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Perfectly Reasonable Deviations (from the Beaten Track): The Letters of Richard P. Feynman

richard p. feynman michelle feynman timothy ferris

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"One of the towering figures of twentieth-century science, Richard Feynman possessed a curiosity that was the stuff of legend. Even before he won the Nobel Prize in 1965, his unorthodox and spellbinding lectures on physics secured his reputation amongst students and seekers around the world. It was his outsized love for life, however, that earned him the status of an American cultural icon - here was an extraordinary intellect devoted to the proposition that the thrill of discovery was matched only by the joy of communicating it to others." In this career-spanning collection of letters, many published here for the first time, we are able to see this side of Feynman like never before. Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track covers a dazzling array of topics and themes, scientific developments and personal histories. With missives to and from scientific luminaries, as well as letters to and from fans, family, students, crackpots, as well as everyday people eager for Feynman's wisdom and counsel, the result is a de facto guide to life, and eloquent testimony to the human quest for knowledge at all levels.

Published in the UK as Don't You Have Time to Think?

486 pages, cloth

First published April 5,2004

This edition

Format
486 pages, cloth
Published
April 5, 2005 by Basic Books
ISBN
9780738206363
ASIN
0738206369
Language
English
Characters More characters
  • Richard Feynman

    Richard Feynman

    An American theoretical physicist known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as in particle physics (he propos...

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About the author

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richard p. feynman

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Richard Phillips Feynman was an American physicist known for the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as work in particle physics (he proposed the parton model). For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman was a joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, together with Julian Schwinger and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga. Feynman developed a widely used pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions governing the behavior of subatomic particles, which later became known as Feynman diagrams. During his lifetime and after his death, Feynman became one of the most publicly known scientists in the world.

He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb and was a member of the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. In addition to his work in theoretical physics, Feynman has been credited with pioneering the field of quantum computing, and introducing the concept of nanotechnology (creation of devices at the molecular scale). He held the Richard Chace Tolman professorship in theoretical physics at Caltech.

-wikipedia

See Ричард Фейнман

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amin-nii
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Nothing compares to primary sources when it comes to getting a sense of a person. Through the letters and notes of Richard Feynman to family, colleagues, and complete strangers, Michelle Feynman has given a rich trove of material from the man himself. Feynman's was a letter writer who kept everything. Here are his observations on the Nobel awards and his patient replies to the entreaties of ordinary people who make inquiry of him on a variety of issues. Here is his correspondence with government agencies as he tries to decide about attending a Russian sponsored symposium he has been invited to attend during the height of the "Cold War".

This compilation would be a must-read for anybody reading a biography of Feynman.
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rosiechick
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Know those movie reviews that say "I laughed, I cried" and make you think that the reviewer never bothered to even watch the film? Yeah? Well, I actually did read this book. In fact my husband and I both read the book. As I started it, the title was so LONG and different I asked him if he has ever taken this guy in college, and he said that he has some of his books. I'm going to ask to look at them. And it really did make me laugh. And it really did make me cry. And it really did teach me some physics and a few life lessons as well. The book covers about 50 years of Feynman's life from grad school through death via letters to and from him. It's a wonderful, compelling read and one that I'd recommend over and over and over again. It's all letters to him from him to someone else. That is becoming one of my favorite genres. Delightful language and again, me reading this. I loved it. Recommend!!!
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CrazyLasagna
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A collection of letters by Richard Feynman, ranging from private things to his loved ones to tips and answers to fans and students from all over the world.

The part with his letters to his wife is extremely beautiful, and there is in particular one I'd like to share. Arline Feynman, the love of Richard's life, died of tuberculosis on the 11th of June 1945. Roughly one year and a half later Richard wrote a letter to her, and sealed it. It was opened after his death in 1988. Here it is:

October 17, 1946

D’Arline,

I adore you, sweetheart.

I know how much you like to hear that — but I don't only write it because you like it — I write it because it makes me warm all over inside to write it to you.

It is such a terribly long time since I last wrote to you — almost two years but I know you'll excuse me because you understand how I am, stubborn and realistic; and I thought there was no sense to writing.

But now I know my darling wife that it is right to do what I have delayed in doing, and that I have done so much in the past. I want to tell you I love you. I want to love you. I always will love you.

