can actually travel backwards in time, I'd be a genius too. "
— Michelle, 1/5/2014 -
" I'm always a sucker for a biography of Feynman -- this is perhaps the best. Read it. "
— Thomas, 1/5/2014 -
" Richard Feynman was my hero! Seriously, a true genius who was a humanitarian, a comic, a musician, a husband, an adventurer, a nerd - a real human being. He abides by my basic philosophy of life - Live to Play and Play to Live! "
— Seray, 12/27/2013 -
" Wonderful biography of an amazing man. "
— Robert, 12/26/2013 -
" A wonderful look at one of the most capacious, interesting and important minds of the 20th Century. Feynman's life and contribution to science should be read by anyone who has a remote interest into how the world works. "
— Matt, 12/25/2013 -
" Absolutely amazing stuff. This is how life is supposed to live, and success is supposed to be sought. You would have to be heartless to not enjoy this. "
— Fallenrain, 12/16/2013 -
" Fascinating look at the science and the scientist. Well balanced and full of humanity, shows the other side of the anecdotes in "Surely You're Joking" "
— Maria, 12/10/2013 -
" A great point to start in understanding this great teacher. "
— Wayne, 12/10/2013 -
" A good intro to Feynman. "
— Saraarnold, 12/8/2013 -
" Richard Feynman is my hero, I wish there were more humans on this planet like him. This book was amazing and I highly recommend it. "
— Adrian, 11/26/2013 -
" Hands down Feynman was the most brilliant man of the the second half of the twentieth century. This book is not only for lovers of science, he was an very interesting man who did some amazing work in Quantum Electro Dynamics while drinking beer at his local strip clubs. "
— Gordon, 11/21/2013 -
" Man, Richard Feynman was amazing! "
— George, 10/17/2013 -
" I thought this biography sucked. Though he may have had his facts exactly right, he missed the whole spirit of what made Feynman cool. I don't recommend it. I was very disappointed, too, because he did such a great job with the Chaos book. "
— Tatiana, 8/4/2013 -
" A well-written book about a brilliant and interesting scientist and drummer who asked great questions about everything, figured into several historical moments, and had great adventures. "
— Kim, 7/18/2013 -
" I'm a sucker for science biographies. What I did like was an outsider's perspective on Feynman's life (as opposed to "Surely You're Joking"), but this book got a little to technical in its explanations of Feynman's physics, which was -- for a layman -- difficult to understand. "
— Kyle, 2/26/2013 -
" doesn't really add anything to "surely you're joking" and "what do you care what other people think?" that we couldn't live without. it was interesting, but most of the same information is available in more-engaging form elsewhere. "
— Thorn, 1/31/2013 -
" An exceptionally well-written biography of America's #1 asshole. Gleick has a really great understanding of both human character & science. "
— Joseph, 10/26/2012 -
" Couldn't understand 80% of the theoretical physics, but loved having a peek into it, and the biographical picture of Feynman was fascinating. "
— Cathy, 8/2/2012 -
" A colleague try's to illucidate the genius of Richard Feynman a difficult task. It falls short... "
— Al, 2/20/2012 -
" Interesting biography on the life and science of physicist Richard Feynman. Notable for his work on the Manhattan project and quantum electrodynamics. He's a very unique character with an interesting perspective on life and science "
— Mike, 9/3/2011 -
" It would be difficult to overstate the impact that RPF had on nearly everything he touched. His philosophy towards learning continues to inspire me. The power of the subject matter overwhelms any treatment, but Gleick did it justice. b "
— Robb, 5/27/2011 -
" This book was fantastic. It was gripping, entertaining and enthralling. Highly recommend it! "
— Dawn, 5/24/2011 -
" Gleick makes all the craziness of particle physics and more accessible as he describes the life of one of the most phenomenal scientific minds of the 20th century. <br/><br/>I greatly enjoyed it, although it took me a while to get through... "
— Jim, 5/16/2011 -
" It would be difficult to overstate the impact that RPF had on nearly everything he touched. His philosophy towards learning continues to inspire me. The power of the subject matter overwhelms any treatment, but Gleick did it justice. b "
— Robb, 4/12/2011 -
" Very impressive biography of Feynman. Extremely interesting book - although with Feynman's life, it isn't too hard to make an interesting story out of it. Good balance of lucid scientific explanations and biographical narrative. "
— Kaworu, 3/27/2011 -
" Fascinating look at the science and the scientist. Well balanced and full of humanity, shows the other side of the anecdotes in "Surely You're Joking" "
— Maria, 3/17/2011 -
" This book attempts to be a more honest biography than others about Feynman. <br/>I suppose it does a good job of illuminating the less mythic aspects of his life. <br/>There isn't much original in this book that can't be found in other biographies, but it's about Feynman, so it's a fun read! <br/> "
— Gendou, 2/3/2011 -
" A book for my favorites list. Richard Feynman was a thinker and this book gives you an idea of his personality. Good read for genius thought. I will certainly read it again! "
— Nakeva, 1/18/2011 -
" My favorite biography. Much much deeper than the auto-bio stories in Surely You're Joking, etc. "
— Jeremy, 7/27/2010 -
" Biografi yang sangat bagus dibaca oleh pengkagum sains pencinta ilmu. <br/>Richard Feynman, saintis fizik, joker, the great teacher & explainer, penerima hadiah nobel fizik dan pencetus inspirasi untuk ribuan saintis serta bakal saintis. <br/> <br/>Wajar dimiliki dan dibaca "
— Faizal, 7/13/2010 -
" Loved this. (Except, if I remember rightly, for a random discourse on the nature of genius.) Feynman as a scientist was simply incredible but Feynman the man, with his unbelievably tragic love story, was simply captivating. "
— Jazzhunt, 3/18/2010 -
" richard feynman (god rest his soul) sounds like he was the biggest douche of his time. "
— Sascha, 2/28/2010
About James Gleick
James Gleick is a leading chronicler of science and technology, the bestselling author of Chaos, Genius, and The Information. His books have been translated into thirty languages. Gleick, a former reporter and editor of the New York Times, lives in New York.
About Dick Estell
Dick Estell was instrumental in the formation of National Public Radio and served as board chairman from 1972–74. During this period he syndicated The Radio Reader to other public radio stations in the US. He retired from WKAR in 1986 but continues to produce The Radio Reader from his home studio.