Product Description

This new volume contains four previously unpublished lectures that Feynman gave to students preparing for exams. With characteristic flair, insight and humor, Feynman discusses topics students struggle with and offers valuable tips on solving physics problems. An illuminating memoir by Matthew Sands — who originally conceived The Feynman Lectures on Physics — gives a fascinating insight into the history of Feynman’s lecture series and the books that followed. This book is rounded off by relevant exercises and answers by R. B. Leighton and R. E. Vogt, originally developed to accompany the Lectures on Physics.

Customer Reviews (9)

Inessential but Entertaining Reading
As a Feynman completist, I felt compelled to pick up this latest addition to the canon of one of science's greatest expositors, which is made up largely of excised review lectures from the course that generated some of the most highly regarded physics books ever printed (The Feynman Lectures on Physics including Feynman's Tips on Physics: The Definitive and Extended Edition).

Whereas those lectures are voyages of discovery that make the reader feel that he is a true participant in the enterprise of science, those contained in this volume are generally more straightforward, and the reader is again but a lowly student ... albeit a student of one of the subject's greatest teachers.But that switch in mood is part of this book's appeal, for even as the reader trades the laboratory for the classroom in some of the more mundane aspects of problem solving, Feynman does so along with him.In fact, Feynman's admissions of the variety of mistakes he made while working out problems (some of which he admits to having to do several times in order to get them right while preparing for the lecture) made for some of the most entertaining and encouraging parts of the book.Feynman, one of the 20th century's greatest physicists, is grinding it out along with us, revealing himself to be vulnerable to the same little pitfalls that can haunt and discourage students in any hard science.

Beyond that, there are some true practical gems in the book, including a wonderfully simple method of differentiation that I had not seen presented Feynman's way until I read this book.Rounding out the lectures are some problems and solutions (not presented by Feynman) that solidify the book's practical aim.None of it is absolutely essential, and the book is arguably a bit pricey for its length.But it is certainly a worthwhile read, further enhanced, perhaps, by imagining Feynman's Far Rockaway accent as you read to make the experience of being his student seem a little more real.

feynman lecture
I was there and heard these things in the early 60's.the lectures are still just as fascinating now as they were then, although I have forgotten most or all of the math that went with them.

Excellent Leftovers
Different parts of this book will appeal to different readers.
There is a lot of information about how the book came to be published, providing insight into Feynman's style.
There are the actual lectures,delivered mostly to students that were having trouble in the physics class, including the observation, mentioned in another review, that half the students have to be below average, even at Cal Tech.
These can help you improve your physical intuition.
There is a lecture on applied physics, covering gyroscopes and accelerometers
in navigation systems.
The numerical coefficients have probably been improved since then,
but the presentation is excellent.
There is also a collection of problems to practice on.
These seemed much better, much more realistic, much more interesting, than those I solved as a physics minor decades ago.

I hope a culinary analogy will help potential readers understand this book.
Yes this book is a bunch of leftovers.
Some chef's leftovers are better than most cooks' best efforts.
Feynman was a master chef in physics.

rummaging to put together one last [?] book by Feynman
Sometimes when a prominent author dies, his estate might authorise someone to go through his notes. In the hope of finding unpublished material that is of enough quality to be published. This could necessitate some editorial or extra authorial assistance. Think perhaps of fiction authors. Where final stories trickle out in the years after their deaths.

Precisely the case here. The 2 other authors of this book, Gottlieb and Leighton, have rummaged through Feynman's records, and found these 4 "lost" lectures. In case you're wondering, his 2 children have approved this venture. As perhaps the last new book you are likely to see with Richard Feynman's name on it.

Of the chapters, the most interesting is really the introduction, that describes the circumstances by which the book came about. The actual physics is well done, of course. But this is not one of Feynman's major works. Let's be clear about it. Think of it as marginalia. An addendum to his Lectures on Physics.

The cover's photo shows him as young and in good health. Unlike when I saw him in his last years, ravaged by cancer.

Feynmann on Physics
Firstly, ANYTHING by Richard Feynman is compulsive reading.Having said that I was a little bit disappointed because I was expecting some personal tips on his math techniqes.There is an interesting approach to differentiation and some stuff on numerical integration.There is a great deal on gyroscopes. There is a common sense homily to those who have to face the fact that SOMEONE has to be in the lower quartile of a class, and not to get disturbed by this statistical fact.For the few dollars it costs it is well worth it ! ... Read more

Product Description
In these Messenger Lectures, originally delivered at Cornell University and recorded for television by the BBC, Richard Feynman offers an overview of selected physical laws and gathers their common features into one broad principle of invariance. He maintains at the outset that the importance of a physical law is not "how clever we are to have found it out, but . . . how clever nature is to pay attention to it," and tends his discussions toward a final exposition of the elegance and simplicity of all scientific laws. Rather than an essay on the most significant achievements in modern science, The Character of Physical Law is a statement of what is most remarkable in nature. Feynman's enlightened approach, his wit, and his enthusiasm make this a memorable exposition of the scientist's craft.The Law of Gravitation is the author's principal example. Relating the details of its discovery and stressing its mathematical character, he uses it to demonstrate the essential interaction of mathematics and physics. He views mathematics as the key to any system of scientific laws, suggesting that if it were possible to fill out the structure of scientific theory completely, the result would be an integrated set of mathematical axioms. The principles of conservation, symmetry, and time-irreversibility are then considered in relation to developments in classical and modern physics, and in his final lecture Feynman develops his own analysis of the process and future of scientific discovery.Like any set of oral reflections, The Character of Physical Law has special value as a demonstration of the mind in action. The reader is particularly lucky in Richard Feynman. One of the most eminent and imaginative modern physicists, he was Professor of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology until his death in 1988. He is best known for his work on the quantum theory of the electromagnetic field, as well as for his later research in the field of low-temperature physics. In 1954 he received the Albert Einstein Award for his "outstanding contribution to knowledge in mathematical and physical sciences"; in 1965 he was appointed to Foreign Membership in the Royal Society and was awarded the Nobel Prize. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

physical theory
And such masterly attempt to explain the character of physical theory to the non specalist deserves every support and commendation
no one need be in any doubt over the wonders of the world we live in scentifically speaking and here is a good chance to appreciate it


G E STEDMAN
'An orthodox understanding of the Bible with Physical science'

worthy a place in your lifetime book collection
Many of us took physics in college. Love it or hate it, most of the topics are not forgotten. But it is worthy, whenever free time is available, to re-visit a selected list of topics from the highlights of human reasoning.

Obviously, not everyone can be qualified as the guide. Feymann is one of the few who qualifies and actually delivered. Love it, also consider to make purchase of other books in Modern Library.

Greek vs. Babilonian science, great explanation of two different approaches.
This book consists of a series of lectures explaining some features of physical laws (also as opposed to mathematical laws). I found this book both too simple and too difficult. I probably need to explain this further. The lectures were aimed at students of physics, not at complete laypersons like myself, who would like to take a brief glimpse into the awe inspiring world of science. Mr. Feynman assumed therefore, that his listeners already had some notion of basic physics, like newtonian gravity and some calculus. Although the book is non mathematical and you do not need to solve any formulas, some concepts are not explained from the start up (for example in his example about acceleration or gravity he uses some differential equations and he assumes that you will understand both the mathematical symbols and the reasoning behind it). This was the difficult part. But then again I found it too simple, because he does not go into much detail, which I would have liked, in order to understand the topics better.

What I liked most from the book was his explanation of the difference between Greek and Babilonian science and how physics resembles more to Babilonian science. In physics you do not need to construct everything from basic axioms (fundamental statements), in fact you could use any law as an axiom to another law or putting it differently, you can derive other laws from it and expand its application to other areas, the same as you can use other laws to arrive at your initial law. Everything in physics is interconnected and many laws express the same, but viewed from a different angle or using a different basic assumption. If your theory can be applied to other fields, it is probably a more fundamental law. I also liked how Mr. Feynman explained the difference between Math and Physics in the sense that in Math, if you find a solution, it is correct, whereas in Physics you need to go to the data. If your solution does not fit the data, your theory is either incorrect or incomplete.

Regarding the chapter on particle physics, I had the impression that some of the statements were a bit outdated. I think in Fantastic Realities: 49 Mind Journeys And a Trip to Stockholm, I have read that a few of the open topics that the author mentions have already been studied in deeper detail and some questions have already been answered in experiments carried out in the big accelerators. You can find a more passionate and beatiful explanation of symmetry in Fearful Symmetry: The Search for Beauty in Modern Physics (Princeton Science Library) or a more detailed one in Deep Down Things: The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics.

Best coverage of Newtonian Gravity and Feynman is always readable
This is not one of the most popular Feynman books you can get but it is a short introduction to physics along with Feynman's way of helping people to learn about it. While I wouldn't have this on my list of first Feynman books to get (or physics books for that matter) if you do find it and have an interest in physics then by all means, pick it up.

The book is a collection of Lectures Feynman made. He deals with seven topics in fewer than 200 pages. The topics are.

