Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: Selected Letters of Richard P. Feynman

This audio edition is a selection of 246 of the 414 letters, telegrams, and memoranda that Michelle Feynman compiled for Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track. 189 of the selections are written by Richard P. Feynman himself, and the other 57 are addressed to him. His correspondents include friends, family members, admirers, colleagues, and others.

168 of the letters in the book were not recorded for this audio edition. 124 of the omitted letters are written by Richard P. Feynman, and 44 are written by others. The time periods with the most omissions are 1946–1965 and 1986–1987.

Omissions

The 168 omitted letters are:

1939–1942

• Richard P. Feynman to Lucille Feynman, Date Unknown, 1942

1943–1945

• Arline Feynman to Richard P. Feynman, January 31, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, March 2, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, March 5, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, March 7, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, March 10, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, March 13, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, March 14, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, April 12, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, April 19, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, April 21, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to Arline Feynman, May 2, 1945

1946–1959

• Richard P. Feynman to R. C. Gibbs, October 24, 1945
• Richard P. Feynman to R. D. Richtmeyer, April 15, 1947
• Jack Williamson to Richard P. Feynman, March 25, 1949
• Richard P. Feynman to Jack Williamson, May 30, 1949
• Richard P. Feynman to T. A. Welton, November 16, 1949
• Richard P. Feynman to Julius Ashkin, June 5, 1950
• Richard P. Feynman to M. L. Oliphant, December 12, 1950
• Richard P. Feynman to Jerrold R. Zacharias, January 18, 1951
• Richard P. Feynman to the Department of State, January 14, 1955
• Richard P. Feynman to the Atomic Energy Commission, January 14, 1955
• Telegram Richard P. Feynman to the Department of State, February 17, 1955
• Richard P. Feynman to Walter Rudolph, February 24, 1955
• Richard P. Feynman to Wallace W. Atwood, Jr., February 24, 1955
• Richard P. Feynman to A. N. Nesmeyanov, February 25, 1955
• K. D. Nichols to Richard P. Feynman, February 28, 1955
• Richard P. Feynman to A. N. Nesmeyanov, March 14, 1955
• Richard P. Feynman to Walter M. Rudolph, March 14, 1955
• Walter J. Stoessel, Jr., to Richard P. Feynman, March 15, 1955
• Richard P. Feynman to Mr. Walter J. Stoessel, Jr., April 4, 1955

1960–1970: The National Academy of Sciences

• Richard P. Feynman to Philip Handler, July 15, 1969

1960–1965

• Richard P. Feynman to Earl Ubell, February 21, 1961
• Richard P. Feynman to Floyd Gold, April 5, 1961
• Richard P. Feynman to Frederich Hipp, April 5, 1961
• Richard P. Feynman to Volta Torrey, November 15, 1961
• Richard P. Feynman to Alladi Ramakrishnan, January 30, 1962
• Richard P. Feynman to Mr. Y, February 8, 1962
• Richard P. Feynman to Mr. Y, March 14, 1962
• Richard P. Feynman to Mr. Y, April 3, 1962
• Richard P. Feynman to Mr. Y, April 10, 1962
• L. G. Parratt to Richard P. Feynman, August 30, 1963
• Richard P. Feynman to Dr. L. G. Parratt, September 6, 1963
• D. S. Saxon to Richard P. Feynman, October 15, 1964
• Richard P. Feynman to D. S. Saxon, October 20, 1964
• R. C. Fox to Richard P. Feynman, October 26, 1964
• Richard P. Feynman to R. C. Fox, January 4, 1965
• Lawrence Cranberg to Richard P. Feynman, January 6, 1965
• Lawrence Cranberg to Richard P. Feynman, January 6, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Lawrence Cranberg, March 3, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Alan Sleath, April 7, 1965
• Barbara Kyle to Richard P. Feynman, August 13, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Barbara Kyle, October 20, 1965

