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Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher, Richard Feynman

Presents six of the easiest chapters from the Nobel Prize winner's celebrated text Lectures in Physics, originally published in 1963, which comprised the lectures he prepared for undergraduate students at Caltech in the early 1960's.

Addressing key topics in largely qualitative terms without formal mathematics, the six selections discuss atoms in motion, basic physics, the relation of physics to other

Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher, Richard Feynman

Presents six of the easiest chapters from the Nobel Prize winner's celebrated text Lectures in Physics, originally published in 1963, which comprised the lectures he prepared for undergraduate students at Caltech in the early 1960's.

Addressing key topics in largely qualitative terms without formal mathematics, the six selections discuss atoms in motion, basic physics, the relation of physics to other sciences, conservation of energy, the theory of gravitation, and quantum behavior.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه نوامبر سال2009میلادی

عنوان: شش قطعهٔ آسان؛ نویسنده: ریچارد فاینمن؛ مترجم محمدرضا بهاری؛ تهران، هرمس، سال1387، در نه، در198ص؛ مصور؛ شابک9789643635558؛ موضوع نوشتارهای علمی از دانشمندان ایالات متحده آمریکا - مبانی فیزیک به روایت ریچارد فاینمن - سده20م

تصور غلط و رایجی هست، که علم مقوله ‌ای است فاقد جنبه‌ های شخصی، بی‌طرف و کاملاً واقع‌نگر است؛ فعالیت‌های انسانی‌ِ دیگر، بیشترشان متأثر از روندهای رایج، خواسته ها و اشخاص‌ هستند؛ اما فرض بر آن است که علم محدود به قواعد، و روش‌های پذیرفته‌ شده، و مقید به آزمون‌های بسیار دقیق‌ است؛ مهم نتایج هستند؛ نه کسانی که آنها را به دست می‌آورند

علم هم همچون همه‌ ی تلاش‌های انسان، فعالیتی است انگیخته‌ ی آدمیزاد، و به همین مناسبت تابع مد، و هوس است؛ در این مورد آنچه مُد را تعیین می‌کند، بیش از آنکه موضوع بحث باشد، جهان‌ بینی دانشمندان است؛ هر دورانی، به شیوه‌ ی ویژه ی خود، با مسائل علمی رودررو می‌شود، و این رویکرد معمولاً پس از آن برگزیده می‌شود، که شخصیت‌های علمی‌ِ پیشگام، و با نفوذ، دستور کار را تعیین، و بهترین روش‌های رسیدن به نتیجه را، شرح کرده‌ اند؛ گاهی دانشمندان آنقدر پرآوازه می‌شوند، که توجه‌ همگی مردمان را هم جلب می‌کنند، و اگر از موهبت استعداد شگرف هم بهره‌ مند باشند، ممکن است نماد تمامی جامعه‌ ی علمی شوند؛ «ریچارد فاینمن»، همچون «نیوتون»، و «آینشتین»، نماد فیزیک آخرین دهه‌ های سده ی بیستم میلادی شدند، و ایشان نخستین آمریکایی‌ هستند، که به این جایگاه رسیده اند؛

نقل از متن پشت جلد: (...؛ اما مهم‌ترین کشف در کل نجوم این است، که ستاره‌ ها هم، از همان نوع اتم‌هایی که در زمین داریم، درست شده‌ اند؛ وای که در هر جمله‌ ی این داستان مختصر، چقدر مطلب هست...؛ شاعران گفته‌ اند که علم، زیبایی ستاره‌ ها را ضایع می‌کند، چون‌که آن‌ها را صرفاً کُره‌ هایی از اتم‌ها و مولکول‌های گاز می‌داند...؛ امّا من هم می‌توانم ستاره‌ ها را، در آسمان شبِ کویر ببینم، و شکوه و زیبایی‌شان را حس کنم...؛ شیفته و مبهوت این چرخ فلک، با چشم‌های کوچکم، می‌توانم نورهایی به قدمت یک میلیون سال را هم ببینم؛ چه نقش و نگار عظیم و پر ابهتی است، اینکه خود من هم جزئی از آنم؛ آنچه تنم را ساخته، شاید روزگاری شراره‌ ای بوده باشد، که از ستاره‌ ی فراموش شده‌ ای بیرون زده است؛ یا می‌توانم این چرخِ فلک را، با چشم‌ بزرگ تلسکوپ «پالومار» تماشا کنم و ببینم، که ستاره‌ ها دارند از همدیگر، از نقطه‌ ی آغازی که شاید زمانی سرچشمه‌ ی همه‌گی‌شان بوده‌ است، دور می‌شوند؛ این نقش چگونه است، معنی این حرکت‌ها چیست؟ جست‌وجو برای فهمیدن این چیزها، گمان نمی‌کنم لطمه‌ ای به رمز و راز و زیباییِ این چرخ فلک بزند؛ راستی شاعران امروزی، چرا حرفی از این چیزها نمی‌زنند؟ چه‌ جور مردمانی هستند این شاعران، که اگر «ژوپیتر» خدایی در هیئتِ انسان باشد، چه شعرها که برایش نمی‌سرایند، اما اگر در قالبِ کره‌ ی عظیم چرخانی از متان و آمونیاک باشد، سکوت می‌کنند)؛ پایان نقل از متن پشت جلد کتاب

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 10/12/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 03/12/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

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There is not much more to be said about Richard Feynman's impact on physics or science communication; the man is as bona-fide legend and as close to being a worshipable God as scientists can have. Six Easy Pieces is a collection of the 'easiest' six chapters from Richard Feynman's most-celebrated text book The Feynman Lectures on Physics.