1) Gravitation
2) Mathematics and physics
3) The conservation of energy
4) Symmetry
5) The arrow of time
6) Quantum mechanics
7) How to find new laws

Feynman brings a lot to the table in such a small space of time. His examples are usually quite good but some are hit and miss. It was written in 1965 and while most of it is still valid (it is missing over 50 years of physics!) you may find that you can learn about these topics better elsewhere... and that's really the catch. However, I would certainly say you can learn a lot here and the point of getting this book is to get Feynman's take on these subjects. He is still as good today as he was back then.

I wouldn't say that if this was your first time coming across physics that Feynman is too advanced, as this book and Feynman's lectures are designed for any audience with an interest in physics, but that is not to say that it is easy. In fact Feynman goes out of his way to explain that it is hard because it is so counterintuitive. I would say though that if you could get a modern book on cosmology that you will get a better introduction to these topics. In fact several books on cosmology would have you better prepared but in the end you are probably going to want to read Feynman.This may not be a bad place to go, but at the same time I feel there are probably much better Feynman books out there.

There are some illustrations in this book but most of them are hand drawn and apart from the images of galaxies are not always helpful. However notice that this still gets 4 stars for all its failings. Why? Because when it clicks you learn something you won't elsewhere. That is just how it is with physics books. They all have these accomplishments and failings to some degree. If you come away from a book with something new or a new way to look at physics, or have something explained to you in way you have never seen before, then it has already done its job. Within these 200 pages are some gems. I think his explanation of Newtonian Gravity is one of the best I have ever seen though. Also his overall explanation of how science works is nearly worth the price of this book alone.

Pros:
- Feynman's explanations
- Newtonian Gravity explained
- Short

Cons:
- 50 recent years of physics is not covered
- Can get very difficult even for experienced physics readers

A Curate's Egg
Warning: I have published theory with the lowest impact factor, and I have written an unpublished book on the nature of theory.

This book is a transcript of seven extemporized lectures for the mathematically challenged. It is quite remarkable for perceptive interpretations of physics with a minimum of maths and as a bonus, the reader gets an insight into the mind of a truly leading theoretician. If you want an initial insight as to how physics works, excellent. Unfortunately, extemporization leads to "forgetfulness", e.g. "action" is stated to arise from and is fundamental to quantum mechanics, but is not mentioned in the discussion on quantum mechanics.

I believe the title is misleading. The book will not help or encourage an emerging theoretician. How to form a theory: Guess, compute, compare with observation. The rest of the book is argued to be no guidance, because any new theory will be quite different from the examples! Worse, we know all theory except at extreme energies or distances. (We could be wrong, but we aren't!)

I disagree. The book states on nuclear binding, apart from proton electrical repulsions, neutrons and protons interact with a constant energy. Theory is sound, but cannot be computed completely. Instead, suppose hadrons comprise up and down quarks, with different electric charge, that produce two types of interactions. Believe it or not, that, with consideration of that "action" is sufficient to produce relative stabilities for isotopes, and show why technetium has no stable isotope, and to indicate nuclear binding could come from electromagnetism. Wrong? Maybe, but isn't the fun of theory trying things out? Feynman offers no encouragement, little hope, and surprisingly, no insight on how he developed his theories. That is a pity. ... Read more

Product Description
The day Richard Feynman died, students at the California Institute of Technology hung a banner across the face of its library that read, simply, "We love you, Dick." To students of physics all over the world, Feynman was living proof that to lead a life in science you do not need ice water for blood and the mind of a Cray computer. This was a man who combined practical joking, safe-cracking, and bongo-playing with superlative teaching and brilliant insights.Although everyone knows that Feynman was a great scientist, few people could tell you even the name of the work for which he is acknowledged. The name of Hawking is associated with black holes, Darwin with evolution, Einstein with relativity. But Feynman? He was just a "scientist," which is ironic since his greatest work was actually in the area of quantum electrodynamics, a subject of enormous fascination to non-scientists today.Arguably the greatest physicist of his generation--and undoubtedly one of the most eccentric--Feynman's contributions are well illustrated in Richard Feynman: A Life in Science, and readers are sure to grasp his remarkable contribution to scientific understanding through the book's friendly and accessible style.
The biographical format offers an excellent way for non specialist readers to explore one of the more complex worlds of science.
Richard Feynman's own collection of essays Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman was a national bestseller.
Amazon.com Review
Richard Feynman was something of a rarity: a sciencesuperstar. Like another superstar who preceded him, Albert Einstein,Feynman's science was ahead of his time, but it was his qualities as ahuman being that caught the imaginations of ordinary people.A wholebody of legend has grown up around the man--much of it promulgated byFeynman himself--and nearly 10 years after his death he remains apopular subject of memoirs, biographies, and even films. In RichardFeynman, respected science writers John and Mary Gribbins combinebiography with popular science in this absorbing look at the greatman's life and work.

Though there's little new information aboutFeynman's personal life and interests here--everything from hispassion for bongo drums to his fascination with the country of Tuvahas been documented many times and in many places before now--theGribbons do an exemplary job of explaining just why Feyman was such agiant among physicists. Quanatum theory is the kind of subject thatcould give the average reader a raging headache, yet the Gribbonsexplain it so well that by the end of Richard Feynman even themost non-scientific among us will be able to appreciate just what asingular contribution to our world this science superstar made. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Quantum Electrogenius
There have been multiple biographies and compendiums honoring the lovable supergenius Richard Feynman, and his mindboggling accomplishments. This one is mostly a collection of snippets and anecdotes from previous books, but it probably gives the most concise and comprehensive coverage of Feynman's life and his vast influence on science. Granted, this particular bio does have a few flaws, especially in its rather breathless idolization of Feynman and his brilliance, to the point where the reader wonders if the gentleman had any flaws at all. Also, this book keeps trying to glamorize how approachable and lovably eccentric Feynman was, but these aspects of his personality don't really come through here, as John Gribbin can't quite make Feynman's hobbies like playing drums, or his love of teaching and reaching out to the masses, seem that amazing. But in any case, this is still a perfectly enjoyable biography because Feynman's brilliance in physics, and all the other intellectual endeavors he tackled, really does shine through. Gribbin also fleshes things out with pretty good coverage of Feynman's extensive contributions to physics, such as almost single-handedly inventing quantum electrodynamics, with the necessary background knowledge into modern and historical science. Despite a few problems with the structure of the biography, the person it's about really makes an impact with the reader. That can't be said about too many Nobel-winning eccentric genius physicists. [~doomsdayer520~]

A Life in Science
I really enjoyed Richard Feynman - A Life in Science.The book is an interesting account of Feynman's life, and teaches a lot about physics as well.I feel that the author felt it was necessary to write about Feynman not only because of his scientific discoveries, but because of his view of the world, and how he brought that to science.The book is very interesting.It goes into detail about Feynman's career and life, and gives us details about all of his personality quirks.Richard Feynman is best known for his work in quantum electrodynamics, which he won a Nobel Prize for in 1965.He also worked on quark the theory of superfluidity and was a member of the Manhattan Project during World War Two.Feynman was famous for his lectures and teaching.He taught physics because he found it fun, and he conveyed this in his teachings.We should read this story because it teaches it about physics and the way the world works, but more importantly, because it presents us with Feynman's optimistic interesting view on life.I think that if we all learned a little of Feynman's philosophies, we would all be much happier and simpler people.

The Bongo Playin' Physicist
This book, written by John and Mary Gribbin, gives a great insight into the life of a truly amazing genius who was told the importance of understanding the way things work from childhood.Melville Feynman, Richard Feynman's father, raised his son to be a scientist and succeeded.Richard was inquisitive throughout his life.It is clear that his curiosity led him to work on solving problems that were new to him, even if they had been solved before.Feynman was not a social outcast like many scientists are believed to be, and the Gribbins weave in some interesting personal stories about Feynman.Richard Feynman had a wonderful life from the standpoint that everything in his scientific life worked out well, and he rarely seemed to have any major obstacles in his work.The topics that Feynman studied were difficult to understand and may be impossible to understand without having him to explain.The Gribbins do an excellent job of explaining the difficult and sometimes abstract things that Feynman worked on or discovered.Feynman had a knack for problem solving ever since he was young and magically (by thinking) could fix radios.It is clear that Feynman enjoyed the area of study he was in, and "he never knew when he was working and when he was playing" (p 250).His sister Joan said of him.Feynman did enjoy what he did and was always ready for a challenge either from a teacher or from a colleague that was stuck.Feynman lived a very interesting life and not only worked on physics but took up painting, traveling, and playing the bongos.The renown of Feynman was amazing; he knew people from all over the world that were amazing and unique.The life of this man was full of incredible discoveries that continued through his old age.Feynman was thankful for every day he had, especially after he was diagnosed with cancer.Feynman's last words were, "This dying is boring" (p 258).He loved life, and he knew his legacy would continue saying, "I've kind of spread me around all over the place.So I'm probably not going to go away when I'm dead!" (p 258).Feynman was right about his legacy because he contributed so greatly to science and society.

