What is the name of Feynman's best-known autobiographical book?

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Richard Feynman’s best-known autobiographical book is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character. Published in 1985, it presents memorable stories from the physicist’s life in a humorous, conversational style.

The book was assembled from recorded conversations between Feynman and his close friend Ralph Leighton, who helped shape the material into a readable collection. Its stories range from Feynman’s safe-cracking adventures and fascination with puzzles to his experiences at Los Alamos, teaching, travel, art, drumming, and scientific culture. The title comes from a woman’s surprised reaction after Feynman requested an unusual combination of cream and lemon in tea.

It is often described as an autobiography, although it is more precisely an edited collection of reminiscences rather than a continuous account of every period in his life. Feynman’s later autobiographical companion, What Do You Care What Other People Think?, appeared in 1988 and includes his account of the Challenger investigation. Six Easy Pieces and The Feynman Lectures are educational physics books, not autobiographies.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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