Richard Feynman: A Life in Science

by John Gribbin, Mary Gribbin

The day Richard Feynman died, students at the California Institute of Technology hung a banner across the face of its library that read, simply, "We love you, Dick." To students of physics all over the world, Feynman was living proof that to lead a life in science you do not need ice water for blood and the mind of a Cray computer. This was a man who combined practical joking, safe-cracking, and bongo-playing with superlative teaching and brilliant insights. Although everyone knows that Feynman was a great scientist, few people could tell you even the name of the work for which he is acknowledged. The name of Hawking is associated with black holes, Darwin with evolution, Einstein with relativity. But Feynman? He was just a "scientist," which is ironic since his greatest work was actually in the area of quantum electrodynamics, a subject of enormous fascination to non-scientists today. Arguably the greatest physicist of his generation--and undoubtedly one of the most eccentric--Feynman's contributions are well illustrated in Richard A Life in Science, and readers are sure to grasp his remarkable contribution to scientific understanding through the book's friendly and accessible style.
The biographical format offers an excellent way for non specialist readers to explore one of the more complex worlds of science.
Richard Feynman's own collection of essays Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman was a national bestseller.

Genres: Biography, Science, Physics, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, History Of Science, Autobiography

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

John R. Gribbin is a British science writer, an astrophysicist, and a visiting fellow in astronomy at the University of Sussex. His writings include quantum physics, human evolution, climate change, global warming, the origins of the universe, and biographies of famous scientists. He also writes science fiction.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

As long as there is another Feynman book out there, I'll have something to read. Fascinating life.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like books by/about Feynman, and have read many. This biography is very enjoyable, and deserves attention compared to the better-known book by Gleick. I actually liked this more than Gleick. Though shorter, it gives a good account of scientific issues.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not often that I read a biography of a scientist in the space of a couple of days. However, Richard Feynman was a fascinating man, and I had a hard time putting the book down.

If you enjoyed Feynman's books, you will enjoy reading this book, which goes into more biographical detail.

[Patricia Comeford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard P. Feynman was one of the greatest physicists of all time. This book provides a short overview of his background and his many accomplishments.
The book begins with Feynman's childhood in New York and how his father encouraged his early scientific development. It also describes how one of Feynman's earliest heroes was Paul Dirac, who among other things, received the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics. Interestingly, Feynman has on occasion been referred to as "another Dirac, but this time human". Feynman's interactions and his competitive relationship with mathematical virtuoso Julian Schwinger are also briefly discussed, along with how Feynman eventually shared the 1965 Nobel Prize with Schwinger and Tomonaga for independently formulating the theory of QED. The book also contains short descriptions of Feynman's other contributions to various areas of physics, his development of the famous Feynman diagrams, how he became a legendary teacher at Caltech, and also played the drums. At one point he even played on a professional basis in a group called "The Three Quarks"!
Although this book is somewhat lacking in depth and accuracy, and contains no photographs, it is good at capturing Feynman's personality, his brilliance and originality, and his spirit.

[60SecondBookClub · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Richard Feynman: A Life in Science" is a biography that delves into the extraordinary life and contributions of Richard Feynman, one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century.

Born in 1918, Feynman's insatiable curiosity and intellect led him to make groundbreaking contributions in various fields of physics throughout his life. He began his academic career at MIT and later Princeton. His unmatchable mathematical skills and unorthodox thinking style made him an amazing problem-solver. He was recruited after his Ph.D. to work on the Manhattan Project that designed the Atomic bomb in WW2. He was the youngest physicist there.

The biography then follows Feynman's life as a professor, including his time at Cornell University and the California Institute of Technology.

What sets this book apart from other Feynman biographies is the depth it provides on the scientific contributions Feynman made. It dives into his famous work in Quantum Electro Dynamics, which won him his Nobel Prize, and also his work on Superfluidity, Path Integral Formulation, and Quantum Chromo Dynamics.

But most important of all, according to Feynman, his greatest contribution was his collection of lectures originally presented as an introductory physics course at (Caltech) in the early 1960s; the lectures were later compiled and published in book form.

His teaching style had a profound impact on physics education. He had a remarkable ability to communicate complex concepts in a simple and relatable manner, making physics accessible and engaging for all. His lectures were filled with stories, anecdotes, and personal experiences that captivated his audience and made the material more relatable.

The lectures solidified his reputation as not only a scientist but also a brilliant communicator and educator, one the most eccentric, inspiring teachers the subject has ever known.

He remains a beloved figure, celebrated for his contributions to physics, his captivating teaching style, and his unwavering commitment to instilling a sense of wonder in his students.