A job well done in explaining Feynman's life and works
John and Mary Gribbin have done a splendid job in explaining the life and works of Richard Feynman. It is a short book of only about 300 pages, but it briefly explains every important part of Feynman's life. Starting with his childhood the book shows what influenced him to become a physicist and how in an early age he learned the meaning of knowing the name of something and actually knowing something.
The book goes through Feynman's education, his career as a physicist and his contributions to science. Along with that the book gives explanations of what was going in the world of physics before, during and after Feynman. This is the part where anyone reading will have problems because there is so much physics explained that a person needs to have a prior knowledge of basic physics and an intermediate knowledge of the atom to actually understand what Feynman did that made him a legend. If one cannot understand Feynman's contribution, there is no point in reading the book. Other than this, I have no complaints about the book.
The book explains one thing most impressively, i.e. it establishes how Feynman is an unusual physicist. Most usually do their best work by their early thirties, but Feynman made major contributions until he was middle aged. He received his Nobel Prize for his work on QED, but his other major contributions are in gravity, weak interactions, strong interactions, super fluidity, atomic bomb and he also led a major role in the investigation of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Feynman enjoyed life to its full extent; he made adventurous trips, played bongos, and actually had fun in doing what he was doing.
The book establishes that Feynman was no ordinary genius. The most important thing about him was he was never too proud and never let his genius get to his head. He was one of the most down to earth and honest person. He didn't accept mistakes from others but was still willing to accept his own mistake. He was willing to share his knowledge with anyone who wanted to learn and had this `feel' about him that one could not help but get influenced by him.
It looks like John and Mary Gribbin had to give the public a taste of the life of one of the most influential physicist who throughout his life was enthusiastic, adventurous and never backed down from a challenge. If you want a basic overview of Feynman's life with insights in quantum physics, I absolutely recommend this book. But if you are the type that cannot handle physics, this book is not for you.

A thoroughly enjoyable introduction to Feynman
I can't remember ever reading a biography quite as enjoyable. The authors are to be congratulated for their perfect blend of scientific and personal anecdotes. You won't find any of Feynman's lectures here, but you will come to understand why Feynman is so revered. The author's write, "Does the world really need another book about Richard Feynman? We think so, or we wouldn't have written it." I agree with them, and I'm sure you will too. A wonderful book. ... Read more

Product Description
Based on the in-class lectures of Richard Feynman, this book covers a wide range of topics in physics and provides a window to the thoughts of a brilliant Nobel laureate.

The Feynman Lectures on Gravitation are based on notes prepared during a course on gravitational physics that Richard Feynman taught at Caltech during the 196263 academic year. For several years prior to these lectures, Feynman thought long and hard about the fundamental problems in gravitational physics, yet he published very little. These lectures represent a useful record of his viewpoints and some of his insights into gravity and its application to cosmology, superstars, wormholes, and gravitational waves at that particular time. The lectures also contain a number of fascinating digressions and asides on the foundations of physics and other issues.

Characteristically, Feynman took and untraditional non-geometric approach to gravitation and general relativity based on the underlying quantum aspects of gravity. Hence, these lectures contain a unique pedagogical account of the development of Einstein's general relativity as the inevitable result of the demand for a self-consistent theory of a massless spin-2 field (the graviton) coupled to the energy-momentum tensor of matter. This approach also demonstrates the intimate and fundamental connection between gauge invariance and the Principle of Equivalence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A brief review
The original Feynman's point of view about world is always matter of greatest interest. He deeply investigate, as ever he did, the principles of gravitation theory and beyond.

Fascinating
This is a wonderful book which shows how a classical field theory like General Relativity can be derived from a quantum field theory.It also points out the extreme difficulty of accomplishing this in the case ofgravity and ending up with a consistent, anomaly free theory.

Readersof this book will benefit from familiarity with both quantum field theoryand relativity as well as a certain amount of mathematical sophistication. Don't be fooled by the similarity of title to other "Feynman Lectureson..." because this book is based on an upper level graduate physicscourse and assumes the background of a typical PhD student inphysics.

Deep, complex and difficult going but well worth the effort tosee the elegance of the connection between General Relativity and QFT.

General relativity as a quantum gauge field theory.
Feynman gave a series of lectures on gravitation at a graduate seminar at Caltech in 1962. The lectures were recorded and transcribed by Morinigo and Wagner. A very readable introduction on quantum gravity was added by theeditor, Brian Hatfield (whose book on quantum field theory and strings, Ialso recommend.) This is the only book I've seen which develops GR from aquantum field theory point of view. Feynman's lectures show that the GRfield equations result from the requirement of gauge invariance underLorentz transformations for a massless spin-2 field (i.e graviton). This isa more fundamental approach than the usual differential geometric frameworkand shows what the equivalence principle really means in terms offundamental symmetries. Highly recommended for a modern field theoryviewpoint of GR. ... Read more

Product Description
The famous physicist's timeless lectures on the promise and limitations of computers

When, in 1984-86, Richard P. Feynman gave his famous course on computation at the California Institute of Technology, he asked Tony Hey to adapt his lecture notes into a book. Although led by Feynman, the course also featured, as occasional guest speakers, some of the most brilliant men in science at that time, including Marvin Minsky, Charles Bennett, and John Hopfield. Although the lectures are now thirteen years old, most of the material is timeless and presents a "Feynmanesque" overview of many standard and some not-so-standard topics in computer science such as reversible logic gates and quantum computers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Not a quasi-coffee table "physics for poets" text
This series of lectures, Like Feynmans physics lectures, start from the very beginning and proceed quickly. Read each chapter several times before moving on to the next.

This is not a quasi coffee table "physics for poets" text. Feyman assumes you will actually work out the problems he presents, follow the logical flow of how a computer circuit works, etc.

However, if you do work through each chapter, the insights are astounding. The subject matter of this books touches on information theory (Shannon et al), quantum computing, infophysics, etc. If you have a passing interest in these subjects, read this book. It will make all of these subjects much more clear.

A Feynman look at computers and computing

There is an amazing amount of material in this small volume, and it is presented in Feynman's
very clear style.It covers to some depth many of the topics of a computer science education,
but also includes a lot of material from physics and engineering related to how semiconductor
chips of the early eightys operate.

The early chapters explain how a computer does a few simple operations, and how longer and longer
sequences of simple operations accomplish more complex tasks. Feynman continues with a look at
the details of the operations, as implemented in gates, decoders, flip flops, and other bits of
hardware. He continues with several topics from computer science, such as finite state machines,
Turing machines, computability, and a little bit about computer languages.Then he jumps back to
bits and the representation of information, including data compression, error detection and error
correction.

The last sections deal with physics, such as the thermodynamics of computation, and quantum mechanics
of computation.

I suspect most readers will find some sections much more interesting than others. Some places I
wished there was a way to give six or seven stars. A few times I wondered if I should skim the
remainder of the chapter or just skip it entirely.I read on and found a section I was glad I
had not missed.

Mostly brilliant
Of course, 'brilliant' is what you'd expect from Feynman. These lectures, originally presented in 1983-6, capture a number of the most fundamental, esoteric concepts in computing. Since Feynman is doing the explaining, however, the ideas come across clear and strong.

Chapter 3, on the basic theory of computation, introduces not only the Turing machine, but also the basic idea of what things can and can not possibly be computed and why. He also explains the "universal" machine, and the meaning of universality that mathematically steps up from any one machine to all machines. The next chapters discuss coding theory. That has body of knowledge has since become pervasive in our every-day lives, even if it's never visible. After that two chapters present the physical limits to computation, and how computation can approach those limits using quantum mechanics.

This includes the superfically odd idea of reversible computation. I say odd because, for example, knowing that two numbers add up to six doesn't tell you whether the two were five and one, zero and six, or some other combination. You normally can't run addition backwards from the sum to the summands, so standard addition is said to be irreversible. Reversibility gives amazing properties to a system, however, and things like the Toffoli gates show how it can be implemented.

The only disappointments in this book come from the very beginning and very end. The beginning describes what a computer is, as if the reader had never heard of computers before. I guess that basic level is still needed, but is no longer needed at the college level. The very end describes silicon technology, as it was known in the early 1980s. Despite some fascinating bits of device physics and some heavy editing, that discussion has aged with the rapidity you'd expect from Moore's law. And in a few places, the older discussions of biological systems have aged poorly.

Still, his explorations of the physical limits to computation as just as fresh and salient as ever. I recommend this to anyone with a beginner's interest in the foundations of coding, computing, and quantum computation.

//wiredweird

I like this book
Yes, I think you can teach the theory of computation from this book.And you can learn it from this book.Some of the material isn't all that recent, but much of it doesn't need to be.

35 years ago, if one were teaching a course on the theory of computation, I'd have recommended Minsky's book (it came out in 1967).That was a great text.Nowadays, there are numerous choices.But one could still use books that originally came out well before Feynman's notes, such as Lewis & Papadimitriou or Hopcroft, Motwani, and Ullman.

The question boils down to the quality of what is in the book, as well as what material it has that other books do not, and what material it is missing that most other texts have.

