Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher is a publishing first. This set couples a book containing the six ea...
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Mar 28, 2011
Courtney
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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 More...
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 More...
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Jul 04, 2011
Mark
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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 elect
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Jun 06, 2007
Punk
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Non-fiction. This book contains six chapters from Feynman's Lectures on Physics, which were transcribed from actual lectures he gave at Caltech during 1961-1964. It made me feel dumb. Well, not entirely, I did okay with the chemistry, biology, and astronomy aspects of it, as I have background in those areas, and I was all right with the quantum mechanics stuff because that requires more imagination than math, but I've never taken a physics course, so all the nonsense with pulleys totally shot ov
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Jul 28, 2007
steve ross
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That subtitle may seem overwrought, but it's true. Hawking and Greene have done much to popularize (and fetishize) physics, but Feynman will help the layperson really start to understand it at its most conceptual, basic form. And if you haven't the ability to sustain fifteen years of advanced mathematics, these lessons can still illuminate the marvels of the "mechanism."
To be fair, Hawking (astrophysics) and Greene (quantum mechanics) both do a lot for their respective fiel More...
To be fair, Hawking (astrophysics) and Greene (quantum mechanics) both do a lot for their respective fiel More...
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Nov 28, 2011
Tom
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I've had this book on the shelf for some time, meaning to read it to refresh my memory of physics classes taken long ago. It was a quick enjoyable read that explained things I've already learned in a new and refreshing way, (even though these lectures were given almost fifty years ago.) I was especially impressed with the first two chapters. With some minor modifications, these two lectures could be used to explain atomic theory to elementary students. This is quite an accomplishment considerin
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May 11, 2011
Bob
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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 of water to show, in contrast to direct action, how motion in one place affects motion in another, distant place. We learn 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 moti
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Nov 02, 2010
Laura
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I may be one of the few scientists who is not a Feynman fan. He admits that his approach is to teach to the very brightest students, hoping that the others manage to catch something along the way. But, when you remember the man taught at CalTech--where basically every student is pretty darned smart, his approach seems a bit arrogant. He also claims that he had no opportunity during the lecture series to gain feedback from students--that this came only at the end of the course. Astonishing th
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Feb 21, 2010
Mike
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I have read several other books by and about Richard Feynman: a man whose brilliance and oddness were well known within the Physics community, but sadly only his eccentricities were known by most of the wider world.
This book is not really about Feynman, rather it is six chapters excised out of a two-year course of physics lectures he gave at CalTech in the mid 60s. The publisher created this volume (and a second one that I am just getting into called "Six Not-So-Easy Pieces" More...
This book is not really about Feynman, rather it is six chapters excised out of a two-year course of physics lectures he gave at CalTech in the mid 60s. The publisher created this volume (and a second one that I am just getting into called "Six Not-So-Easy Pieces" More...
Jan 09, 2010
Lectures from a series given at Caltech in the early 60s - intended for freshmen, to stimulate their interest in physics.
Special Preface: "Through the distant veil of memory, many of the students and faculty attending the lectures have said that having two years of physics with Feynman was the experience of a lifetime. But that's not how it seemed at the time. Many of the students dreaded the class, and as the course wore on, attendance by the registered students started dropping More...
Special Preface: "Through the distant veil of memory, many of the students and faculty attending the lectures have said that having two years of physics with Feynman was the experience of a lifetime. But that's not how it seemed at the time. Many of the students dreaded the class, and as the course wore on, attendance by the registered students started dropping More...
Jan 27, 2011
Upom
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Feynman, the debonair physicist of the last generation. Part physicist, part bongo player, part safe cracker, all man. A charming genius without the snooty air of formalism is a role model I can follow. And here in this book is the start to understanding a Feynman way of mind. These 6 essays are adapted from Feynman's Lectures on basic physics back in the 1960's. I wish I had discovered these essays before college, because they really would have made physics easy and interesting to learn before
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Jan 05, 2012
Lauren
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Feynman never ceases to amaze me with his genuine ability to take a complicated subject (or concept) and make it accessible to the masses. After reading his book of short stories, I've been perpetually intrigues by Feynman, his interests, accomplishments, and thought process. These six lectures provide a window into the mind that helped inspire many future physicists and their subsequent breakthroughs. It inspired me to think more carefully about the mundane things we take for granted; I found m
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Apr 22, 2009
Connie
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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
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Oct 22, 2010
Steve
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Six Easy Pieces is a great place to start, not only for science students but also anyone else who skipped physics at school and wishes to get up to speed with what they missed. The explanations in this relatively modest-sized book are quite possibly the best I have read, and Feynman quickly demonstrates why he is so highly and widely regarded as one of the all time greats.