[Sukhman Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book presents Feynman as one of the most towering figures of twentieth-century science. The Gribbins give a comprehensive overview of Feynman’s life, from his childhood where his passion for science was cultivated by his father to his adult life that saw him make major breakthroughs in physics. They create an image of Feynman as an inspirational, original, and genius physicist. Supplemented with the fact that he derived pleasure from solving problems his own way, his work on the path integral formalism, QED, superfluid behavior of liquid helium, and gravity is described in a way that is accessible to a general audience. The reader gets a taste of Feynman the showman in the chapter that describes his famous Caltech undergrad lectures and the many physics talks that he gave on a regular basis. In addition to that, the Gribbins also highlight the things he did outside of academia, such as being an avid drummer, a consultant for a computer company, a man who liked adventure, and his incredible work on investigating the Challenger disaster.

All in all, this book is one of the best to learn a little more about why Feynman deserves the legendary status he maintains even today.

[Peter Coomber · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is always a pleasure to read any book by John Gribbin, as they explain difficult concepts in an easy, understandable manner. This book is about Richard Feynman, who apparently also could explain difficult concepts in an easy, understandable manner too. In this book John and Mary Gribbin set out the life of Richard Feynman and the discoveries he made in Physics.

I now understand the theory of Quantum physics, Gravity, Space-Time and how the Universe came into being perfectly well.

Ha-ha!

Well - some of it...

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, but at times made difficult by the physics explanations and the somewhat disjointed timelines. Very good at describing somebody for whom very high end physics and indeed all maths was very easy and obvious. One of the most telling quotes in the book is from his daughter "Physics just flowed out of him continuously". A good insight into somebody who could have been given the Nobel Froze far more than once, and who seems to been a very enjoyable companion and character.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gribbins dedicate the introduction to trying to justify why the world needs another Feynman biography. But I don't think they succeed in telling me anything ai didn't already know, probably from Gleick. Strangely minimal coverge of Los Alamos and QED, random unrelated banging on about the niche transactional interpretation of QM at the end.

[Steve Schinke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am clearly not a physicist, I read the words written about his discoveries, but they did not paint a picture for me. His approach, however, to problem solving, teaching, and living made this book a worthwhile experience for me.

[Matt Digel]

“The most interesting point in the Gribbins' excellent biography of Feynman is the value of ‘irresponsibly’ ignoring existing research and working everything out for yourself from first principles.” ― Paul G

[Mike Ivanchyshyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

💭🌎❓

[Ciaran Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb man and a sublime teacher.

[Rafsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the Motto of my life: "Feynman is for life. If there is any Feynman book out there, I am going to read it". He is my role model in life and I love this man with all of my heart.

Richard P. Feynman (Dick Feynman) was one of the greatest soul of all time, a great physicist, a great teacher, a humorist and the freest of souls. What a life this man had!

[Glglgl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ein interessantes und informatives Buch über das Leben des Physikers Richard P. Feynman. Allerdings auch ein Beweis dafür, dass kritiklose Bewunderung keine gute Haltung ist, aus der heraus sich eine ausgewogene Biographie schreiben ließe. Besonders ärgerlich sind zweifelhafte bis abfällige Urteile über Zeitgenossen Feynmans, z.B. seine zweite Ehefrau ("blonde Sexbombe") oder Julian Schwinger ("Angeber").

[Recai Bookreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a biography as it should be: very fluently written, not boring the reader with needless details, giving a fulfilling overview of the work accomplished by Feynman. It is also a good, although very brief, introduction to quantum mechanics. Recommended for those who desire to have an introductory glimpse of it.

[Ishan Mukherjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good anecdotes about Feynman! I collected a few about his childhood in this post. Though a lot of this book is technical explanation of quantum physics and Feynman's ideas, most of which I skipped. Maybe I will write up my notes in a post soon.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't really know a lot about this man until I was loaned this book. Wow. He's amazing person and he advanced Quantum Physics farther than Einstein himself. To get a glimpse into the character and thought process of a true genius is a rare treat, and this book delivers.

[Tue Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

John (and Mary) Gribbin is a fine writer of science for the general public and this book is no exception. Having said that, I believe he has been outclassed by James Gleick when it comes to writing a biography of Richard Philips Feynman.

[Solor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. Yet the technical part not enjoyable.

[Gerhard Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much science. My brain is too small. I had to put it down...

[Fabrizio Stucchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far too much into Physics and Math for my taste, I enjoyed more other books on Feynman personality and life, this one is too much into his work.