This will override my last review.

This book is a bit dated in its physics, but more dated in its presentation. Six "easy" lectures culled from a series Feynman gave in 1963-64 don't come across as well on the page, and compared to a physics lecture as part of a Great Courses series, the diagrams just don't do the trick. They need animation to make themselves clear, for instance. Nor is Feynman on paper as interesting as when you can listen to him talk. I'm not saying this is bad--it certainly isn't, but these days there are a lot more interesting ways to learn about physics. ( )

These essays are, indeed, "easy" in the sense of digestible, and while not overly technical they also do not dumb down the material. Feynman provides an admirable focus and distillation of familiar facts into a single vision, and the essays will reward re-reading.

I had to accept as correct some dynamics and relations beyond my grasp, and similarly some given mathematical expressions I can't follow without textual commentary. But Feynman's ability to get the pith of the matter, and to translate into familiar physical situations, is remarkable. He also does well to identify limits of knowledge, and briefly interrogate context such as historically why something is known in the form it is.

Upon finishing, resolved to look into his other science writing: Character of Science, or even the Lectures, and again, if reading the "memoir" material at all, use it as a "warm up" to the science. Feynman's curiosity about life seems identical to his approach to science: the wonder, the glee in debunking confusion or tricking others based on their lack of understanding, in good fun. This sense of wonder and merriment also is evident from the science writings alone, but keeping it in mind helps clarify how and what he focuses on with respect to the facts.

Completed in two sittings, one day, immediately following completion of Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman!. Joking proved a good intro, the jocularity and joy of the lectures were accentuated knowing of his impish humour and thorough-going curiosity in how the world works. I suspect his delivery, when witnessed in person, made this quite obvious, but on the page the transcripts were not always so self-evident without knowing of his personality. ( )

a recap of things I already knew in physics. ( )

I'm only halfway through but I know I'm gonna enjoy this all. ( )