The 'easy' in the title, is, like our sense of time, all relative. The lectures, delivered in the early 60's, were aimed at "the most intelligent in the class

There is not much more to be said about Richard Feynman's impact on physics or science communication; the man is as bona-fide legend and as close to being a worshipable God as scientists can have. Six Easy Pieces is a collection of the 'easiest' six chapters from Richard Feynman's most-celebrated text book The Feynman Lectures on Physics.

The 'easy' in the title, is, like our sense of time, all relative. The lectures, delivered in the early 60's, were aimed at "the most intelligent in the class [freshman and sophomore physics students at Caltech, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world] and to make sure, if possible, that even the most intelligent student was unable to encompass everything…"

We, as the general reader, are more like the 'secondary' audience for the lectures, who for Feyman at the time were the students "for whom the extra fireworks are merely disquieting and who cannot be expected to learn the material in the lecture at all". Such was Feynman's power of exposition, however, you can follow the science, each chapter getting progressively more complicated and abstract, without ever feeling like you're being left behind.

The first three chapters, on Atoms in Motion, Basic Physics, and the Relation of Physics to Other Sciences, were so good I read them twice. Their broad remit means they touch on lots of different things, with one astonishing idea thrown in after the other. Mind-body dualism from a physicists perspective: "When an animal learns something, it can do something different than it could before, and its brain cells must have changed too, if it is made out of atoms. In what way is it different?"

The final three chapters, on the Conservation of Energy, the Theory of Gravitation and Quantum behaviour are a little heavier, but no less interesting. There's the occasional formula, which immediately starts the eyes glazing over, but, to the lay reader, they serve to remind you just how much of the book is mathematics translated into wonderful, approachable prose. I've read about things like Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle or the "double-slit" experiment, which showed that at the quantum level particles behave both waves and particles, many times before, but is actually the first time that I really *got it*. For that, I cannot recommend the book enough.

For those looking for more pop-physics in a similar vein, I can really recommend Why Does E=MC2 by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, Quantum by Manjit Kumar and Black Holes, Worm Holes and Time Machines by Jim Al-Khalili. Having now read Six Easy Pieces, I can see the obvious influence of Feynman on the not just their content but their delivery and style.

There are also three prefaces to the edition of the book I read. Paul Davies' introduction and David Goldstein's special preface set the backdrop to the book and the lectures. The most interesting preface is the one written by Feynman himself for the original edition, in which he talks about how he set about piecing the course together, who it was aimed at and why, and how ultimately he felt that he had let his students down in some way. It shows just how much thought he put into the lectures and just how much he cared about educating his students. In some way, as someone enjoys teaching and talking about science, I learnt a lot from these few pages as I did from the rest of the book.

Its 50 years since The Feynman Lectures on Physics were published. Our understanding of the universe, and particularly quantum mechanics, has moved on in leaps and bounds but at no point did Six Easy Pieces feel like it was out of date because Feynman's timeless ways of explaining complicated physics in uncomplicated ways.

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Six Easy Pieces consists essentially of some of the initial lectures from the famous Feynman Lectures. The last chapter of this book, also taken from the lectures, is an introduction to quantum mechanics, namely the double-slit experiment. If you've never read anything from Feynman, here's a good point to start.

This book is supposed to introduce the basic concepts of physics and is very easy to read. Feynman was a great teacher. His enthusiasm could captivate anyone, even in written words, and

Six Easy Pieces consists essentially of some of the initial lectures from the famous Feynman Lectures. The last chapter of this book, also taken from the lectures, is an introduction to quantum mechanics, namely the double-slit experiment. If you've never read anything from Feynman, here's a good point to start.

This book is supposed to introduce the basic concepts of physics and is very easy to read. Feynman was a great teacher. His enthusiasm could captivate anyone, even in written words, and I always find myself listening to his enthusiastic voice inside my head. He was also famous for making scientific concepts understandable for anyone and you can very easily see his style here.

I had read the first Volume from the Feynman Lectures many years ago, so this was a nice read to get a reminding of how good they were. The best chapter of this book is definitely the last one, with Feynman demonstrating the double-slit experiment in a brilliant and accessible way. The only downside is that some of the things he mentions about particle physics might be a bit outdated. Otherwise, this is an excellent book.