This book is quite readable and preserves much of Feynman's teaching style.So let's look at what it is missing.First, it doesn't talk much about real neurons.Of course, even Minsky doesn't dwell much on that, and other computation books avoid that topic too.But now, there's a more serious omission.Feynman spends something like two pages on grammars! If you were using Lewis and Papadimitriou (first edition) there would be a chapter of over 70 pages on context-free languages alone.As a teacher or a student, would you really want to miss all that?

No, as a student, you would have to read up on all that material elsewhere.And as a teacher, you would have to use another book or write your own notes.That material is too much a part of most required curricula.

But that doesn't take away from the value of the book when it comes to the rest of the material.And the final four chapters, which discuss coding and information theory, reversible computation and the thermodynamics of computing, quantum mechanical computers, and some physical aspects of computation, are all useful material that you often won't see in other computation texts.

As a student, I'd read the book.As a teacher, I'd recommend it to my students.But as either, I wouldn't expect to use it as the only textbook.

Dissapointing is correct
We physicists want a readable book on computability, degrees of computational complexity, and the like. Feynman would have been the writer to provide us with that. We're fortunate to have anything at all of what Feynman thought about the subject, but this book (taken from Feynman's rough lecture notes) does not do the job. E.g., in the first chapter we're presented with a description of RPF's joy in discovery and corresponding philosophy of how to understand anything: don't read about it, just work it out by yourself in umpteen different ways (nothing new about Feynman there!), but the examples provided of how Feynman actullally worked it out can be compared with some of Arnol'd's presentations of how he worked out mechanics problems in his text on Classical Mechanics (state the problem, then state the final result). So we still need a SYSTEMATIC 'written-for physicists' text on computability. Neverthless, we can be grateful to Hey and Allen for putting together these stimulating Feynman fragments for us, especially since they stem from his last days of life as a physicist.

By the way, Feynman certainly would not have agreed with S. Weinberg's extreme reductionist philisophy that asserts that once we've understood quantum theory and quarks then we've understood physics/nature, that 'the rest is mere detail'. On the other hand, he surely would have horselaughed the holists who proclaim that reductionism is dead, that physics will become more like 'poetry'. The lie in the latter nonsense is exposed by the entire field of genetics and cell biology, which is where the 'real' complexity in nature is to be found. Every physics student should be required to take a good class in molecular biolgy these days, a subject that's a lot more important and a lot more interesting than string theory (which, as Feynman more or less said, has degenerated into mere philosophy in the absence of experiments to test the ideas) . ... Read more

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Superb introduction for non-specialists to important area of modern physics. Major concepts—Feynman diagrams, quasi particles, Fermi systems at finite temperature, superconductivity, vacuum amplitude, more. Also Dyson’s equation, ladder approximation, much else. Exercises. Second (1974) edition. "...a great delight to read."—Physics Today.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

a good one
the formidable formal complexity of the topic is such
that any introductory help is to be warmly welcomed this has proved its worth now over several decades to theoretical physicists In my opinion it is pitched at just the right level
and I would warrmly recommend it to the next generation
G E STEDMAN
diagram tehniques in group theory and
'An orthodox understanding of the Bible with Physical science'

What can I add?
I can hardly add anything to the praise given to this book by other reviewers. Though one should, undoubtedly, get acquainted with more serious books on the subject, I have to confess that I am still unaware of the book that presents the material together with the terms used in the scientific papers.

For example, I greatly admire the book by Abrikosov's et al. (AGD), and I completely agree that after reading it (and Keldysh paper) one is completely prepared to using Green's functions in serious research. But the terms like "rainbow", "bubble", "particle-particle" and "particle-hole" propagatprs, though widely used and simetimes semi-obvious, are not discussed systematically in any of the celebrated AGD, Mahan, Fetter&Walecka, Negele&Orland etc.

Thus, the Mattuck's book appear to be not only funny, useful, and explaining a lot of physics (where its value can be compared with the quantum mechanical parts of the Feynman Lectures on Physics), but it also briges a gap in terminology between the basic text and the scientific slang.

In conclusion, I deeply regret that there is no similar book on Schwingers approach to the many-body physics.

Who says QFT is not fun to teach?
This book is a counterexample to the idea that one cannot write a book on quantum field theory and keep a sense of humour. Quantum field theory of course is notoriously difficult, both in terms of its conceptual foundations and in calculating meaningful answers from its formalism. Perturbation theory has been the most succesful of the methods of calculation in quantum field theory, and the visualization of the terms of the perturbation series is greatly assisted by the use of Feynman diagrams. The author has done a great job in the elucidation of these diagrams, and readers will not only have fun reading this book but will also take away needed expertise in moving on to more advanced presentations of quantum field theory. Some readers may object to the pictorial, playful way in which the author explains some of the concepts, but he does not depart from the essential physics. Mathematicians who want to understand quantum field theory can also gain much from the reading of this book. Although not rigorous from a mathematical standpoint, the presentation will given them sorely needed intuition. Quantum field theory has resulted in an explosion of very interesting results in mathematics, particularly in the field of differential topology, and mathematicians need this kind of a presentation to assist them in the understanding of quantum field theory and how to apply it to mathematics (and the other way around). In addition, readers intending to enter the field of condensed matter physics will appreciate the clarity of the author's treatment, drawing as it does on many examples from that field. This includes a brief introduction to finite temperature quantum field theory.

The use of mnemonics, pictures, and hand-waving arguments may be frowned upon by some, but as long as their use is supported by solid science, their didactic power is formidable. Arguments by analogy, and by appeals to common-sense objects are of great utility in explaining the intricacies of a subject as abtruse as quantum field theory. The author for example uses a pin-ball game, with its many scatterings, as a tool for introducing the quantum propagator, even though paths of a (classical) pin-ball are not really meaningful in the quantum realm. Once done though, he proceeds to derive the perturbation series, and as an example computes the energy and lifetime of an electron in an impure metal.

The concept of a quasi-particle is exploited fully in this book to illustrate just how one can do calculations in quantum many-body theory. The reader will find ample discussion of Dyson's equation, the random phase approximation, phase transitions in Fermi systems, the Kondo problem, and the renormalization group in this book.

Happy reading.....(and teaching).....

Excellent, but maybe not enough
This is indeed an excellent book. Witty and insightful, but sometimes the ease, with which you're lead through it, is in the way of stressing the really important stuff. If you are learning diagrams for the first time, and intend to do some serious research using the technique, I believe this book is just not enough: it will leave you unprepared to do much beyond the problems in the book. You might want to consult a more rigorous book, like that of Abrikosov et al., but the style may be a bit of a shock to those not used to the Russian "condensed writing". As an introduction that is less painful, and more of a textbook, I suggest Fetter and Walecka's book, though it's out of print.

Well, not all that introductory ...
It is really a very good book, and even if I agree with the definition of"pedagogical jewel" given to the quantum pinball example, I wouldnot define this textbook an introductory one, even if a non-specialist canread it without many difficulties. I read it several years after mystudies, and it represented to me a good and amusing opportunity to refreshor to learn subjects I didn't remember any more or I didn't meet inuniversity course.And taking into account its low price, it is reallyworth purchasing this book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

A Solid Overview
The Feynman Lectures on Statistical Mechanics contain a great deal of very useful information, and each page is full of solid work without bothering too much with unnecessary details. The book also covers all the bases very well, hitting plenty of good examples, such as spin waves, and the obligatory superconductivity chapter is a solid introduction.

My only complaint is that the ordering of the book is a little haphazard. I understand that it is difficult to include quantum and classical statistical mechanics in one continuous run, but the book seems to jump around a bit.

All this considered, the book is probably a must-buy for people interested in statistical physics, as it is one of the better general overview books available (I despise the Reif; it needs to be updated and completely rearranged), and, as an added bonus, you get to see the Onsager solution to the 2-D Ising model. Cheers!

a tremendous book
when i was undergrad, i read Prof. Kerson Huang's stat mech. i think that book is good. everything is covered systematically, but everything is explained 'evenly'. if u r a careful reader, u still get the ideas of the essence, like partition function plays the central role of stat mech, etc.

now, i am reading feynman's book. it's totally diff from huang's. it's full of excitement. he put the principle of stat mech which is the relation b/w partition function and probability at the very beginning. all the other aspects in stat mech follow so straight forword and there are endless novel derivations in this book. i feel many of my previous understandings are interconnected by reading this book.

it's simply great, just like the other books written by feynman.

Style over substance.
Feynman was one of the most accomplished physicists in the 2nd half of the 20th century.His publications speak for themselves.However, as represented in this set of lecture notes, I do not find him as a pedagogue more enlightening than others.I bought and read this book in grad school, and found it to be a nice quick intro to several topics (spin waves and such).I did not, and still don't find the exposition physically exceptionally profound.One difference though, is the fact that Feynman, with his fame, could afford to be rather informal in his presentation.Any unsatisfactory aspects would be accepted as the mysterious ways of a 'genius'.If you are a student and would like to learn to solve problems on your own, forget this one.What this book gives you is a little 'attitude', aside from a quick intro, which most of us haven't earned the right to put on, of doing physics.Try it.Try to be as unorthodox and informal as he was, and you will mostly end up with nonsense.

extraordinary Masterpiece!
Richard Feynman said:"What I cannot create, I do not understand!". I am really amazed by his unique style of doing physics: he always create anything from scratch, always has his unique point of view, even on an old problem. All I can say about Feynman is Genius!!!
This book is about Feynman's extraordinary viewpoint on statistical mechanics. I can bet that this is an unique S.M book.
but i don't think it's for beginner, I suggest you should finish a standard statistical mechanics course before you read this one.
I can not find suitable words to admire this great book, so I quit here, but in the end, I strongly recommend this book to all physicists, physics-major students!

