The introduction explains how Feynman challenged Leighton, at the time a high school math teacher, "Whatever happened to Tannu Tuva?"

But the country existed, and the pair became fascinated with this hard-to-reach destination in the middle of Asia, which had become a republic in the Soviet Union.

In many ways, the attempt to travel to Tuva is an allegory for Feynman's perpetual curiosity to discover new things, and how he inspired his friends, admirers and protégés to do the same.

Essentially the same subject of Feynman's and Leighton's interactions and tribulations was also the basis for a documentary titled The Quest for Tannu Tuva, which was released before the book was published.

That documentary was in turn repackaged with a new American narration and titled The Last Journey of a Genius, which was broadcast as part of the PBS series NOVA on 24 January 1989.