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Mar 15, 2011 Courtney Lindwall rated it liked it  · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Science Nerds

Recommended to Courtney by: Required

Note to reader: I am not within Feynman's target demographic...

So if anyone is familiar with Feynman's "claim to fame," it's basically the idea that he's the most brilliant Physicis teacher of the 20th century and his lectures are ingenius in both their presentation and method.

Now, I'm not the most science-inclined person out there. I've never taken even a preliminary physics course (and these lectures were intended for his intro Caltech class, so...). But I'm also not dumb as a rock, either.

W

Note to reader: I am not within Feynman's target demographic...

So if anyone is familiar with Feynman's "claim to fame," it's basically the idea that he's the most brilliant Physicis teacher of the 20th century and his lectures are ingenius in both their presentation and method.

Now, I'm not the most science-inclined person out there. I've never taken even a preliminary physics course (and these lectures were intended for his intro Caltech class, so...). But I'm also not dumb as a rock, either.

With that said, I didn't understand much of this book. I could follow along vaguely and in general terms. But could I explain to someone else what gravitational energy is now? Definitely not. In fact, I can barely remember the different topics in the book now because of how little I actually retained about them.

For people who think this is going to be a magical book that will teach what were once almost mysteriously complicated ideas with wonderful simplicity - think again. You would never become truly knowledgeable on any of these topics with only this small of an overview. But, if you are scientifically inclined, it might at least be interesting and prompt you to take your learning further. It does get more technical than I thought it would. Although nowhere near as technical as the topics actually go.

All in all, I didn't really enjoy it. Which is why it's 3 stars. But I could see its merit for Physics students and it did bring to light various big questions about science in general, which is why it didn't get 2 or 1.

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This is one of those rare books whose title says everything that has to be said about it. In fact, the title sums up the book so well that I'll only repeat it:

Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by its Most Brilliant Teacher

Contains the best explanation for the uncertainty principle I have come across. Still trying to wrap my mind around quantum mechanics though.

Richard Feynman's reputation as one of the 20th century's great physicists is secure, and he was noted as one its foremost explainers and teachers. His reputation as a person, however, has taken some hits in recent years: misogyny, cruel practical jokes, and contemptuous dismissal of people he considered his intellectual inferiors. If you wish to hold his memory in high regard, you should avoid reading the things he says about women in his autobiography, and when he joined the committee investig Richard Feynman's reputation as one of the 20th century's great physicists is secure, and he was noted as one its foremost explainers and teachers. His reputation as a person, however, has taken some hits in recent years: misogyny, cruel practical jokes, and contemptuous dismissal of people he considered his intellectual inferiors. If you wish to hold his memory in high regard, you should avoid reading the things he says about women in his autobiography, and when he joined the committee investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster the other members found him arrogant and difficult to work with (see: https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/07/us...).

Nevertheless, his reputation rests on his physics work, and several generations of physicists have been inspired by his famous three volume Feynman Lectures on Physics from 1963. Six Easy Pieces collects six of those lectures, ones covering subjects that could be described mostly with analogies and anecdotes rather than relying on advanced math.

The first three chapters, Atoms in Motion, Basic Physics, and The Relation of Physics to Other Sciences, are excellent, informative, and make good use of examples. This is where Feynman makes one of his most famous analogies: "if an apple is magnified to the size of the earth, then the atoms in the apple are approximately the size of the original apple." (p.5) But of course, atoms are mostly empty space, and later he explains that "If we had an atom and wished to see the nucleus, we would have to magnify it until the whole atom was the size of a large room, and then the nucleus would be a bare speck which you could just about make out with the eye, but very nearly all the weight of the atom is in that infinitesimal nucleus." (p. 34)

Even people who have no interest at all in physics would enjoy these chapters for the insights they shed on the basic stuff of the universe, of everything that exists, including you and me.

The other three chapters, on the Conservation of Energy, the Theory of Gravitation, and Quantum Behavior, go a little deeper into the fundamentals of physics but are also illuminating, although I thought his discussion of the famous two-slit experiment got too far down in the weeds with its explanations of all the various permutations and the interference patterns.

The book is starting to show its age in some areas, and it is best when it sticks to timeless basic principles. Reading it made me think of Edward O. Wilson's Consilience, which makes the point that today all science pivots on an understanding of basic physics: biology, chemistry, geology, cosmology and the others are incomprehensible without a thorough grounding in first principles. Feynman would have understood and endorsed this point, for he could see through surface appearances and down into the fundamental forces that bind the universe together.