Statistics that "moos you along"
A classic by one of the best. I wish I could say I understand
it all, but it rings true in many ways. His famous quote
"I can definitely say that Nobody understands Quantum Mechanics"
is perhaps this biggest "Moo Clue". ... Read more

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This revised edition of Feynman’s legendary lectures includes extensive corrections Feynman and his colleagues received and Caltech approved, making this the definitive edition of The Feynman Lectures on Physics. For all readers interested in physics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Classic!
This book is an classic in the area of physics. Anyone who likes physics should read it. Feynman makes everything much more simple to understand.

Genius and Humanity
R.P. Feynman was more than just a physicist with a staggering intuitive understanding of the machinery of complex equations and physical laws, he was also very human and sane and filled with simple awe at the natural world. If you want to begin to understand the kind of genius he had, and to feel his enthusiasm for teaching, then buy the first book of this set. It is the easiest to follow since it deals with basic physics for the most part. If you have a solid physics background, and/or a high IQ, then venture forth into volume two and three. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

feynmans way
I think this is a good supplemental book. it's like his course on physics; you cant learn from it alone; but with a canonical text it adds wonderful insight on a subject. His theory of fundamental processes is out of date (way before tau neutrinos, and there are mistakes in parts); so i would avoid that one. this one I find to be about the level of sophistication of his lectures on gravitation, but explaining field theory. Feynman naturally has a slightly more functional approach than other books of this era. I think it's a good book to keep next to something like peskin and schroeder in ones personal library

The first great Feynman classic
This book collects a set of lectures by Feynman on quantum electrodynamics and a few reprints of his papers on the subject.Nowadays it would be a (hard) graduate course. At its time it was written for Feynman's peers. At that time the method developped by him, though he had total control of it, was not complete as far as derivations are concerned. However, each topic was solidly grounded on the basis of specific arguments. This is how things are done. Usually you have a hundred incomplete arguments which, put together, are, so to speak, stronger than a formal demonstration. And, what arguments! What insight this (then) young guy had already!This book is for pleasure! You probably should read it together with some modern text, like Veltman's "Diagrammatica", to get the modern perspective and also to see how little, after all, was changed. A companion book, called "Theory of Fundamental Processes" is also a sterling lecture, for the same reasons. Perhaps even more so.

Question
I know two kinds of books on the Quantum Electrodynamics by Richard P.Feynman; "Q.E.D." and this title "QuantumElectrodynamics". Once I owned both. But by my mistake I lost"Quantum Elec...". Rubendoz's review looks like one for"Q.E.D.", a good book for the Physics Student who begins to learnQ.E.D., but also good for the laymen who wants to understand the perspectof the theory.
Now my question: Tell me - since Rubendoz's reviewconfuses me - if this book is a renamed version of the easier - if it is -book, "Q.E.D.", or the formula-prone book, "QuantumElectrodynamics" , to say, the harder book. I wish there were thepublisher's review which would make this point clear.
Thanks.

Once More
I only had the opportunity to browse around this book. However, I imediately realized that this one was worth reading calmly. Once more Fayman explains this generally abstract subject with his grace andknowledge, making it easier to digest the material. If you have read any ofFayman's book, you know his ways of explaining things are just superb. So,without further explanations, this book it is worth every penny, it workedfor me, a Physics student, and it will work for anyone who's interested inthis matter.

QED IN NUTSHELL !
People reading this book must be safely assumed to be physics oriented guys esp the ones in particle physics. The book is a good introduction for an amateur who is not necessarily a good mathematician cuz this book hassurprisingly NO glamorous formulae associated with QED.It doesn't give youin-depth scrutiny of the high-energy world yet it gives you enough to keepyou interested all the way. The title can be mis-leading cuz it doesn'treally cover extensive knowledge about the field, should've beenintroductory QED or something on those lines. Anyways should be fun to readiff you want to know the nuances of matter ! ... Read more

Product Description
This three-volume work was originally designed for a two-year introductory physics course given at the California Institute of Technology--a course designed to take advantage of students' increasing mathematical prowess and to provide a more comprehensive view of modern-day physics. The volumes are an edited version of Richard Feynman's lectures, taped and transcribed specifically for the books. It was a rigorous undertaking that resulted in a classic reference work for all physics students, teachers, and researchers. Feynman's effective classroom style remains intact in these volumes, a valuable work by a remarkable educator.The three-volume commemorative issue is hardbound and packaged in a specially-designed slipcase. The lectures are also available in a student paperbound edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Review of Feynman's Lectures on Physics Vol. 1
This book provided me with aditional insights on some of the basics on physics. There is an abriged version on sale at Barnes & Noble, but I recomend this complete version. The subject matter is handled very thoroughly and succinctly.

The Pleasure of Finding Out That Physics Is Pleasurable...
These lectures are a treat. Feynman's spirit in these lectures is unmistakable. Back in the day, I slogged through Haliday & Resnick, and appreciated the experience, but ... I would have loved these lectures. A great companion to the videos posted by Microsoft Research of the Cornell Messenger lectures by Feynman.

[...]

AUDIO LECTURES OF Q.M. - NOT A REVIEW OF THE PRINTED BOOK!
This is a review of the AUDIO BOOK ON TAPE - despite Amazon's placement of this review on the printed book web-page.

Here's what you get:
Six hours of Feynman lecturing (in his characteristic idiosyncratic demeanor) to freshman & sophomore undergraduate students at Caltech during the first few years of 1960. I was born about 30 miles away from the CALTECH campus in the same year he was giving some of these lectures.
It is decidedly pleasant to listen to the obvious delight this brilliant man has for teaching. For example, his voice rises and falls in tempo, volume and pitch whenever gets enthusiastic about the wonderful knowledge he knows he is passing on to you, the student. Once in a while he chuckles at his own occasional mistakes and inside jokes. Sometimes he takes great pains to apologize for the incomprehensibility of historically "Old School" conventions in scientific notation & units. This will lead you to believe in his sincere sympathy for being on the receiving side of this detailed, if not convoluted, sea of information. Once in a while he will make an admission that he doesn't know it all - a humble trait I find charming. Nonetheless, his enthusiasm is contagious and you will feel blessed to have heard his original approach to such literally wonderful subjects.
Back to what it is that you get in these recorded audio lectures. The audio volume contains six cassettes, each of which is one classroom hour long. There is absolutely no audio editing of the background noise however the publisher announces the date, lecture title, and where each chapter subsection begins. It is interesting to hear the background noise of the students when they file in and out of the lecture hall and towards the end of each lecture. You also hear bells in the hallway signaling the end of the class or possibly the lunch break. The students enthusiastically demonstrate their appreciation of Professor Feynman's efforts by applauding him at the end of each lecture. Of course Professor Feynman makes use of the chalkboard which you wont have the advantage of seeing but you could keep a copy of the printed lectures on hand to get whatever visuals you need from the transcribed illustrated diagrams which were published (I have done this and it's handy). Mostly I just listen to these tapes (I have a collection of over 60 taped lectures) on my one hour a day commute each day, over and over again. It's like I'm always in school with the great genius of Feynman every day!
Well anyhow, I thought that you'd like to see how these audio lectures correlate to the printed "Lectures on Physics" by audiocassette to volume & chapter in each book:

Cassette 1 = Volume I Chapter 2 Basic Physics - Sept. 29, 1963 (this lecture can be found in "Six Easy Pieces")
Section 2.1. Introduction
Section 2.2. Physics before 1920
Section 2.3. Quantum Physics (this is an interesting section - one of my favorites)
Section 2.4. Nuclei and particles

Cassette 2 = Volume III Chapter 1 Quantum Behavior - April 3, 1962 (this lecture can be found in "Six Easy Pieces" as well in Volume 10)
Section 1.1. Atomic mechanics
Section 1.2. An experiment with bullets
Section 1.3. An experiment with waves
Section 1.4. An experiment with electrons
Section 1.5. The interference of electrons waves
Section 1.6. Watching the electrons
Section 1.7. First principles in quantum mechanics
Section 1.8. The uncertainty principle

Cassette 3 = Volume III Chapter 2 The Relation of Wave and Particle Viewpoints - April 6, 1962 (this lecture can be found in Volume 10 of this series)
Section 2.1. Probability and wave amplitudes
Section 2.2. Measurement of position and momentum
Section 2.3. Crystal diffraction
Section 2.4. The size of an atom
Section 2.5. Energy levels
Section 2.3. Philosophical implications

Cassette 4 = Volume III Chapter 3 Probability Amplitudes - April 11, 1963
Section 3.1. The laws for combining amplitudes
Section 3.2. The two slit interference pattern
Section 3.3. Scattering from a crystal
Section 3.4. Identical particles

Cassette 5 = Volume III Chapter 5 Spin One - April 18, 1963
Section 5.1. Filtering atoms with a Stern-Gerlach apparatus
Section 5.2. Experiments with filtered atoms
Section 5.3. Stern-Gerlach filters in series
Section 5.4. Base states
Section 5.5. Interfering amplitudes
Section 5.6. The machinery of quantum mechanics
Section 5.7. Transforming to a different base

Cassette 6 = Volume III Chapter 6 Spin One-Half - April 22, 1963
Section 6.1. Transforming amplitudes
Section 6.2. Transforming to a rotated coordinate system
Section 6.3. Rotations about the z-axis
Section 6.4. Rotations of 180 and 90 degrees about y
Section 6.5. Rotations about x
Section 6.6. Arbitrary rotations

Check out my 'Listmania Lists' and 'Shared Purchases' by clicking on the "IndiAndy (see more about me)" link above. I've put together a handy list of all audio (and some video) Feynman...
I hope you enjoy your Feynman experience!

