Book · 1992 · Physicists
Genius : the Life and Science of Richard Feynman
Why people recommend it
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Gleick chronicles the brilliant, unconventional life and profound scientific contributions of the legendary physicist. On Freakonomics Radio, host Stephen Dubner frequently referenced and praised the biography. In May 2026 updates, Dubner offered special thanks to James Gleick, noting that the biography had proven immensely helpful to his production team. Dubner used the book's title to frame Richard Feynman as a paradigm of exceptional intellect, citing Gleick's 1992 publication as the definitive biographical account. Furthermore, Dubner drew directly from Gleick's research to illustrate the more controversial aspects of Feynman's personal life, specifically referencing passages in Genius that detailed Feynman's romantic entanglements with undergraduates and graduate students' wives while teaching at Cornell University. By integrating Gleick's thorough reporting, Dubner presented a nuanced portrait that balanced Feynman's monumental scientific achievements with his complex, highly debated personal reputation.
Who recommended it
- Stephen Dubner Recommended
Stephen Dubner — 3 mentions
“The word most commonly attached to Richard Feynman would seem to be genius. That is the title of the definitive Feynman biography, published in 1992 by James Gleick.”
“For years, Feynman had cultivated a reputation as a womanizer of the worst sort. James Gleick, in his book Genius, reports that while he was teaching at Cornell, Feynman slept with undergraduates and the wives of graduate students.”
“And special thanks to James Gleick for writing Genius, his biography of Richard Feynman. It has been very helpful to us.”