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I think that, when reading this book, you have to be familiar with physics and maths. There are a lot of books claiming to be for the neophytes in physics/maths/astrology etc. but, truth be told, there is little to be learned when in that position. Which is why people shouldn't consider this book as being no good just because they haven't reached the paradise of enlightment which was promised to them. Such a thing isn't possible. Not from a single book, as far as I know, and anyway, not from thi I think that, when reading this book, you have to be familiar with physics and maths. There are a lot of books claiming to be for the neophytes in physics/maths/astrology etc. but, truth be told, there is little to be learned when in that position. Which is why people shouldn't consider this book as being no good just because they haven't reached the paradise of enlightment which was promised to them. Such a thing isn't possible. Not from a single book, as far as I know, and anyway, not from this one.
I've been studying both maths and physics for quite some time, but in the manner of a poorly prepared educational system, meaning the focus was more on solving problems and ingesting pages of theory and less on really understanding them. And Feynman's lessons really shed some light on the mess in my head. I can't claim I thoroughly understood everything in this book, but I surely enjoyed Feynman's way of following gradually to smaller scales what happens in an apparently simple process, until he reaches the "core" of it.
Also, you can't ignore his way of being even poetic at times, which is really why this book won my heart. I have a weakness for science being romanticized. And all ovations go to Richard Feynman for doing this so tactfully. ...more

In these lectures, Feynman is very good at explaining some basic concepts for those fairly new to physics. For field theory, he uses the analogy of waves in a pool to show how motion in one place affects motion in a distant place. He says that matter goes straight unless acted upon by an external force, but we don't know why; that the earth is pulled toward the sun, as opposed to the earth moving around the sun; and that atoms are always in motion ("jigglings and wigglings of atoms") and that su In these lectures, Feynman is very good at explaining some basic concepts for those fairly new to physics. For field theory, he uses the analogy of waves in a pool to show how motion in one place affects motion in a distant place. He says that matter goes straight unless acted upon by an external force, but we don't know why; that the earth is pulled toward the sun, as opposed to the earth moving around the sun; and that atoms are always in motion ("jigglings and wigglings of atoms") and that such movement increases with the application of heat.

Feynman stimulates some interesting issues and questions. Under the principle of conservation of energy, the overall amount of energy remains constant; only re-arrangement of energy/atoms occurs. Feynman states that in joining together, atoms "like certain particular partners, certain particular directions, and so on." In this way he explains why atom combinations (attraction) take particular forms and resist being something other than such forms. This 'integrity' at the quantum level suggests a 'social' context where atoms interact with each other for particular 'reasons' and that an 'inner character' lies at the heart of quantum physics, as opposed to randomness. Feynman also writes that atoms "want" and that "It is the job of physics to analyze why each one wants what it wants." "Want" is an interesting choice of words. He defines inertia by saying that "If something is moving, with nothing touching it and completely undisturbed, it will go on forever, coasting at a uniform speed in a straight line. (Why does it keep on coasting? We do not know, but that is the way it is.)" Does the reference to "coasting" mean that a body is passively carried along in space? If so, carried by what, and what is space?

Feynman says we don't really know what energy is, but does it involve a 'power' differential where matter and energy move to states of equilibrium? If this is so, then is this one way that gravity (differences in mass and distance) might have a parallel at the quantum level (weight of atoms as they combine or recombine)? Feynman writes that "all planets push and pull each other." If "pull" is attraction of bodies to each other, it's not clear what push means. For that matter, it's also not clear how "push and pull" relate to Einstein's spacetime curvature (oddly, Feynman discusses Einstein's relativity only briefly). Regarding push-pull (attraction-resistance) Feynman makes some suggestive comments when he states that "the force of electricity between two charged objects looks just like the law of gravitation...." In describing the earth's movement around the sun, Feynman says that the earth impinges "on more particles which are coming from its forward side than from its hind side." Does this mean that the earth "bunches up space" ("particles") as it moves through its orbit and is this related to the earth's gravity? Elsewhere, Feynman states that "the earth can be understood to be round merely because everything attracts everything else and so it has attracted itself together as far as it can!" Gravity is not some (mystical) force at the center of the earth, but a pulling of matter and energy inward, against itself, toward the center.

While this is all fun stuff to think about, these Feynman lectures do not enlighten much a lay person's understanding of the uncertainty principle, annhilation and antimatter, and absolute time. His last lecture on quantum behavior is particularly difficult. Feynman is at his best discussing the role of doubt and uncertainty in science. When he differs with the theories of the past or of his contemporaries, he seems respectful enough, saying that they are not wrong, but "a little wrong" or "incomplete." His footnote at the bottom of p. 59 directly challenges those who say wonder and awe are the province of poetry and religion, not science. He also blends life and non-life together when he says that "'Everything is made of atoms....there is nothing that living things do that cannot be understood from the point of view that they are made of atoms acting according to the laws of physics.'" This is Feynman at his best, and a good challenge for those attempting to put philosophy on a solid materialistic foundation.

