by James Gleick
First published 1992
Genius retraces the life of Richard Feynman, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist whose outsized personality and bold, original thinking left an indelible mark on science. From his early days as a child prodigy to his pivotal role in the Manhattan Project, Gleick captures Feynman's insatiable curiosity and resistance to authority. As Feynman grapples with the weight of his wartime work and clashes with the scientific establishment, his relentless quest for truth takes him on a wild ride, from classrooms to strip clubs, that challenges the very nature of genius.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: outsider, rebel
Setting: United States, 20th century
Period: 20th century
532 pages · Hardcover · Pantheon