Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2026-05-22
Books mentioned on The Curious Mr. Feynman (Update)
From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, the world is awash in lousy ideas — so maybe it’s time to get some more Feynman in our lives?
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track
Discussed“Richard Feynman's daughter Michelle, whom we met earlier, is in her 50s now and she still lives in Pasadena. She is a primary keeper of her father's legacy and once edited a book of his letters.”
Where to get it
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The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.
Discussed“Imagine if you were a novelist and, you know, you're writing this novel privately and it's published and then, like, uh, Mark Chapman holding The Catcher in the Rye, somebody uses your novel to do something that's really horrible. That's the great problem of humanity, isn't it?”
Where to get it
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Genius
Genius by James Gleick is a definitive 1992 biography of the renowned theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, chronicling his scientific contributions, eccentric personality, and complex personal life.
Recommended“And special thanks to James Gleick for writing Genius, his biography of Richard Feynman. It has been very helpful to us.”
Where to get it
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Genius : the Life and Science of Richard Feynman
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Gleick chronicles the brilliant, unconventional life and profound scientific contributions of the legendary physicist.
Recommended“And special thanks to James Gleick for writing Genius, his biography of Richard Feynman. It has been very helpful to us.”
Where to get it