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so this book (if you were at all interested) is a collection of the six 'most basic' lectures delivered by richard feynman when he taught caltech 1st year physics undergrads in the early 1960s. feynman is famously an excellent communicator and very good at explaining physics-y things and coming up with analogies. honestly though, i was a little disappointed.
admittedly, i thought the chapter on quantum behaviour (6) was *fantastic*, and probably the best and most thorough explanation i've come ac so this book (if you were at all interested) is a collection of the six 'most basic' lectures delivered by richard feynman when he taught caltech 1st year physics undergrads in the early 1960s. feynman is famously an excellent communicator and very good at explaining physics-y things and coming up with analogies. honestly though, i was a little disappointed.
admittedly, i thought the chapter on quantum behaviour (6) was *fantastic*, and probably the best and most thorough explanation i've come across. the maths was a little elusive and unexplained, but that didn't bother me too much as i'm sure i'll learn about it in time & it's not necessary to understand what's going on. but i would definitely recommend this chapter (which you can read online for free - http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.ed...) to anyone to wants to understand quantum behaviour. + i did also enjoy the first two chapters in the book as well, which were on atoms in motion and basic physics.
the rest of the book, however, was quite meh. the chapter on the relationship between physics and other sciences (3) was often very vague and seemed to be stating the obvious a lot of the time, although i did find it quite interesting in places (for instance the section on geology and biology, even if the latter seemed to drag on a bit). chapter (4) which was on conservation of energy was pretty confusing sometimes and otherwise pretty unmemorable.
so, pretty hit and miss... 2.5 stars? ...more

May 11, 2011 Mark rated it it was ok  · review of another edition

Recommends it for: those interested in a straightforward introduction to quantum mechanical "weirdness"

If you have heard about the "weirdness" of quantum mechanics but don't know what the hype is all about, look no further than chapter six of this book. In chapter six, with his usual down-to-earth approach, Feynman describes one of the most famous experiments in physics (the double-slit experiment) and what it tells us about the way fundamental particles behave. He compares the behavior of "lumps" to the behavior of "waves" before moving on to the behavior of electrons... and the outcome might su If you have heard about the "weirdness" of quantum mechanics but don't know what the hype is all about, look no further than chapter six of this book. In chapter six, with his usual down-to-earth approach, Feynman describes one of the most famous experiments in physics (the double-slit experiment) and what it tells us about the way fundamental particles behave. He compares the behavior of "lumps" to the behavior of "waves" before moving on to the behavior of electrons... and the outcome might surprise you (it surprised early 20th-century physicists, too). This is a classic lesson in quantum mechanics taught by one of the classic teachers of physics. And there's no math required.

I only gave this book two stars because the other five lectures in this book aren't overly memorable and come nowhere near to being Feynman's greatest lessons. But chapter six alone makes this book worth picking up, especially if you want an introduction to wave-particle duality, the uncertainty principle, and the conundrum of quantum measurement that is accessible to the layperson but that also demands that you stretch your mind. It's a brief introduction that cuts to the essence of what is going on and, while giving you a decent grounding, will leave you ready to dig deeper and learn more.

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4.5/5 stars

I picked up this book several months ago and then dropped it despite nearly finishing it due to the complexity of the last chapter: Quantum Behavior. This by no means implies that the book is difficult as a whole.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first three chapters: Atoms in Motion, Basic Physics, and the Relations of Physics to Other Sciences. The method he chose to explain the concepts in these chapters was elegant and easy to understand. He compared our understanding the law of physics to

4.5/5 stars

I picked up this book several months ago and then dropped it despite nearly finishing it due to the complexity of the last chapter: Quantum Behavior. This by no means implies that the book is difficult as a whole.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first three chapters: Atoms in Motion, Basic Physics, and the Relations of Physics to Other Sciences. The method he chose to explain the concepts in these chapters was elegant and easy to understand. He compared our understanding the law of physics to watching a game of chess played by the gods (not personal gods) and we humans as observers knowing nothing about the chess rules. However, I have difficulty with understanding quantum mechanics when he started involving mathematic equation, which I particularly have no formal education. I might as well come back to this chapter once I have a better understanding of mathematics.

Overall, I would recommend "Six Easy Pieces" to anyone who is interested in science, physics especially, to check it out. You might have already known the concepts, but you'll be amazed by his styles.

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"You know, the most amazing thing happened to me tonight... I saw a car with the license plate ARW 357. Can you imagine? Of all the millions of license plates in the state, what was the chance that I would see that particular one tonight? Amazing!"

I have read few other popular science books, and it's still the same case. It's hard to understand. Some things are easy peasy, some are not so easy (no pun intended). But it's not Richard's fault. He rather did a great job of investing readers int

"You know, the most amazing thing happened to me tonight... I saw a car with the license plate ARW 357. Can you imagine? Of all the millions of license plates in the state, what was the chance that I would see that particular one tonight? Amazing!"

I have read few other popular science books, and it's still the same case. It's hard to understand. Some things are easy peasy, some are not so easy (no pun intended). But it's not Richard's fault. He rather did a great job of investing readers into the book! Examples made me think like a true scientist. Like, how that thing can go in that? How it ended up there? Is there any other possibilities? Why it happened like that?
Topics were exhilarating (Dr. Stone reference)! I was, as always, delighted to understand the nature of world. Realizing that there is so much more under the plain face of our world is the first step of appreciating it!

