How you can write a book - without actually writing a thing...

You have to BE Richard Feynamn first to achieve all this.

Who is your advice for/to, Dien?

To the richard feynmans of the world or to people who haven't achieved his status?

In order to achieve what Feynman did (including the PUBLISHING success) you have to BE a Nobel Laureate or/and highly creative and acclaimed research-scientist.

Only in THIS case the stories you can relate become something people care for.

I just can't understand how this simple fact so brilliantly observed in ancient times is constantly neglected...

Here is the peace of (Chinese) wisdom.

"In order to achieve something you first have to BE something and then you'll see whether you want to achieve that something..."

When you ARE someone like Feynman it's absolutely natural that you just don't want to waste your time writing, and use the transcribed tapes that are made (and transcribed) by students and friends who are drawn to you by your BEING Feynman in the first place.

I am absolutely sure that every reader of this board have a story to tell which are even funnier than Feynman's, but to try to 'inspire' them into writing a book of those stories is to tempt then with something utterly unrealistic.

Sure, EVERYONE can 'write' a book by transcribing one's own lectures, but the problem is - you have to BE someone to get people interested in them (apart from the fact that you have to KNOW the topic with the same deep and brilliance...

Summing this up.
1. choose a field of your interest
2. by working all your life achieve the status of the eminent EXPERT, earn your accolades.
3. THEN write a 'recorded' and 'transcribed' book...

THIS should be a realistic advice.

Alas, you'll have to write a LOT of words, papers, articles BEFORE you could write a 'book without writing a thing'...

I am sorry.

But the analysis should go even DEEPER.
Have you noticed that the real achievement in this case was made NOT by Feynman but by people who worked NOT for themselves.

So, here is a 'modified' piece of advice.

DON'T write a book for YOUR-self.

Find a person in your life like Leighton 'found' Feynman and offer to 'write' (that is, record and transcribe) a book for HIM...
(which won't be easy too, for if the man/woman is already lecturing, he might already have the book either written by himself OR some of the students has already beaten you to the punch).

Anyway, in this case your chances to succeed are much higher than on the path of realizing an egotistic 'dream'...

Simon