"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
Adventures of a Curious Character
by Richard P. Feynman
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Author and podcaster
“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →Author and entrepreneur
“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →
Co-founder of Twitter and Medium
“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →Designer and writer
“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →
Author of Atomic Habits
“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →
Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Meta Platforms
“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
Source →Recommended by 12 notable people, including Bill Gates and Naval Ravikant
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Should I read this?
This book reads like an evening with a hyper-curious, prankish genius who can't stop telling you about his exploits. Feynman's stories—from cracking safes at Los Alamos to picking up art just to see if he could—are often hilarious and always driven by a relentless itch to figure things out. You'll enjoy it most if you're here for the mischief, not the science. Annoyingly, the anecdotes sometimes feel like a victory lap, and the lack of structure may leave you wondering where it's all heading.
Read this if...
- •A burnt-out engineer who’s forgotten that tinkering can be its own reward and needs a jolt of pure, unapologetic curiosity.
- •A college student weighing a STEM path but fearing it’s all grind—Feynman makes the life of the mind look like a series of splendid adventures.
- •A fan of offbeat history and eccentric biographies who prefers safecracking and bongo-drumming escapades over textbook explanations.
Skip this if...
- •You’ll likely put it down when the stream of self-congratulation wears thin and you realize there’s no overarching argument or science payoff, just a series of vignettes.
- •Not for readers wanting in-depth physics—this is pure anecdote, not instruction.
- •Skip if dated gender attitudes and the author’s unapologetic swagger will irritate you more than they entertain.
One of the most famous science books of our time, the phenomenal national bestseller that "buzzes with energy, anecdote and life. It almost makes you want to become a physicist" (Science Digest). Richard P. Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, thrived on outrageous adventures. In this lively work that “can shatter the stereotype of the stuffy scientist” (Detroit Free Press), Feynman recounts his experiences trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and cracking the uncrackable safes guarding the most deeply held nuclear secrets—and much more of an eyebrow-raising nature. In his stories, Feynman’s life shines through in all its eccentric glory—a combustible mixture of high…
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Length:356 pages (Medium)
Audience Fit
- A burnt-out engineer who’s forgotten that tinkering can be its own reward and needs a jolt of pure, unapologetic curiosity.
- A college student weighing a STEM path but fearing it’s all grind—Feynman makes the life of the mind look like a series of splendid adventures.
- A fan of offbeat history and eccentric biographies who prefers safecracking and bongo-drumming escapades over textbook explanations.
- You’ll likely put it down when the stream of self-congratulation wears thin and you realize there’s no overarching argument or science payoff, just a series of vignettes.
- Not for readers wanting in-depth physics—this is pure anecdote, not instruction.
- Skip if dated gender attitudes and the author’s unapologetic swagger will irritate you more than they entertain.
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Why recommended
Recommended by 31 sources and appears in Books Recommended by Bill Gates, Books Recommended by CEOs, and Books Recommended by Investors.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Frank Chimero
Designer and writer
“@KieranO Great book | @aashray18521 “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.” | A way to have a happy life. Remain curious and enjoy the journey. | I remember really enjoying Feynman’s books. He had several autobiographical books, and I read them. It seemed like a very great life he led. Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broadminded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life | Nonwork books I've read that I recommend | Q: What book have you recommended the most to friends and family P.A.: The book I’ve recommended most is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman.”
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Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider Accidental Presidents by Jared Cohen. Recommended by 10 sources.
“Accidental Presidents offers eight narrative portraits of men who succeeded to the U.S. presidency without election, using anecdote-rich scenes and readable context to show how personality and circumstance interact with office power. It’s strongest as a set of self-contained stories that make succession stakes concrete for non-specialist readers; it does not prioritize dense archival argument or exhaustive methodology, so expect some interpretive generalizations and repeated themes across cases. Use it for fast historical orientation rather than scholarly deep-dives.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.