Regards,
IndiAndy

Table of Contents
Recorded April - Sept 1963, Cal Tech
Cassette 1 - V1 Ch2 Basic Physics
Cassette 2 - V3 Ch1 Quantum Behavior
Cassette 3 - V3 Ch2 The Relation of Wave and Particle Viewpoints
Cassette 4 - V3 Ch3 Probability Amplitudes
Cassette 5 - V5 Ch1 Spin One
Cassette 6 - V3 Ch6 Spin One-half

There is something magical about listening to Richard Feynman deliver a lecture on physics.

Richard Feynman can really grow on you ...
August 18, 1999

After spending a good part of the last month listening to Richard Feynman's Physics lectures 1,3 and 4 I would like to raise my rating for these tapes to 5 (the highest possible).

Richard Feynman canreally grow on you as you become part of his Physics class of 1961 - 1962.The audio level is well maintained throughout the series which was aproblem in some of his earlier audio books.

I look forward to theUniversity of Berkley California extending this Physics series continuouslyinto new exciting topics.

For the Physics faculty who may be followingthese notes the tapes are used nightly for my 19 month old sons bedtimestories. Two hours a night, every night.

If your going to listen tosomething you might as well learn something interesting.

Thank you forcreating this valuable series.

Arnold D Veness ... Read more

Product Description
Richard Feynman s never previously published doctoral thesis formed the heart of much of his brilliant and profound work in theoretical physics. Entitled The Principle of Least Action in Quantum Mechanics, its original motive was to quantize the classical action-at-a-distance electrodynamics. Because that theory adopted an overall space time viewpoint, the classical Hamiltonian approach used in the conventional formulations of quantum theory could not be used, so Feynman turned to the Lagrangian function and the principle of least action as his points of departure.

The result was the path integral approach, which satisfied -- and transcended -- its original motivation, and has enjoyed great success in renormalized quantum field theory, including the derivation of the ubiquitous Feynman diagrams for elementary particles. Path integrals have many other applications, including atomic, molecular, and nuclear scattering, statistical mechanics, quantum liquids and solids, Brownian motion, and noise theory. It also sheds new light on fundamental issues like the interpretation of quantum theory because of its new overall space time viewpoint.

The present volume includes Feynman s Princeton thesis, the related review article Space Time Approach to Non-Relativistic Quantum Mechanics [Reviews of Modern Physics 20 (1948), 367 387], Paul Dirac s seminal paper The Lagrangian in Quantum Mechanics [Physikalische Zeitschrift der Sowjetunion, Band 3, Heft 1 (1933)], and an introduction by Laurie M Brown.

Contents: Least Action in Classical Mechanics: The Concept of Functional; The Principle of Least Action; Conservation of Energy. Constants of the Motion; Particles Interacting Through an Intermediate Oscillator; Least Action in Quantum Mechanics: The Lagrangian in Quantum Mechanics; The Calculation of Matrix Elements in the Language of a Lagrangian; The Equations of Motion in Lagrangian Form; Translation to the Ordinary Notation of Quantum Mechanics; The Generalization to Any Action Function; Conservation of Energy. Constants of the Motion; The Role of the Wave Function; Transition Probabilities; Expectation Values for Observables; Application to the Forced Harmonic Oscillator; Particles Interacting Through an Intermediate Oscillator; Space Time Approach to Non-Relativistic Quantum Mechanics; The Lagrangian in Quantum Mechanics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Richard Phillips Feynman: American Physics Superstar
In this thesis we witness a drama unfolding. The young Feynman(later to be the shining light of J.Robert Oppenheimer's theoretical physcis division of The Legendary Manhatten Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico ) is "on to
something". He has read a paper on the "New" Quantum Mechanics written by
P.A.M. Dirac which outlines a possibly new andbetter way to formulate the theory. One much more radically different from what the original architects (most of them German) of the theory had had in mind. But one which he intuitively( at this point ) knows will allow him to calculate
certain results that the original formulations seem unable to manage.
That is, up until that point, 1942 no one has been able to successfully calculate the basic photon-electron interaction without getting infinity
for an answer. Which of course is no answer at all. And that's an obvious
embarrassment for the "guys" with big egos who started it all but now can't do the calculations.( if you don't believe me check out the book by Leopold Infeld: "Why I Left Canada". That will give you a real insight to some of the pettiness and viciousness among so-called "high brow" intellectuals.)

He's right at the forefront of knowledge at this point and he knows it.
Nobody is contemplating or attempting to do what he's about to do. Neither
will they be able to understand it. This of course supplies the excitement
of the quest. He is on an adventure and he is doing it himself. And what comes out of the mathematical analysis done in this thesis will eventually lead to a brand new way of calculatingQunatum Mechanical events. One which will conveniently obviate the traps and pitfalls inherent in all of these failed attempts.And that new mathematical construction will be called a " Path Integral". Which in turn
will evolve into the now-famous "Feynman Diagrams" (a better and more efficient way to calculate these subatomic processes.) And which will eventuallyprovide
a beautiful way to try to envision the Quantum phenomenon known as "entanglement".

The stakes are high at this point. The tension and competition are telling to say the least. Who will be first to get there? If Feynman were
to fail in this attempt it would be a great loss of face. But very dramatically just a few years after this thesis he succeeds in such a novel and clever way that it draws both praise and condemnation from the various "camps" of theoretical physics. Ultimately it will result in his sharing in the 1965
Nobel Prize for physics.

The young Feynman has not only won the day but has advanced the prestige of "American Physics" significantly further right on the heels of America's successful creation of the world's first Nuclear device. This would not be Feynman's only triumph. There would be in fact many, many more.

It is significant to note that one of the first professors ever to include Feynman's Path Integral formulation of Quantum Electrodynamics in his lectures
in the 1950's was none other than Wolfgang Pauli. ( Nobel Prize in physics 1945 unshared ) To those who are privy to the enigmatic workings and personalities of the community of theoretical physics at that time (and even now )acceptance
by Pauli would to some have exceeded a Nobel Prize. Now that truly would have been an exciting achievement.

Southern Jameson West
p.s. also, in the book Feynman offers a fair albeit non-rigorous explanation of the mathematical concept of "Functionals".
See my review on Morse and Feshbach

The early works of a great Physicist
Having access to the early ideas that lead R. P. Feynman to the eventual development of his path integral theory of Quantum Mechanics is invaluable.

Can not be compared with his lectures
The book is not bad but also not in the same class as his lectures. Good for undergraduates as a quick read.

Pure Feynman - a real joy
I did a course on quantum theory in the 1970s with John Ward who was recommended for the Nobel Prize in 1965 (Feynman, Schwinger and Tomogana shared it).Those close to the action will know of Ward's Identity.John (died in 2002 from memory) used Feynman's lectures as his course notes.

I must confess a soft spot for Feynman. I would have loved to have been in his lectures (buy his audio tapes and you will get the feel for his delivery).He was truly a great physics communicator and often understated his mathematical abilities (after all he had won the Putnam Prize at some stage so he was no mathematical slouch).

His development of QED is simple to understand and that says it all about his genius.He took the view that if he couldn't give a simple explanation then he really didn't understand the topic.The current crop of tool polishers should heed this.

Anyone who is really serious about physics (and maths) should read the original papers and this is a classic example.I suggest that you fill in the gaps in the derivations.If you can't do that then you haven't really understood it.

It is fascinating to compare Feynman's approach with Schwinger's more abstract approach.I prefer Feynman's but Schwinger does a hugely impressive job in stripping QED down to its logical (almost truth functional) essentials.

Buy this book and see how a first class mind works.

Peter Haggstrom
BONDI BEACHAUSTRALIA

Awesome book
The section on quantum superposition and the essential difference between classical and quantum approaches, found in the article "Space-Time Approach to Non-Relativistic Quantum Mechanics", is mind-blowing stuff. This is a great book. ... Read more

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Audio recordings of Feynman's famous Caltech course on which his classic textbook, Lectures on Physics, was based.