1965: The Nobel Prize

• Jules Greenbaum to Richard P. Feynman, October 22, 1965 Telegram
• Richard P. Feynman to Mr. and Mrs. Jules Greenbaum, October 23, 1965
• Laurie Brown to Richard P. Feynman, October 21, 1965 Telegram
• Richard P. Feynman to Laurie M. Brown, November 2, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Herbert Jehle, November 29, 1965
• Julius Ashkin to Richard P. Feynman, October 29, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Julius Ashkin, November 23, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to M. S. Vallarta, November 22, 1965
• Tom Dailey to Richard P. Feynman, October 21, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Thomas M. Dailey, October 23, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to David Kraus, October 23, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to John M. Richardson, November 1, 1965
• Martin B. Einhorn to Richard P. Feynman, October 23, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Martin B. Einhorn, November 22, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to the California Tech, November 2, 1965
• Hubert H. Humphrey to Richard P. Feynman, November 12, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Hubert H. Humphrey, November 22, 1965
• Joseph E. Johnston to Richard Feynman, October 22, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to J. E. Johnston, November 24, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Howard Lemberg, December 6, 1965
• Harold I. Lief to Richard P. Feynman, November 10, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Harold I. Lief, November 30, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Morrie Jacobs, November 24, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Bertha Cohen, November 15, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Mimi Phillips, November 15, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Arnold H. Phillips, November 18, 1965
• Richard D. Pettit to Dr. and Mrs. Richard Feynman, October 25, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Richard D. Pettit, November 15, 1965
• Betsy Holland Gehman to Richard P. Feynman, October 27, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Betsy Holland Gehman, November 23, 1965
• Alan Farley to Richard P. Feynman, October 29, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Alan Farley, November 29, 1965
• Edwin J. Wesely to Richard P. Feynman, October 22, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Edwin J. Wesely, November 30, 1965
• David L. Anderson to Richard P. Feynman, November 8, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to David L. Anderson, November 22, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Arnold O. Beckman, December 6, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Albert Ruddock, November 23, 1965
• Max Rafferty to Richard P. Feynman, November 22, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Max Rafferty, November 29, 1965
• Jon A. Johnsen to Richard P. Feynman, October 21, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Jon A. Johnsen, December 14, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Madan Mohan Pant, November 24, 1965
• Bob Williams to Richard P. Feynman, October 21, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Bob Williams, November 29, 1965

1966–1969

• Virendra K. Singh to Richard P. Feynman, October 17, 1965
• Richard P. Feynman to Virendra K. Singh, November 23, 1965
• Virendra K. Singh to Richard P. Feynman, February 7, 1966
• Richard P. Feynman to Virendra K. Singh, February 14, 1966
• Richard P. Feynman to Gilberto Bernardini and Luigi A. Radicati, February 9, 1966
• J. W. Buchta to Richard P. Feynman, February 18, 1966
• Richard P. Feynman to J. W. Buchta, March 3, 1966
• Richard P. Feynman to Richard Godshall, March 2, 1966
• Draft of Letter Written By Feynman
• Richard P. Feynman to Edwin H. Land, May 19, 1966
• Richard P. Feynman to Jehiel S. Davis, December 6, 1966
• A. R. Hibbs to Richard P. Feynman, January 10, 1967
• Bette Brent to the National Academy of Sciences, January 25, 1967
• Tina Levitan to Richard P. Feynman, January 30, 1967
• Richard P. Feynman to Tina Levitan, February 7, 1967
• Richard P. Feynman to Donald H. Deneck, June 27, 1967
• Richard P. Feynman to Mark Kac, October 3, 1967
• Richard P. Feynman to Bruce Jowers, April 25, 1969
• Richard P. Feynman to Andy Wang, September 30, 1969

