Tuva or Bust!: Richard Feynman's Last Journey

This is a fascinating, humorous and sometimes bittersweet tale of Nobel-Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman’s search for the mysterious country of Tannu Tuva. Many years ago I read Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman, and have seen at least one PBS special on his life and search for Tuva. Reading this book, I am agog at the incredible lengths he and Leighton and others went through to get to a place so far away—a place Feynman never reached in the end. The journey is sometimes more important than reaching the goal. This adventure occurred in the 1980s when Russia was the USSR, and before the Internet had really taken off; the nostalgia of pre-internet methods of researching — letters, telexes, especially academic show more libraries—is fascinating. Tuva is now well known, along with its famous throat singers, but back then it was one of the few remaining mysteries of the world—a country that existed on maps, then suddenly didn’t, hinted at through its colorful stamps to collectors like Feynman. With today’s globalization via the internet, there are no longer any mysterious unknown countries lurking about . . . are there? Read this book, then read more books by and about Feynman, a man who loved to learn and share his learning with the world. show less

As a huge fan of Richard Feynman's books of collected anecdotes, I was excited to read about him from some one else's perspective. Feynman, when talking about himself, has such a strange blend of self-deprecation, arrogance and genius that I was very curious to see how he would come off in another's eyes. And I was very satisfied to discover that Feynman appears to be more endearing from another's perspective than even when he writes about himself. The story is bitter-sweet, as it chronicles how he spent some of his last months before dying of cancer, but inspiring and wonderful to see how his mind and curiosity couldn't be put off by even that.

As a huge fan of Richard Feynman's books of collected anecdotes, I was excited to read about him from some one else's perspective. Feynman, when talking about himself, has such a strange blend of self-deprecation, arrogance and genius that I was very curious to see how he would come off in another's eyes. And I was very satisfied to discover that Feynman appears to be more endearing from another's perspective than even when he writes about himself. The story is bitter-sweet, as it chronicles how he spent some of his last months before dying of cancer, but inspiring and wonderful to see how his mind and curiosity couldn't be put off by even that.

There is a buoyancy to curiosity, imagination, and humor if we will lighten up and let it take us. This is a wonderful story of a lifetime quest borne of a guessing game and some postage stamps with Richard Feynman and friends.

For me it eventually bogged down with too many sidetracks and people but it's a great story.

It all started in the mid-1970's with an animated dinner-table discussion between friends about obscure geographic locations.

When Richard Feynman produced a postage stamp that had been part of his childhood stamp collection from a country called Tuva, the two friends at once became interested in finding out more. When they discovered that the capital of Tuva is calldd Kyzyl they became nearly obsessed with the idea of visiting Tuva.

Unfortunately, getting to Tuva would not be easy. It lay deep in a remote corner of what was then the Soviet Union, and in the mid-70's, the Cold War raged on. Meanwhile, Feynman was also battling cancer.

This story, while poignant, is told with great humor and wit. I felt I got to know a bit about who Feynman show more was. In the process, I also learned about a place I'd never heard of before. Throat-singing? Who knew?

I definitely enjoyed this book, and I plan to read some of Feynman's work in the future. show less

Charming and instructing book about an aspect of Dr. Feynman's life, as well as the culture of a little country in the center of Asia. His powerful and inspiring curiosity about the world shines through.

Best read while listening to Tuvan throat singing. I recommend Huun-Huur-Tu.

Physicist as celebrity and comic character. Entertaining for hardcore Feynman fans or travelogue readers.