Volume 3: From Crystal Structure to Magnetism includes chapters on the internal geometry of crystals, the refractive index of dense materials, elastic materials, dielectrics, and magnetism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Essential QM reading
I was given a 1960's edition of this book several years ago and did not pick it up until this summer (not the commemorative edition).I am amazed at how clearly written this book is.The arguments and equations are simple to follow, and usually you do not need to verify the calculations but if you do, there's plenty of margin space to do so, which I really appreciate.Feynman does not get bogged down in details.But he does not omit important points.And there is no shortage of illustrations.If you want to get a "feel" for quantum theory, then this is the book for you.Feynman is quoted as having said that no one truly understands quantum mechanics.That's probably true but Feynman seems to know about it more than most authors.If I were stuck on a desert island, this would be one of the quantum books I would want to have with me.

Next best thing to going to CIT in 1963 to do Physics 101
If you couldn't attend CIT in 1962-3 because you weren't a twinkle in your parents' eyes, or could not afford to attend, then the tapes are the next best thing.

From a peadagogical point of view i think the tapes enhance the books but do not stand on their own, so i rate them 3 stars. He is often writing/refering to stuff that is in the books, but you obviously cannot see on a sound track. Given today's technology it would be even better if they produced a CD which contained the written material as well, so you could follow along a bit better.

If you ever wondered what the great man sounded like this is your chance.

The lectures were recorded live so the acoustics/mic'ing could be better. But electronics were not as good in the 60's.

The books themselves are an excellent introduction.

Volume 3 - From Crystal Structure to Magnetism
recorded Nov 1962 to April 1963, Cal Tech
Cassette 1 - V2 Ch30 The Internal Geometry of Crystals
Cassette 2 - V2 Ch32 Refractive Index of Dense Materials
Cassette 3 - V2 Ch39 Elastic Materials
Cassette 4 - V2 Ch10 Dielectrics
Cassette 5 - V2 Ch11 Inside Dielectrics
Cassette 6 - V2 Ch34 The Magnetism of Matter
There is something magical about hearing Richard Feynman deliver a lecture on physics that goes beyond the content of the textbooks derived from these same lectures.

should replace all high school text book
it will be an excellent high school text book expecially for those wh oare preparing for the Ap physics C or those who loves physics and are willing to place themselves inadvance standards. i would recommand that book for all high school seniors and first year college students who major or intend to major in science or engineering since most of today's "lectures" are generally mediocre. P.S. u have to reread each chapter for at least 2 times even though u think u understand it

Exhilirating
I read the entire book back in college.The approach to explaining quantum mechanics was so different from the other books I read back then.The derivation of the rotation matrices,the discussion of symmetry andsuperconductivity, among others, were simply breathtaking.Definitely aclassic. ... Read more

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"I'm an explorer, OK? I like to find out!"

One of the towering figures of twentieth-century science, Richard Feynman possessed a curiosity that was the stuff of legend. Even before he won the Nobel Prize in 1965, his unorthodox and spellbinding lectures on physics secured his reputation amongst students and seekers around the world. It was his outsized love for life, however, that earned him the status of an American cultural icon-here was an extraordinary intellect devoted to the proposition that the thrill of discovery was matched only by the joy of communicating it to others.

In this career-spanning collection of letters, many published here for the first time, we are able to see this side of Feynman like never before. Beginning with a short note home in his first days as a graduate student, and ending with a letter to a stranger seeking his advice decades later, Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track covers a dazzling array of topics and themes, scientific developments and personal histories. With missives to and from scientific luminaries, as well as letters to and from fans, family, students, crackpots, as well as everyday people eager for Feynman's wisdom and counsel, the result is a wonderful de facto guide to life, and eloquent testimony to the human quest for knowledge at all levels.

Feynman once mused that "people are 'entertained' enormously by being allowed to understand a little bit of something they never understood before." As edited and annotated by his daughter, Michelle, these letters not only allow us to better grasp the how and why of Feynman's enduring appeal, but also to see the virtues of an inquiring eye in spectacular fashion. Whether discussing the Manhattan Project or developments in quantum physics, the Challenger investigation or grade-school textbooks, the love of his wife or the best way to approach a problem, his dedication to clarity, grace, humor, and optimism is everywhere evident.

.... on Richard Feynman:

"The most original mind of his generation." -Freeman Dyson

"An honest man, the outstanding intuitionist of our age, and a prime example of what may lie in store for anyone who dares to follow the beat of a different drum." -Julian Schwinger

"An original, brilliant, curious, energetic, eclectic, ebullient, gregarious, and consummately iconoclastic human being with a passion for science, a taste for first principles, and a view of reality that was uniquely his." - The Washington Post

"He is everything you want and expect a scientist to be: charming, skeptical, funny, blindingly intelligent." - The Guardian (UK)

"A chain reaction is not a bad analogy for Feynman's life. From a critical mass of gray matter it goes off in all directions, producing both heat and light." - Time

"For him knowledge did not describe; it acted and accomplished. . . . The science he helped create was like nothing that had come before." -James Gleick

"Here was both a showman and a very practical thinker. . . . It is unlikely that the world will see another Richard Feynman." -Paul Davies

"The more one reads of Feynman, the more one falls in love with his refreshingly enthusiastic view of the world." -Alan Guth

"He may have emitted light as well as words." -David ParkAmazon.com Review
Finding out about someone by reading their correspondence is a fundamentally different thing than reading their biography. Letters offer both more intimacy with the subject and at the same time a crucial distance--the exact distance the letter-writer intended from the people to whom he was writing. In Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track, Michelle Feynman collects her famous father's letters to reveal a warm, honest man with high expectations for himself, his loved ones, and the human race. Long before Richard Feynman won the Nobel Prize, he was a smart, skinny graduate student at Princeton, writing letters to his mother and relating the mundane details of college life. "Dear Mom.... The raincoat came O.K. It is very nice," he writes. By the time he finished his Ph.D., Feynman had fallen for Arline Greenbaum, who had already been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Their tragically short marriage is set in letters against Feynman's first job--working on the atomic bomb project at Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Even while working on top secret physics, Feynman was an enthusiastic correspondent, jumping eagerly at the chance to encourage a young scientist, correct a public misperception, or tell a goofy joke to his family. Self-effacing, charmingly down to earth, and occasionally cranky, these letters cover Feynman's entire career, although in the fits and starts one would expect from a collection such as this. His own words to students, spouses, daughters, and fellow scientists reveal Feynman's brilliance far more effectively than any biographical lens ever could. --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Great dissertation companion
I was struggling with writing my PhD dissertation and found this book near another reference I was looking for in the library. I checked it out for fun (along with the reference I needed). The book became my companion during the entire writing process. I would read a little each night while I was trying to wind down (and trying not to dream about equations), and I finished the book shortly before turning in my manuscript. I was actually sad to finish this book, as I enjoyed it so much. It really reminded me of what it means to be a scientist in the big picture-- away from the mundane details and frustrations of analysis, revisions, data acquisition... And through it I felt I got to peer into the mind of one of the "greats" and get to know him on a personal level. Here is what I wrote in my Acknowledgements section of my dissertation:

I would also like to thank the late Dr. Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988), his daughter Michelle Feynman and his son Carl Feynman, for their work on Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman. This book was truly inspiring at a time when I needed to be reminded of the enthusiasm I (most of the time) have for science and to pick me up with humor and assurance during the times when my enthusiasm was overcome by frustration.Please, if you are a student or teacher in any scientific or educational field (and maybe even a non-scientific field, but why then, are you reading this dissertation?), I recommend that you get your hands on this book. My favorite advice: "Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible."

I have now bought a copy for myself and a copy as a gift to my advisor.

if your into feynman.. this is it!
First off, im a rather large fan of richard feynman. He is a very interesting individual with a lot of good input about science and more importantly life. If you are not willing to listen to a collection of letters throughout his lifetime, this is not for you! However, if you feel like you have the time to listen to it and want a better outstanding of what its like to travel into the mind of a worldwide famous physicist, then this is for you.

"Isn't Nature Wonderful To Make Something With 42 Zeroes!"
Michelle Feynman has provided an important service in collecting the letters of her father in "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations." I was especially interested in the letters concerning his award of the Nobel prize. Despite receiving the most prestigious award in science, Feynman refused to take himself (or anything else) too seriously. My favorite exchange (pp. 163-164) begins with a letter from Sandra Chester who writes "Hail the Nobel Prize Committee for its recognition of your unsurpassed achievement in the field of bongo artistry." True to form, Feynman responded "I was delighted too when I heard about the Nobel Prize, thinking as you did that my bongo playing was at last recognized. Imagine my chagrin when I realized that there had been some mistake-they cited some marks I made on paper some 15 years ago-and not one word about percussion technique. I know you share in my disappointment." His fans even extended to students who had failed his courses: one named his female Siamese cat "Richard P." in his honor, to which Feynman responded "Some measure fame by just a Nobel Prize but I have had a cat named after me! Thank you for such a distinguished and subtle honor." (He even agreed to become "a knight of the Order of the ever Smiling and Jumping Frogs" to celebrate his status as a Nobel Laureate.)

