Classic Feynman: All the Adventures of a Curious Character, Richard Feynman, Ralph Leighton (ISBN 978-0393061321, W. W. Norton & Company)

This 500+ pages book contains all the stories from Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman and What do you care what other people think. If you have already read these 2 books and maybe own them then there is not much new. Unless you are a true fan. There is a foreword by Freeman Dyson and an afterword by actor Alan Alda. From these I learned a few new things like that there has been a play about Feynman by Alan Alda called QED. The stories also have been reordered a bit compared to how they appeared in the 2 separate books. And then there is the CD with Feynman telling the story ‘Los Alamos from Below’. Having read the story already hearing Feynman tell it himself adds another dimension. Just the way he tells the story adds more story telling suspense and humor compared to simply reading it. This actually adds a lot of understanding and helps put them in the right perspective so just the CD by itself is worth the purchase. Although you can probably find the story online as well so even that is no compelling reason to buy this book. Unless like me you are a bit of a book lover. If that is the case then I can certainly recommend the book because this hardcover edition is highly superior compared to the paperbacks I have of Surely You are Joking and What do you care what other people think. I then I am not so much talking about the binding but the feel of the paper and the print quality. This edition gives you the pleasure of holding a well crafted publication in your hands which adds to the joy while reading, something completely missing especially from my paperback copy of What do you care what other people think. I hesitated for a while if I should really buy this book considering there isn’t anything extra in terms of stories. But the CD and the superior print quality are definitely worth it for me.