October 2010 – the Void

Richard Feynman needs no introduction. A great teacher and an admirable personality above all. Feynman was not an ordinary person by any measure. As a physicist his methods and reasoning amazed his peers. As a teacher he put fun back into the subject and made learning a whole new experience, packed with interest, imagination and excitement. As a popular person, he denounced authority and accolades, stating that decoration doesn’t change the man underneath, it’s all a facade.

: Image by TaranRampersad via Flickr

Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track is a collection of Feynman’s letters and correspondences throughout his career. No other book can come even close to showing the real character of this brilliant man. From his patient and generous responses to wanna-be scientists with flawed ideas, and those who have some interest in a minor oddity that discuss with Feynman, to those who seek advice for themselves or their offspring, to those who have a few harsh things to tell Feynman. The collection includes some of his personal family mails as well as his very emotional and moving exchange with his first wife before and during her illness and final departure.

Feynman enjoyed the scientific endeavor more than anything. He rejected honorary degrees and other prizes. A very humble character who always accepted his flaws right off the bat. A fascinating read with notes and comments by his half-sister.

This is a gem for all Feynman fans and anyone who’s interested in learning about a great man with a character to awe and inspire.

Eivind: BBC News – How Richard Feynman went from stirring jelly to a Nobel Prize (bbc.co.uk)
‘No ordinary genius’ (bbc.co.uk)
The Difference between ‘True Science’ and ‘Cargo-Cult Science’ (pajamasmedia.com)

Meta; Type: Nonfiction. Categories: Letters and correspondences. Edition(s): Audio. Rating: 4/5. Recommendation: Recommended for Feynman fans.

Slaughterhouse 5; the saddest book I’ve ever read. By far.

: Image via Wikipedia

What Kurt Vonnegut does with his words is not humane. Slaughterhouse 5 takes you from scene to scene, jumping through worlds of feelings that intermingle and dissolve. The pain of war. The indifference of everyone and everything. Lost ~~souls~~ children of war.

Billy, the protagonist, tells his story during the second world war who gets captured. His mind is torn between logic and reality. His feelings torn between past, present and the future. He’s constantly fading in and out of time as Billy got “unstuck in time”.

Slaughterhouse 5 is not a story of soul-searching or sanity. It’s a story of chaos and indifference. A story of a lost child sent to witness the horrors of human achievement.