A character trait I greatly admire about Feynman is his utter intolerance of pomposity and his demand of clarity in communication (perhaps best explained in a discussion of "new math" textbooks in Appendix V), as well as a general disdain for self-importance. My favorite example appears on p. 323. Mr R. Wayne Oler had written Feynman a letter deriding the practice of teachers selling unsolicited desk copies of textbooks sent to them for personal profit. I cannot imagine a better reply than the last line from Feynman's response: "Previously I have always returned, unopened, unsolicited books from publishers (I dislike advertising). But now you have given me a better idea."

The book also contains numerous letters between Feynman and the greats of twentieth century physics, as well as more personal glimpses into his character afforded by letters to his wives (particularly his first wife, Arline, who died of tuberculosis at a young age). The book also allows the reader to see changing of opinions or changed nuance of certain positions over time (I was especially interested in his appraisals of "new math" textbooks, which I generally loathe [in most cases Feynman agreed], the discussion of which is largely on pp. 218-220 and in Appendix V.)

Michelle Feynman has done a wonderful job organizing these letters, making just the right comments when needed for interpretation or comprehension. I highly recommend "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations" and thank Michelle Feynman for all the effort that went into producing this important volume.

Feynman raw
If you are familiar with feynman this is just what you would expect from this great man. This is him uncut and uncensord. When ever i feel like smiling and gain some inspiration i pick this book up and flip to a random page, it works everytime.

Feynman on Feynman
My main motivation for reading "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations" was to gain further insight into Feynman's personality and value system by the direct and reliable method of studying verbatim his interactions with other people.He has been so thoroughly enshrined (perhaps not unwillingly) as a brilliant, difficult, puckish character that I couldn't help being a bit puzzled about what he was "really" like.

In assembling this volume, Feynman's daughter Michelle has selected a variety of correspondence ranging from professional relations with colleagues to private exchanges with friends and, occasionally, complete strangers.I think it is in the latter case that we learn the most about Feynman.He was willing to pay close attention not only to people who admired him, but also to those who offered crazy ideas, or unfair criticism, or even ad-hominem invective.Well after becoming a Nobel prize winner, he continued to compose detailed explanations for, and invite replies from, people who could try anyone's patience.As an experienced debater-by-correspondence, he had a talent for cutting to the quick of a dispute and, while remaining perfectly courteous, nudging the contender into a corner from which escape was impossible short of offering something new or conceding the point.Whether arguing scientifically, graciously acknowledging praise, or simply trying to shake off a persistent bore, Feynman never failed to be insightful and thought-provoking.

The early part of the book covers Feynman's relationship with his first wife Arline, who died of tuberculosis in an Albuquerque sanatorium while he worked on the atomic bomb project at Los Alamos.His decision to marry Arline, regardless of her uncertain health and against the advice of friends and relatives, speaks to the strength and depth of his commitment.Many extremely personal letters are included which illuminate the couple's mutual devotion as well as his loving acceptance of the frustration and uncertainty forced on both of them by the relentlessly worsening disease.

Feynman's attitude toward religion is revealed in several places, particularly during a 1959 television interview.In addition to critiquing the widespread notion that morality is tied to piety, he says quite succinctly that "The religious theory of the world ...doesn't fit with what you see."

In a number of letters Feynman explains the prickly positions on academic conventions and courtesies that helped to make him a legendary outsider.A representative example was his refusal to provide evaluations of former students and colleagues when they were already at the requesting institution.He essentially said:Look here, this person is working right under your nose and you know more about him or her than I do, so decide for yourself!

There are a few instances where an alert editor could have caught misreadings, for example "Serbeis" for the [Robert] Serbers on page 76, and "1023" for ten to the 23rd power on page 174.All in all, this collection constitutes a fascinating and skillfully-produced window into one of the world's most intriguing minds. ... Read more

Product Description
These scientific papers of Richard Feynman are renowned for their brilliant content and the author's striking original style. They are grouped by topic: path integral approach to the foundations of quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, renormalized quantum electrodynamics, theory of superfluid liquid helium, theory of the Fermi interaction, polarons, gravitation, partons, computer theory, etc. Comments on Feynman's topics are provided by the editor, together with biographical notes and a complete bibliography of Feynman's publications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Selected Papers of Richard Feynman
The Selected Papers of Richard Feynman should become a fixture on the bookshelf of every physicist ... ... Read more

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Eagerly awaited by scientists and academics worldwide, the first of the complete recordings of Feynman's famous Lectures on Physics, now on CD.

Basic Books is proud to announce the first volumes of the complete audio CD collection of the recorded lectures delivered by the late Richard P. Feynman, lectures originally delivered to his physics students at Caltech and later fashioned by the author into his classic textbook Lectures on Physics. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics to such formidable theories as Einstein's general relativity, superconductivity, and quantum mechanics, Fenyman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Feynman 5, Audio Publisher 3
A treasure for those of us hooked on physics by Feynman's entertainment books and audio CDs and video lectures, and by his not-so-technical technical works such as QED.

Yes, the production is awful in many respects. Some of it's easily fixable for those who have an audio editing program -- the apparent loudness and brightness of the introducer, and dividing the lectures into tracks for those who feel it necessary. The egregious pops and crackles in some recordings can be taken out or reduced at home, but it's annoying to have to do so. Certainly the publisher could have done better. However: we know that the tapes weren't great to start with, and that some had degraded by the time Cal Tech made them available.

Beyond cavils at the production, it's REALLY aggravating that the publishers have broken up the lecture sequence. Only two chapters from the first printed volume are in this set -- chapters two and fifty-two. It's necessary to buy several sets of CDs to hear even the first handful of Feynman's lectures in HIS order, and they make much more sense to me in Feynman's order.

But it's 12 CDs of Feynman on a roll, with all his verve and expressiveness applied to talking about what he loves best: physics. And there's no alternative -- or is there? For beginners, there's the "Six Easy Pieces" CD collection, for an appetizer: the first five lectures plus the easiest of the lectures on quantum behavior, with the text of the lectures and material we know only as the sound of chalk tap-dancing on the blackboard -- equations and diagrams-- included.

Two from the "Six Easy Pieces" are in this set: "easy" piece two, "Basic Physics," and the last, "Quantum Behavior."

An average of $4 per CD is a pretty good deal, considering what's on them, but a serious listener/ student will need the lecture texts, once hooked on the Feynman presentations, and that runs into more than a bit more money.

Great lectures for students and scientists
These lectures are arranged in a style unlike that of traditional physics courses.Feynman is a very good lecturer, and I would highly recommend these to anyone who had taken from two to four semesters of college physics.A strong understanding of the basic principles of physics is required to understand the bulk of what is covered in the lecture series.A more in-depth understanding of physics, perhaps some quantum mechanics, would be beneficial in order to understand the subtelties of some of the principles discussed, but anyone with a good grasp of the basics, and (more importantly) a love of physics would enjoy this set.

probably much better in person
I really enjoy Feynmann's books and his video lectures, but listening to him on CD just isn't the same. There are several times where he refers to his chalk board without really describing what the heck it is! A little frustrating. The ideas are good, but the complete picture is missing without visual references.

Help your kids learn from the best
We purchased this series because we checked them out from the library and decided we should own them.The _Feynman Lectures on Physics_ are great resources for you as a parent desiring to impart these concepts. Feynman explains complex ideas through very simple and entertaining stories.***** These CDs are a "must have" for roadtrips!

Multiple CD's in each volume
These lectures are as enjoyable as I found the "Six * pieces" series which have six CD's each.

I delayed this purchase thinking that it had only two CD's covering volumes 1-2.

Finding that it is actually a 12 disc set was a nice surprise. I'll definitely be buying more from this series. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Totally Relevant
This book is completely relevant to the changes happening in our world today.

The more we become aware of ourselves and those around us, the more we can build communities and build bridges between communities.

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this book and all of Arnold's other works on Process Work.

Forty years of Mastery shine through
Dr. Mindell's forty years of mastery in practice and teaching of psychotherapy and processwork shine through in this book. His stories remind me of what it really means to be human, of the depth of experiences that shape our lives and our troubles. And his approach to finding meaning in them and to transforming them into something rich, useful, and liberating are right-in and profound. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

This is an advanced book
This book is a kind of classic for what it is: a presentation of some "simple" ways of understanding certain phenomena in elementary particle physics. It's simple if you understand something of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED), Feynman diagrams, and basic quantum field theory. You must be able to infer the computational implications of Feynman diagrams.

If you can do this, you may find the book to be useful and unique. If you can't, you're pretty much wasting your time with it.

Not for beginnners!
As a Feynman fan and layperson with a reasonable understanding of his work I found this book lost me before I was halfway into the first chapter. It looks good coursework material and from what I can tell is packed withamazing amounts of information. But without a strong fundamental groundingin basic physics this book will remain on your bookshelf. ... Read more