Masterpiece, Richard Feynman! 😍💖

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Apparently these are the 6 "easiest to understand" (despite the inclusion of quantum mechanics!") of the Feynman lectures. Some of them flit too much from one thing to another; I'm sure they were interesting as lectures but they are not the ideal way to read about a topic. However, the way Feynman explains certain concrete idea is really interesting; in particular the chapter on quantum mechanics is good and easy to follow. I'm on the fence as to whether to read the full set of lectures. Apparently these are the 6 "easiest to understand" (despite the inclusion of quantum mechanics!") of the Feynman lectures. Some of them flit too much from one thing to another; I'm sure they were interesting as lectures but they are not the ideal way to read about a topic. However, the way Feynman explains certain concrete idea is really interesting; in particular the chapter on quantum mechanics is good and easy to follow. I'm on the fence as to whether to read the full set of lectures. ...more

A really lucid introduction to physics—lecture style.

I think it is very rare for someone to be not only brilliant but also a wonderful teacher. Feynman has a very clear and direct style of imparting information. I just love it. Not quite as good as his autobiographical one but still very good.

Feynman might be the finest example of how a clear understanding yields simple and precise explanations.

In the early 1960s the renown physicist, Richard Feynman, delivered introductory courses on physics to first and second year undergraduate students at Caltech, in the USA. His lectures were very popular at the time and whilst aimed at undergraduates, it wasn't uncommon for graduate physics students to infiltrate his classes; the one thing Feynman could be assured of was a full house each time he came to teach this course. The lectures, after some editing, were published in three large volumes. T In the early 1960s the renown physicist, Richard Feynman, delivered introductory courses on physics to first and second year undergraduate students at Caltech, in the USA. His lectures were very popular at the time and whilst aimed at undergraduates, it wasn't uncommon for graduate physics students to infiltrate his classes; the one thing Feynman could be assured of was a full house each time he came to teach this course. The lectures, after some editing, were published in three large volumes. To provide a flavour of the overall series, this book extracts just six from the collection and, as the title of this book suggests, these are regarded as being six of the easier ones to understand. They're entitled "Atoms in motion", "Basic physics, "The relation of physics to other sciences", "Conservation of energy", "The theory of gravitation" and "Quantum behaviour". (There is a companion volume published under the title "Six not-so-easy pieces" but I've not attempted to read that.)

I was attracted to this book not so much by the subject matter, but more by my interest in Feynman himself. He has a solid reputation for being an inspirational teacher and I was keen to see how he managed to achieve this. I was expecting him to take a different strategy from the norm and I wasn't disappointed. To illustrate what I mean, in his lecture on the atom he didn't follow the conventional approach of describing the structure of atoms and building up from there, yet by the end of the talk his students would have heard a physicist's explanation of why blowing on a bowl of soup cools it down. His approach to teaching was so different to what is usually done.

Understandably, given the date of the lectures, there have been major developments in physics, and science in general, since the lectures were first presented. For instance, the talk on nuclear physics is very out of date because the make-up of protons and neutrons was not understand at that time to the extent that it is now. Likewise, the lecture covering the links between physics and biology pre-dates the discovery of the genetic code. Therefore, it is pointless reading this book to gain an understanding of the latest theories. Nevertheless, not everything has changed in 50 years and some lectures are as relevant today as they were then. For example, the lecture on the conservation of energy was wonderfully presented, especially the section on potential energy where Feynman used illustrated examples to explain the conservation of potential energy in reversible machines. On the other hand, I felt he made heavy weather of his account of the two slit experiment in his lecture on quantum mechanics and I've read much better explanations elsewhere. To a marked extent Feynman did over complicate much of his material but this is to expected since his stated intention was to teach to slightly beyond the level of the brightest students in each class; of course, whether or not this was the best strategy is open to debate.

Overall, this book of six "easy" lectures provides remarkable insight into Feynman's style of teaching. He comes across as someone who knew his subject matter inside out, who had boundless energy and complete self-confidence, and who wanted to stretch the minds of his students.

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If we take a concept and can't "…reduce it to the freshman level. That means we really don't understand it."

This approach to learning and teaching is so true with everything, not just physics. And yet somehow, it's rare to find people who can break down concepts making it easy to understand and fun. Surely a skill to learn!

Thoroughly enjoyed both this and the second part.

Apr 30, 2008 Rob rated it really liked it  · review of another edition

Recommended to Rob by: io9

Almost five-stars. For someone like me (i.e., a layperson that has no background in physics whatsoever), this is a great introduction to the mysterious world of physics—it is humorous and accessible and makes an effort to be "approximately accurate" about everything (while calling itself out on things that are simplified for the sake of the example or else "unknown or unknowable"). However, to be "approximately accurate about everything" means a bunch of math and other fancy-pants equations that Almost five-stars. For someone like me (i.e., a layperson that has no background in physics whatsoever), this is a great introduction to the mysterious world of physics—it is humorous and accessible and makes an effort to be "approximately accurate" about everything (while calling itself out on things that are simplified for the sake of the example or else "unknown or unknowable"). However, to be "approximately accurate about everything" means a bunch of math and other fancy-pants equations that look like this:

|ĥ₁ + ĥ₂|² = |ĥ₁|² + |ĥ₂|² + 2|ĥ₁||ĥ₂| cos δ

...which despite my best efforts remain cloaked in physics' mysterious shroud.

