Tuva or Bust!

The story of how Leighton and Feynman tried to get to Tannu Tuva, a tiny, once independent country in Soviet Siberia. Their correspondence with the Tuvans and their interest in Hoomei, the Tuvan singing style that involves producing two notes simultaneously, are described in this book.

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This is an account of how Leighton and Feynman tried to get to Tannu Tuva, a tiny, once independent country in Soviet Siberia. Their correspondence with the Tuvans, their interest in Hoomei and the Tuvan singing style that involves producing two notes simultaneously are described in this book. Throughout their struggles with Soviet bureaucracy and their dealings with Soviet scientists and Western anthropologists, Radio Moscow and the Gothenburg Historical Museum, Feynman was fighting a losing battle with cancer. Their quest ended in triumph and sadness. Shortly before the Soviet Academy of Sciences formally invited Feynman to visit Novosibirsk, Moscow - and Tuva - he died. This is the third and last of the trilogy of books that chronicle the "adventures of a curious character", the first two being "Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman!" and "What do You Care What Other People Think?".