I find it hard to understand in my mind what it means to love you after you are dead — but I still want to comfort and take care of you — and I want you to love me and care for me. I want to have problems to discuss with you — I want to do little projects with you. I never thought until just now that we can do that. What should we do. We started to learn to make clothes together — or learn Chinese — or getting a movie projector. Can't I do something now? No. I am alone without you and you were the "idea-woman" and general instigator of all our wild adventures.

When you were sick you worried because you could not give me something that you wanted to and thought I needed. You needn’t have worried. Just as I told you then there was no real need because I loved you in so many ways so much. And now it is clearly even more true — you can give me nothing now yet I love you so that you stand in my way of loving anyone else — but I want you to stand there. You, dead, are so much better than anyone else alive.

I know you will assure me that I am foolish and that you want me to have full happiness and don't want to be in my way. I'll bet you are surprised that I don't even have a girlfriend (except you, sweetheart) after two years. But you can't help it, darling, nor can I — I don't understand it, for I have met many girls and very nice ones and I don't want to remain alone — but in two or three meetings they all seem ashes. You only are left to me. You are real.

My darling wife, I do adore you.

I love my wife. My wife is dead.

Rich.

PS Please excuse my not mailing this — but I don't know your new address.
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BBQ_Chicken
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Know those cheesy movie reviews that say "I laughed, I cried" and make you think that the reviewer never bothered to even watch the film? Yeah? Well, I actually did read this book. And it really did make me laugh. And it really did make me cry. And it really did teach me some physics and a few life lessons as well. The book covers about 50 years of Feynman's life from grad school through death via letters to and from him. It's a wonderful, compelling read and one that I'd recommend over and over and over again. And one that I know I'll eventually read over and over and over again.
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Avid_Reader
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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In his past books I found Feynman's humor and character pleasant and funny, however, I couldn't enjoy this one.

Two important things:
1.) The book is not written by Richard
2.) It is a collection of Richard's mails curated and narrated by her daughter. You can read his correspondence with his mom, wives, colleagues, and strangers.

Nor the mails nor the narration were particularly interesting to me. In fact, I felt like a voyeour, or some tabloid reader. I did not find the aspects I liked in previous books.
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ExCluSin90
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Yeah, sometimes Feynman's a cocky jerk, but aren't we all? These letters are just so darn lovely and human. For as many (often justified) snotty replies he gives, there are just as many instances of unexpectedness tenderness and support for people in the same quest to figure things out.

About a comment he made in the early '60s about the minds of women, he received loads of letters calling him sexist, an idiot, etc. When, in the more enlightened times of 1987, he was asked permission to reprint this article, Feynman touched on the issue with wry humor:

"Dear Professor Jodl:

You have my permission to translate and publish the article in your journal. But the world has changed--and I made a remark about 'a girl instructing another one how to knit argyle socks.' Could you add a footnote, by the author (me) to that paragraph: 'How wonderfully the world has changed. Today conversations among women on analytic geometry are commonplace.'

Sincerely,
Richard P. Feynman"
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parneybarns
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Fascinating personal insights into what was a very well-lived life. These letters provide an intimate view into Feynman's life, which expose both his good sides and his bad ones (though I am obliged to say that there is an abundance of the former, and relatively few of the latter). His sense of honour and duty shines through the whole book.
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cherryUwUOwO
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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It was ok. It's a collection of Feynman's letters, which means exactly what it says - his correspondence with various people across his life. I'm not sure what I was looking for, but my feelings were really encapsulated in one of Feynman's own interviews, transcript in the appendix. He said that there were three types of people who asked him questions about his work; those who wanted to know what was in it for them (the new big development, would it make their cars faster etc). Those who wanted to know what he was up to because they were really fascinated by nature itself, and wanted to know how the stars were made. He loved talking to them.

And a third kind, that wanted to know about him because they wanted to know more about him. Sort of a cult of personality. And he really didn't like those sort of people as much.

This book is targeted at those people, because that's the only group that it can really be a hit for. I'd have said I was in that category - I've loved others of his works and am reading books about him because it's him. But it really didn't hit for me, because it missed his love of nature, and the inspiration I get from looking at the world through his eyes.
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