"Easy Pieces", these are not.

However, Feynman explains the subject matter well—and certainly better than most other folks that have tried to write this sort of thing.

I'm adding him to my short list of heroes.

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Apr 20, 2009 Connie Kuntz rated it it was amazing  · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone who believes that science and spirituality aren't mutally exclusive

Recommended to Connie by: Christine O'Brien (soon to be Dr. C. O'Brien)

This book is truly mind-opening and I am convinced that Feynman was one enlightened dude. As I read the book, I felt myself opening up to the concept of atoms, amalgamations, energy, astronomy, gravity, light years, colliders and quantum physics. There was humor, history and simplified experiments in the book, too, which gave the field of Physics an "inviting" feeling, rather than a snooty one. The first five chapters were wonderful, but I struggled quite a bit with Chapter 6. To be clear: I sti This book is truly mind-opening and I am convinced that Feynman was one enlightened dude. As I read the book, I felt myself opening up to the concept of atoms, amalgamations, energy, astronomy, gravity, light years, colliders and quantum physics. There was humor, history and simplified experiments in the book, too, which gave the field of Physics an "inviting" feeling, rather than a snooty one. The first five chapters were wonderful, but I struggled quite a bit with Chapter 6. To be clear: I still have no grasp on these difficult theories and concepts but now I feel like I have a genuine appreciation for the science and a new way of looking at our world. I learned something that is diffiuclt for me to articulate but I will try: I learned that Physics truly welcomes the connection between past and present, quantum leaps and forward thoughts, the galaxy and a glass of wine, a spiritual presence and Dennis the Menace and much, much more. ...more

Previously, I had read Richard Feynman's "What Do You Care What They Think" & absolutely loved it! It goes without saying that Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, is beyond brilliant....but I said it anyway. I enjoy his writing & his joy of discovery in all things scientific. If I'd had a Physics professor like him maybe I would've understood it or had more interest in physical sciences. That said, I found this book very interesting and informative but the formulas & concepts were Previously, I had read Richard Feynman's "What Do You Care What They Think" & absolutely loved it! It goes without saying that Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, is beyond brilliant....but I said it anyway. I enjoy his writing & his joy of discovery in all things scientific. If I'd had a Physics professor like him maybe I would've understood it or had more interest in physical sciences. That said, I found this book very interesting and informative but the formulas & concepts were sometimes a little foreign to me. He was aiming for the brightest of his CalTech first year Physics students & I think I'm missing a little bit of their experience/education in Physics. I found it illuminating; however, I don't think I could explain what I learned without re-reading some sections. I'll probably read some other books by him because I enjoy his "joie de vivre". For me, this was 3.5 stars. ...more

One of the biggest influences on my scientific career, and later my career as a populariser of science, was the multi-volume Feynman Lectures on Physics which appeared in the early 1960s. This epitome of that masterwork really does offer an easy guide to what physics, and science in general, is all about. Feynman explores the most fundamental scientific theories that all intelligent people should be aware of – the structure and behaviour of atoms, quantum mechanics and gravity. These are the fun One of the biggest influences on my scientific career, and later my career as a populariser of science, was the multi-volume Feynman Lectures on Physics which appeared in the early 1960s. This epitome of that masterwork really does offer an easy guide to what physics, and science in general, is all about. Feynman explores the most fundamental scientific theories that all intelligent people should be aware of – the structure and behaviour of atoms, quantum mechanics and gravity. These are the fundamentals that ought to be as well known as Shakespeare, Mozart and Picasso. The material is essentially a transcript of Feynman lecturing (you can even get the lectures themselves on a CD to accompany the book), and comes across like a wise friend giving you the inside story on a subject he loves.
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The thing that bothers me about this is that physics sounds interesting in a book like this but I did my high school physics and first year physics at university and the core of it, the thing you had to learn and understand want the fascinating results and conclusions, it was the collection of vast amounts of data and then the math. The formulas, the statistical analysis, the endless calculation. It's math (maths?). It's all math. And math is beautiful sometimes but it's also a huge amount of gr The thing that bothers me about this is that physics sounds interesting in a book like this but I did my high school physics and first year physics at university and the core of it, the thing you had to learn and understand want the fascinating results and conclusions, it was the collection of vast amounts of data and then the math. The formulas, the statistical analysis, the endless calculation. It's math (maths?). It's all math. And math is beautiful sometimes but it's also a huge amount of grunt learning. I could have recited everything in this book and completely failed every exam in first year university physics if I did. I didn't fail though. Instead I learn how to use the formulas and solve problem questions. That's how you pass. Maybe I'm just bitter but none of this was part of my first year physics 😜 ...more

It's all of highschool physics but without any math, like fruit without fiber, just the sugar baby.

