Quotable Feynman

A treasure-trove of illuminating and entertaining quotations from beloved physicist Richard P. Feynman "Some people say, 'How can you live without knowing?' I do not know what they mean. I always live without knowing. That is easy. How you get to know is what I want to know."-Richard P. Feynman Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard P. Feynman (1918-88) was that rarest of creatures-a towering scientific genius who could make himself understood by anyone and who became as famous for the wit and wisdom of his popular lectures and writings as for his fundamental contributions to science. The Quotable Feynman is a treasure-trove of this revered and beloved scientist's most profound, provocative, humorous, and memorable quotations on a wide range of subjects. Carefully selected by Richard Feynman's daughter, Michelle Feynman, from his spoken and written legacy, including interviews, lectures, letters, articles, and books, the quotations are arranged under two dozen topics-from art, childhood, discovery, family, imagination, and humor to mathematics, politics, science, religion, and uncertainty. These brief passages-about 500 in all-vividly demonstrate Feynman's astonishing yet playful intelligence, and his almost constitutional inability to be anything other than unconventional, engaging, and inspiring. The result is a unique, illuminating, and enjoyable portrait of Feynman's life and thought that will be cherished by his fans at the same time that it provides an ideal introduction to Feynman for readers new to this intriguing and important thinker. The book features a foreword in which physicist Brian Cox pays tribute to Feynman and describes how his words reveal his particular genius, a piece in which cellist Yo-Yo Ma shares his memories of Feynman and reflects on his enduring appeal, and a personal preface by Michelle Feynman. It also includes some previously unpublished quotations, a chronology of Richard Feynman's life, some twenty photos of Feynman, and a section of memorable quotations about Feynman from other notable figures. Features: Approximately 500 quotations, some of them previously unpublished, arranged by topicA foreword by Brian Cox, reflections by Yo-Yo Ma, and a preface by Michelle FeynmanA chronology of Feynman's lifeSome twenty photos of FeynmanA section of quotations about Feynman from other notable figures Some notable quotations of Richard P. Feynman: "The thing that doesn't fit is the most interesting.""Thinking is nothing but talking to yourself inside.""It is wonderful if you can find something you love to do in your youth which is big enough to sustain your interest through all your adult life. Because, whatever it is, if you do it well enough (and you will, if you truly love it), people will pay you to do what you want to do anyway.""I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring."

Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988) was a Nobel Prize-winning American theoretical physicist. His popular books included The New York Times bestseller Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think? Michelle Feynman, the daughter of Richard P. Feynman, is the editor of Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman and The Art of Richard P. Feynman: Images by a Curious Character.

A Brief Note on Sources ix
Foreword, by Brian Cox xi
Reflections on Richard Feynman, by Yo-Yo Ma xv
Preface: My Quotable Father, by Michelle Feynman xvii
Chronology xxiii
Youth 3
Family 15
Autobiographical 23
Art, Music, and Poetry 51
Nature 57
Imagination 83
Humor 89
Love 103
Philosophy and Religion 109
Nature of Science 123
Curiosity and Discovery 165
How Physicists Think 185
The Quantum World 197
Science and Society 213
Mathematics 223
Technology 241
War 249
Challenger 261
Politics 271
Doubt and Uncertainty 281
Education and Teaching 293
Advice and Inspiration 317
Intelligence 327
The Nobel Prize 333
Worldview 345
The Future 355
Honoring Richard Feynman 363
Acknowledgments 383
Photo Credits 387
Sources 389
Index 397