Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track

March 14, 2005
Richard Feynman (1918–1988) has become an American scientific icon. He won the Nobel prize for physics in 1965 for his work on quantum electrodynamics; he became a bit of a television star with his shows explaining physical phenomena in readily understandable terms; and he became the hero of the federal committee investigating the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger
when he demonstrated how O rings could fail under cold conditions. He was known as brash and iconoclastic, and a fabulous teacher. This collection of letters edited by Feynman's daughter presents brief glimpses into various facets of his personal and professional lives. Covering the years 1939 to 1987, the letters provide some insight into daily life during the Manhattan Project; others offer a behind-the-scenes look at the Challenger
investigation. They also show Feynman to be a thoughtful educator, willing to write back to high school students asking for guidance in selecting a career and understanding physics. The energetic if decidedly colloquial prose underscores Feynman's exuberant nature and self-deprecating sense of humor, as well as his self-described "peculiarity" when he tried to resign from the National Academy of Sciences because he found it "psychologically distasteful to judge people's 'merit.' " 60 b&w photos. Agent, Melanie Jackson.
$125,000 national marketing campaign.

April 1, 2005
Since physicist Richard Feynman's death in 1988, his renown has expanded amid a stream of books about him, such as this collection of his letters edited by his daughter. The first batch of letters dates from Feynman's first marriage, a devoted union shortened by his wife's death from tuberculosis one month before the first atomic explosion that Feynman helped unleash, and which he describes in a vivid letter to his mother. Unfortunately, his most productive scientific period, the late 1940s, was sparsely documented, but with his great achievements in quantum mechanics, fame came his way, and the way he accepted the demands of celebrity is the greatest charm of this volume. Whether Feynman fields fan letters, pleas for career advice, cranks' complaints about his scientific errors, or congratulations upon receipt of the Nobel Prize in 1965, an unfeigned humility resonates from his responses; he never wielded his own opinions as authoritative. The Feynman adored by his colleagues and the public--exuberant, irreverent, and intelligent--comes back to life through his own words.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)