1970–1975

• Richard P. Feynman to K. A. Cardy, August 27, 1970
• John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Confidential Report on Candidate for Fellowship, Murray Gell-Mann, December 9, 1970
• Richard P. Feynman to Stanistow Kruk, January 18, 1972
• Richard P. Feynman to A. V. Seshagiri, October 4, 1972
• Richard P. Feynman to Paul Olum, October 31, 1974
• Richard P. Feynman to David Hamilton, March 26, 1975
• Richard P. Feynman to William L. Mcconnell, March 5, 1975
• Richard P. Feynman to Kenneth R. Warner, Jr., April 1, 1975
• Richard P. Feynman to Michael Stanley, March 31, 1975
• Beulah Elizabeth Cox to Richard P. Feynman, August 22, 1975
• Richard P. Feynman to Beulah E. Cox, September 12, 1975
• Richard P. Feynman to Alexander George, September 26, 1975
• Richard P. Feynman to R. H. Hildebrand, October 28, 1975

1976–1981

• Richard P. Feynman to Andrzej Trautman, February 4, 1976
• Richard P. Feynman to V. L. Ginsburg, March 16, 1976
• Richard P. Feynman to E. Fred Carlisle, January 24, 1977
• Richard P. Feynman to Ramon Cortines, April 25, 1977
• Rafael Dy-liacco to Richard P. Feynman, May 24, 1978
• Richard P. Feynman to Rafael Dy-liacco, June 6, 1978
• Richard P. Feynman to G. C. Dijkhuis, June 13, 1979
• Richard P. Feynman to Robert Ilsley, June 13, 1979
• Michael H. Hart to Richard P. Feynman, March 25, 1980
• Richard P. Feynman to Michael H. Hart, December 4, 1980
• Richard P. Feynman to Gerald Freund, April 6, 1981
• Richard P. Feynman to Don Nemec, October 19, 1981

1982–1984

• Richard P. Feynman to Connie Griffiths, January 25, 1982
• Richard P. Feynman to Richard Marrus, April 30, 1982
• Richard P. Feynman to Beata C. Kamp, February 28, 1983
• Richard P. Feynman to Dorothy W. Weeks, February 25, 1983
• Richard P. Feynman to Bob Valley, October 14, 1983
• Richard P. Feynman to Frances Best, November 2, 1983
• Richard P. Feynman to David Mermin, March 30, 1984
• David Mermin to Richard P. Feynman, April 11, 1984
• Richard P. Feynman to William G. Bradley, July 13, 1984
• Richard P. Feynman to Eric W. Leuliette, September 24, 1984

1985–1987

• Richard P. Feynman to Silvan Schweber, January 28, 1985
• Robert F. Coutts to Richard P. Feynman, April 1985
• Richard P. Feynman to Melinda Jan, April 16, 1985
• Debbie Feynman to Richard P. Feynman, January 20, 1985
• Richard P. Feynman to Debbie Feynman, May 7, 1985
• Richard P. Feynman to Robert L. Kamm, July 19, 1985
• Richard P. Feynman to Mrs. Harry Garver, September 3, 1985
• Dr. Klaus Stadler to Richard P. Feynman, October 4, 1985
• Richard P. Feynman to Klaus Stadler, October 15, 1985
• Richard P. Feynman to Edward Tenner, November 14, 1985
• Stephen Wolfram to Richard P. Feynman, September 26, 1985
• Richard P. Feynman to Stephen Wolfram, October 14, 1985
• Richard P. Feynman to Armando Garcia J., December 11, 1985
• Richard P. Feynman to L. Dembart, January 15, 1986
• Leigh Palmer to Richard P. Feynman, January 1, 1987
• Richard P. Feynman to Leigh Palmer, January 12, 1987

Also omitted are the book's appendices, which comprise five articles and a transcript of a television interview:

• Appendix I: Interview with Richard P. Feynman for Viewpoint, c. 1959
• Appendix II: “Gravity, the Disrespectful,” by Earl Ubell, February 5, 1961
• Appendix III: “The Future of Physics” by Richard P. Feynman, c. 1961
• Appendix IV: “Extra! California Tech Extra!” by the Associated Students of the California Institute of Technology, October 22, 1965
• Appendix V: “New Textbooks for the ‘New’ Mathematics” by Richard P. Feynman, March 6, 1965
• Appendix VI: “Two Men in Search of the Quark” by Lee Edson, October 8, 1967