"What Do You Care What Other People Think?": Further Adventures of a Curious Character

Feynman's reputation for being 'fun' and 'interesting' leads - I suspect - to some readers feeling a little disappointed by this (auto)biographical sketch, a follow up to his 'Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman'. The fact that this book starts with the story of the tragically early death of his first wife should have put folks on alert that this isn't an entertainment. Feynman's reflection on his own numbness at her death, and on his time spent away from his second wife and his young children, and on his lack of social graces and naivety regarding political processes is laid down honestly and sometimes painfully. But it's all done in the a very restrained and muted voice, Feynman being the product of his time as much as he was the rebel show more against conventional expectations.

In some ways the title of the book carries a subtle irony, because it's evident that Feynman does 'Care', and these stories - episodes from his life - come back time and again to the often difficult and always awkward intersection between other people's feelings and Feynman's passion for science and truth. Far from being the 'scrapings of the barrel' of Feynman's life, these stories are carefully assembled to make a profound argument. That the death of his first wife, and of the deaths of seven astronauts aboard the Challenger Space Shuttle did not come about through a lack of collective knowledge or science, but from our inability - or unwillingness - to care for the pursuit of truth as much as we do for the feelings and reputations of ourselves and others. The intersection of science (and engineering) and everyday existence can be fun and much more interesting than we imagined, and we can thank Feynman for making that point, but it is also a serious business. As these stories relate it can also be a matter of life and death, of forestalling tragedy or walking blindly into it.

Recommended as a follow up to Feynman's 'Surely You're Joking...', but even more so for anyone with a deep interest in the role of science (and scientists) in society, and absolutely essential reading for anyone who is trying to understand the Challenger disaster and the process of disaster investigation. show less

TERRIFIC!!! I laughed and chuckled and rolled over and was overtly pleased after finishing this book. Its one of those rare ones that you read and instantly feel that everyone will enjoy reading it. Science has never sounded so easy and funny. And, I especially like Mr. Feynman's writing. Its witty and at the same time makes you laugh out loud. My only regret is that I did not read Mr. Feynman's books earlier!

Sad to know he passed away quite early, if he were alive today, he would have made science more easy and fun for kids and all other impressionable young people.

The Challenger Shuttle disaster report in part two was amazingly written. Although, in all honestly I did feel that Part One was the funniest! I am looking forward to show more reading 'Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman.'

I am recommending and even scouting second-hand editions to gift this book to some of my science-impaired friends! That would be my best tribute to Mr. Richard Feynman. show less

While there are some pieces here that feel like filler to create a follow-up to Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, the longer entries are as good or better than anything from that first collection of Feynman stories. I found the stories about Feynman's first wife to be very moving, and they highlighted the emotional side the physicist more so than anything else in the two books. The real draw here is Feynman's account of his efforts on behalf of the commission investigating the explosion of the Challenger shuttle. That alone is worth the price of the book. I was surprised at how stirring it could be to hear about one man bucking bureaucracy in pursuit of the truth. If the whole book had come closer to that piece, this easily would have show more been a five-star rating for me. show less

Un'altro divertente libro di Feynman. Più impegnato su argomenti seri ed interessanti dell'altro, mantiene sempre toni spiritosi. Ho trovato particolarmente interessante la parte dedicata alla commissione sul Challenger.

Amusing anecdotes about Feynman, told by Feynman. I found myself, though, questioning the self-portrayal as much as I would the autobiography of a modern social media influencer.

This was the first Feynman book I've ever read, a fact which is a touch embarrassing given that I have a degree in Physics. It was also probably not the best book to start with, since it is possibly the last book he ever wrote (it was published posthumously). All the same, I thoroughly enjoyed it and now want to pick up everything else he's written. The first part is a variety of stories from his life about his childhood, his first wife, etc. The second and longer part is about the investigation of the Challenger explosion. Having been too young at the time to understand more than that a horrible tragedy had occurred, the descriptions of Feynman's attempts to get to the bottom of things are riveting. He's funny, brilliant, and a touch show more egocentric, and it all makes for a delightful read. Highly recommended. show less

A bunch of autobiographical stories, told engagingly. About half of the book is essays about the enquiry into the space shuttle explosion. Feynman is irritatingly full of himself, but his lack of respect for received wisdom and authority figures is congenial.

He describes hitchhiking between Los Alamos and Albuquerque back when he was working on the Manhattan project. I find it very hard to believe that an important scientist doing war work was allowed that kind of freedom or given that little support.

In his discussion of the space shuttle enquiry he makes some good points about the way bureaucracies can stifle communication about bad stuff. I work in a company with an accumulating bureaucracy, and I'm really one of the engineers on the show more bottom, so it is important to keep this in mind.

In his discussion about his first wife's tuberculosis he makes some good points about how authority can suppress enquiry; I already distrust doctors, so busy acting like they know what is going on. show less