Colin’s Letter Essay #8: Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”

I recently finished reading “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character” by Richard Feynman. Feynman was a physicist who helped create the atomic bomb in World War II. He taught at Cornell and later Caltech in the 50s and 60s, and won the Nobel Prize in Science in 1965 for his work in quantum electrodynamics. I was attracted to his 350 page auto biography because I had read it in 5th grade, and wanted to recreate all the laughs and smiles I had got out of it 3 and a half years ago. The incredulous thing concerning this book is the man who wrote it. Never in my life have I heard more crazy, hilarious, and ridiculous things happen to one person. One of the story’s editors Ralph Leighton puts it best: ” That one person could have so many wonderfully crazy things happen to him in one life is sometimes hard to believe.” From stealing top secret documents from his colleagues’ filing cabinets, to playing the drums in Brazil’s Carnaval, not many have lived life to the fullest like this figure.
I love the tone the author uses to write this story. Feynman has an amazing sense of humor that will make even the gloomiest of us laugh. His profound way to question societies’ unspoken laws and break social boundaries most people wouldn’t dare cross leads to some hilarious paragraphs and chapters. The constant happy tone and self insight this brilliant man gives off will have you smiling every time you pick up the book.

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1 thought on “Colin’s Letter Essay #8: Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”

  1. Colin,
    I have never heard of this book but after reading your letter essay I really do want o check it out, It sounds really good. Great job on your essay!

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