The six chapters are:
1) ATOMS IN MOTION
- an excellent overview of the structure and behaviour of More...
The six chapters are:
1) ATOMS IN MOTION
- an excellent overview of the structure and behaviour of More...
Oct 20, 2010
Nicholas
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The best short introductory book to the ideas of modern physics in print. Why it's better than others: Feynman doesn't skirt around the mathematics as other popular physics writers do. He takes head-on the challenge of explaining complex math to people at an introductory level, and he does so in a way that makes perfect sense.
These six chapters are actually transcribed lectures from Feynman's stint teaching introductory physics to freshman students at CalTech. These are the six eas More...
These six chapters are actually transcribed lectures from Feynman's stint teaching introductory physics to freshman students at CalTech. These are the six eas More...
Dec 16, 2011
Bank
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I bought this book out of curiosity after reading a book by Herman Wouk in which he talked about his philosophical arguments with Feynman , an atheist , about the existence of God. Wouk actually went and took college level math again so he could decipher what Feynman was saying.
Well, perhaps I should have too , especially as I did so poorly in college the first time. In any event, I'm embarrassed to say I did not finish the book because the math was overwhelming so I did not learn the six easy l More...
Well, perhaps I should have too , especially as I did so poorly in college the first time. In any event, I'm embarrassed to say I did not finish the book because the math was overwhelming so I did not learn the six easy l More...
Apr 05, 2010
Aaron
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I picked this up to re-ground myself in some basic physics. Specifically I wanted to understand the relationship between light, radio, radiated heat and so on.
Fortunately, the chapter explaining all that stuff is one of the better ones - it comes up as Feynman walks us through the history of physics. It's fascinating how the various concepts were unified over time.
The much-talked-about intuitive explanations are hit and miss. Some are great - the analogy of waves in water More...
Fortunately, the chapter explaining all that stuff is one of the better ones - it comes up as Feynman walks us through the history of physics. It's fascinating how the various concepts were unified over time.
The much-talked-about intuitive explanations are hit and miss. Some are great - the analogy of waves in water More...
Aug 06, 2011
Dan
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I've been meaning to read this for many years and finally got round to it. In parts I found it failed to live up to expectations (it's such a hyped piece of work) but in others I found it inspirational. Feynman's ways of explaining things were sometimes extraordinary and it's more important that there are a few parts that gave me real insight then that there were other parts that seemed a bit pedestrian. I can only imagine what it must have been like to attend the original lectures. They sta
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Aug 10, 2011
While I already understood the concepts being discussed in the book, Feymen had unique explanations that brought additional insights into basic physics.
For example, he explained the size on an atom in an apple in a very unique way ... if you magnify the apple to be the size of the world, the atom in the apple is the size of the apple.
I highly recommend this as a great primer for physics.
There were occasions where I felt that Feynman skipped over key explanations, largely because he already under More...
For example, he explained the size on an atom in an apple in a very unique way ... if you magnify the apple to be the size of the world, the atom in the apple is the size of the apple.
I highly recommend this as a great primer for physics.
There were occasions where I felt that Feynman skipped over key explanations, largely because he already under More...
May 11, 2011
Temperamente
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La volta scorsa, con la recensione de Le due culture di Charles Snow, è stato affrontato un tema antico. Dalla tassonomia platonica dei saperi fino alla separazione tra Naturwissenschaft (scienze naturali) e Geisteswissenschaft (scienza umanistica), nella storia dell’Occidente si è sempre dato per acquisito che esistesse una differenza tra conoscere i fatti di natura in modo oggettivo e occuparsi di ciò che fanno gli uomini in modo più o meno creativo.
Continua a leggere: http://www.temperamente.it/saggistica-2/... More...
Continua a leggere: http://www.temperamente.it/saggistica-2/... More...
