Part 5: Judging Books by Their Covers Summary and Analysis

Feynman finds himself invited to Washington to attend conferences discussing weapons, public policy, and other issues he he feels unqualified to discuss. However, it may be because he feels some guilt and irresponsibility about turning down so many of these offers, that he agrees to serve on a math textbook approval committee.

The job of the committee he serves on will decide which textbooks will be used in California public schools. No textbook can be used in a classroom until it is approved by this committee. Feynman receives the books to be reviewed by the committee. He finds an overwhelming number of books (three hundred pounds of books and seventeen feet of bookshelf space) but commits himself to reading all of them (he later discovers many of the other committee members...