That said, it's not perfect. It's a little dense sometimes.

It's all of highschool physics but without any math, like fruit without fiber, just the sugar baby.

That said, it's not perfect. It's a little dense sometimes.

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Ahh I just love the way Feynman used to teach Physics in such an innovative and fun way. There's no way I would've dozed off in his lectures, but sadly not all of our wishes come true. His book "Six easy pieces: Essentials of Physics" talks about some of the basic topics of Physics, so it's a great book for beginners. However, for people who are even slightly well versed with the subject of Physics, this book can merely be used to brush up their basics.
One thing that is very particularly intere Ahh I just love the way Feynman used to teach Physics in such an innovative and fun way. There's no way I would've dozed off in his lectures, but sadly not all of our wishes come true. His book "Six easy pieces: Essentials of Physics" talks about some of the basic topics of Physics, so it's a great book for beginners. However, for people who are even slightly well versed with the subject of Physics, this book can merely be used to brush up their basics.
One thing that is very particularly interesting about all of his work is how he encourages people to study Physics by making connections to the other fields of science like Chemistry, Biology, etc. And that's what makes me come back time and again to dwell in the mesmerizing realm of Physics which Feynman offers to his readers! ...more

The ideas of Richard Feynman are brilliant and cuts right across the wordplay we have for ourselves. All of us seem to think if we know the name of something or if we have discovered a formula for something we 'know' it.

Feynman beautifully points out there is so much we have no clue about and while we may have learnt to use these ideas to our advantage, we actually do not understand all these amazing phenomena such as atoms, astronomy, conservation of energy, theory of gravitation, quantum behav

The ideas of Richard Feynman are brilliant and cuts right across the wordplay we have for ourselves. All of us seem to think if we know the name of something or if we have discovered a formula for something we 'know' it.

Feynman beautifully points out there is so much we have no clue about and while we may have learnt to use these ideas to our advantage, we actually do not understand all these amazing phenomena such as atoms, astronomy, conservation of energy, theory of gravitation, quantum behaviours in this series of lectures. All of us have read physics but honestly, none of us has actually understood it. It is both humbling and inspiring at the same time.

"The essence of physics and Feynman. No jargon, just ideas, excitement, and the straight dope. And real answers, like 'we don't know.'"
- Stephen Wolfram

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I love this book. I wonder why I didn't study physics when I was younger. It is so fascinating. Physics is probably the most significant science of all time. It has had its impact already on many fronts. There'd be no transistors or cell phones without physics. If we don't apply Einstein's equations into the satellites we build, our GPS will render useless. Physics also has an intimate relationship with other scientific fields like astronomy, chemistry, biology, etc. I think this book is relativ I love this book. I wonder why I didn't study physics when I was younger. It is so fascinating. Physics is probably the most significant science of all time. It has had its impact already on many fronts. There'd be no transistors or cell phones without physics. If we don't apply Einstein's equations into the satellites we build, our GPS will render useless. Physics also has an intimate relationship with other scientific fields like astronomy, chemistry, biology, etc. I think this book is relatively easy to understand even if you have no background in physics. There are times though you may feel a bit out of your depth, especially as we get into the mystifying realm of quantum mechanics. Be that as it may, it is still a good source of knowledge for the physics majors as well as laypeople. You have to read the book with the caveat that it was written back in the 1960's and so a lot were not known back then. For instance, the strong nuclear force was not discovered yet. hope you enjoy. ...more

Great, original book! I doubt it serves its intended goal as teaching material though for first year students. The book introduces Richard Feynman as one of Earths greatest teachers and at the same time describes how half of his pupils drop out without him noticing. I think Feynman is a superb teacher for those already familiar with the subject, sharing exciting unique perspectives and thought experiments aiming for deep understanding.

I had lot of expectations from this book, lacked lucid diagrams for explaining things better, or may be it's just issue with kindle version! I had lot of expectations from this book, lacked lucid diagrams for explaining things better, or may be it's just issue with kindle version! ...more

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Richard Phillips Feynman was an American physicist known for the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as work in particle physics (he proposed the parton model). For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman was a joint recipient of the Nobel Pr Richard Phillips Feynman was an American physicist known for the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as work in particle physics (he proposed the parton model). For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman was a joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, together with Julian Schwinger and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga. Feynman developed a widely used pictorial representation scheme for the mathematical expressions governing the behavior of subatomic particles, which later became known as Feynman diagrams. During his lifetime and after his death, Feynman became one of the most publicly known scientists in the world.

He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb and was a member of the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. In addition to his work in theoretical physics, Feynman has been credited with pioneering the field of quantum computing, and introducing the concept of nanotechnology (creation of devices at the molecular scale). He held the Richard Chace Tolman professorship in theoretical physics at Caltech.

-wikipedia

See Ричард Фейнман

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