Genius: The Life and Science of Richard FeynmanGenius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman
Score Modern
What it's about
Richard Feynman was a brilliant, playful physicist who grew up in Depression-era New York, worked on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos while his young wife was dying of tuberculosis, won the Nobel Prize for work on quantum electrodynamics, cracked safes, played bongos, and late in life helped show the world why the space shuttle Challenger exploded. James Gleick tells his life and explains his science.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. It's the best full biography of one of the century's most original minds.
You'll love it if you liked
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Einstein: His Life and Universe
The Making of the Atomic BombGood to know
The physics is explained well but takes focus. Feynman's own memoir, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, is a lighter companion.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller17 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #60 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #157 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #511 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #983 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by James Gleick
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
Chaos: Making a New Science
Isaac NewtonIf you like this, read next
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
How to Be an Antiracist
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Wright Brothers
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family
How to Change Your MindExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 1990sTop 25 · 273 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. It ranks #983 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 73.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman about?
Richard Feynman was a brilliant, playful physicist who grew up in Depression-era New York, worked on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos while his young wife was dying of tuberculosis, won the Nobel Prize for work on quantum electrodynamics, cracked safes, played bongos, and late in life helped show the world why the space shuttle Challenger exploded. James Gleick tells his life and explains his science.
How long does it take to read Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman?
About 12 hours (489 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman?
If you liked it, try American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson or The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes.