Genius Audiobook By James Gleick cover art

Genius

The Life and Science of Richard Feynman

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Genius

By: James Gleick
Narrated by: Dick Estell
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From the author of the national best seller Chaos comes an outstanding biography of one of the most dazzling and flamboyant scientists of the 20th century that "not only paints a highly attractive portrait of Feynman but also . . . makes for a stimulating adventure in the annals of science." (The New York Times).

©1993 James Gleick (P)2011 Random House Physics Professionals & Academics Science Science & Technology Technology Mathematics Computer Science Life
Comprehensive Biography • Accessible Science Explanations • Brilliant Genius • Fascinating Character Portrayal
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Would you consider the audio edition of Genius to be better than the print version?

I suspect that reading this book on my own would have been preferable to this lacklustre reading. If the non-nuanced drone did not lull you to sleep; perhaps, it was from the jolt of the plethora of mispronunciations - names and common words - detritus, for example. An editor would have been helpful; Estell should realize that we are blushing with him. Despite the reading, I felt both entertained and edified by this biography. A five star awaiting another opportunity.

Story: Great - Reading: Annoying and embarrassing

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I was a Physics major during the 1970s. Gleick has written an excellent biography of this inspiring genius. The scientific and historical details are fascinating. However, the audiobook is narrated by a nonscientist who has not learned the correct pronunciation of the text he is reading. He mispronounces many famous scientist names and scientific terms. Among the cringe-worthy, he reads the plural of a mathematical matrix as "mattresses" (like a bed). He calls Nobel laureate Murray Gell-Mann as "JELL Man". Physicist Christiaan Huygens is called "HUGE ens". Alas, this audio book could be narrated much better by a physicist.

Inspiring biography but Terrible pronunciation

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This book is half biography and half science. Feynman was one of a kind and had a remarkable career. You can???t help thinking that this is how brains are supposed to work. The science exposition is clear and easy to follow. The narrator is a perfect match to the material.

Feynman Life and Science

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Fascinating (obviously) material very well presented. My only complaint is the narration. I certainly want to cut the narrator some slack because of the topics in the book. However, the mispronunciation of Murray Gell-Mann's name is pretty bad. Not just that, but when he book gets to the part that ACTUALLY DISCUSSES the common mispronunciation, the narrator changes his pronunciation to the correct one. Fine, I get it, but hen he goes back to his earlier, incorrect pronunciation later in the book. Other pet peeves include 'jargon' (JAR-GAHN, as if it were two words) and 'coital' (he somehow manages to give it three syllables.

Again, great book, but some of these avoidable miscues took me out of the narrative.

Great book, performance is uneven

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The author manages to eloquently capture his colorful main character but also teaches the non scientist a great deal about physics and mathematics in an understandable way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Enjoyable and highly educational

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Dick Estell is to reading as Jonah Hill is to acting. Developed some quirks, and uses them over and over, not necessarily how the book would sound in my own head. Gleick is always fantastic, though, and I would listen to his books read by anyone. Dick hada hard time pronouncing names (even though there was a whole section about how to pronounce one of them), and technical words like scalar. Even "short-LIVEd" he reads as in "LIVE TV."

Great book, read in 1950s style.

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A respectable and admirable work. This book interprets Feynman as "A different being who plays human" way. I have to say that the book ignored some details in certain events, is it for their insignificance or something else that's not clear for me. Would definitely enjoy listening to it again.

Surly you are joking Mr. Feynman, aren't you?

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This is the best bio on RICHARD FEYNMAN by far, and it comes as no surprise that the author is JAMES GLEICK. Gleick is one of the greatest living science writers. His subject this time is the great RICHARD FEYNMAN. A scientist who is fascinating on all fronts- personal and professional.
In other writers hands this cornucopia of great material is wasted. Gleick is the right man for the job and he doesn't disappoint. He choreographs a memorable dance intertwining the personal and professional sides of this enigmatic,extroverted, exuberant, genius. whose life is a favorite study of scientific students and others like myself who have been lucky enough to discover the entrancing story of his remarkable life and work..
This is a highly readable and thoroughly enjoyable biography that anyone can benefit greatly from reading. As expected Gleick does a masterful job of disseminating all of Feynman's remarkable scientific discovery's and inventions in a manner anyone can not just come to understand- but appreciate as well . Thats a tall order that Gleick is renown for pulling off (see my review on his book on chaos theory) As far as I can recall, the narration is also quite good for both books.
Once youve read genius- or even before you read it, check out all the wonderful interviews with Feynmans on u tube. This is a great book about a great man. Highly recommended.

A GREAT READ OF A GREAT MAN

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Excellent journalism, and storytelling. I’m frustrated by the audible narrator, Miss pronouncing words and names throughout the reading.

Read any book by James Gleick

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I am sorry I l left this so long before I wrote the review; I like to write them while I am on the last few pages and all is still fresh in my mind.

So...in summary only...here was a tireless intellectual, a rigorous mind, a loving husband, a man who subscribed to now rules that compromised his fundamental beliefs. Yet, here also was a man that went to Brazil to spend a week with a woman of questionable virtue to get a break from the stress of thinking.

My whole experience was enhanced when I found out that Feynman had been recorded giving 7 lectures to students at Cornell in the 1950's. Bill Gates had saved these and made them available on the internet: there Feynman was, alive, humorous, his coarse New York accent untainted, his clean clear thinking on show as if still here.

Nobel Prize winner, uncompromising, funny, passionate, tireless, the book brings him alive. How I'd love to have had dinner with him!

What a Life

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