Apr 12, 2011
Ian
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I have a physics A level and a continuing interest in science so I wasn't completely out of my depth with this one but then I largely ignored the maths and just followed the concepts. Worth reading if you're interested in the ideas - the quantum physics chapter at least allowed me to appreciate the bizzare goings on at that level, and explains the observation principle in a way that makes sense. However, the book was written in the early '60s so some sections, in particular that on subatomic pa
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Jan 29, 2012
Sarah
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"Easy" is obviously a relative term - I'm kind of poorly qualified to judge the accessibility of science books written for a general audience, since I'm an engineer who's studied a good chunk of physics. But I still found myself getting lost in places while reading this book, though I am proud to say that by sitting there and really drilling my mind at it I was more or less able to catch back up to Feynman throughout. So I expect this would be pretty good mental exercise for most peo
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Mar 03, 2009
(Note: I'm reading the Folio Society edition of this book which compiles it with 6 Not So Easy Pieces.)
The content of this book was mostly a sort of review for me since I took a fair amount of physics in school, but since I knew the material I was able to focus more on his method and delivery. In that I can see why he is such a well remembered professor. Nuggets of opportunity lay about throughout these "easy" lectures for the scientist to chase after and in that way pres More...
The content of this book was mostly a sort of review for me since I took a fair amount of physics in school, but since I knew the material I was able to focus more on his method and delivery. In that I can see why he is such a well remembered professor. Nuggets of opportunity lay about throughout these "easy" lectures for the scientist to chase after and in that way pres More...
Jun 13, 2011
Bill
rated it:
After starting Six Easy Pieces some time ago and then setting it aside for other books, I swept through the final four chapters rather quickly. This is the sort of book that most scientifically literate but physics-weak individuals - myself included - should probably go back and re-read immediately.
Feynman was considered physics' "most brilliant teacher" and is revered by many not only for his lucidity in teaching but for his more "human" attributes, if you will al More...
Feynman was considered physics' "most brilliant teacher" and is revered by many not only for his lucidity in teaching but for his more "human" attributes, if you will al More...
Sep 13, 2008
Tony
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Feynman, Richard P. SIX EASY PIECES. (1995). ****. This collection of Professor Feynman’s lectures represents the essence of his first year’s lectures in physics to undergraduates at Cal Tech. The lectures capture much of his enthusiasm for the topics and display his innovation in using examples that help illustrate many of the principles. The six lectures included are: Atoms in Motion, Basic Physics, The Relation of Physics to Other Sciences, Conservation of Energy, The Theory of Gravita
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Dec 30, 2007
Courtney
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This book is an abridgment of a much larger Feynman work, the textbook "Lectures on Physics," a collection of his introductory physics lecture series. "Six Easy Pieces" brings together six of the easier chapters from the textbook to present an enlightening introduction to what physics is about, including some of its core principals, how physicists think and approach problems, and some of the questions and mysteries that remain unanswered today.
I have a year of col More...
I have a year of col More...
Jul 23, 2007
Roddy
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This book is a first semester physics course rolled into, you guessed it, six easy pieces. Now, of course the author is one of the most brilliant scientific minds in the 20th century. So easy for him is like, basically hard. But his explanations do an excellent job of illustrating difficult concepts, and his illustrations do an excellent job of explaining abstract ideas. For example, did you know that electrons can be (and are) in more than one place at one time? That's true, they COULD be here
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Aug 23, 2010
dennis
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Yeah, didn't "read" this either but the audiobook of these Caltech lectures is a rather incredible introduction to the physics understood during the Mad Men era. The subtitle to this one is pretty ridonkulous, but then you hear this guy speak, and yes, he was brilliant, and passionate. I did feel lost at times, but that's OK. Overall, his ability to open the door to really complicated and heavy ideas for those with an interest in this subject was impressive.
Feb 01, 2012
Lucy
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Feynman is a brilliant man and an impeccable character. Though Six Easy Pieces is not for everyone (you can certainly tell that by the mixed reviews.), it is a fantastic look at the basic understanding of physics and it's related properties. The examples can sometimes be difficult to follow as an example referenced could be on a separate page entirely, but doesn't necessarily detract from the lectures. This book is really meant as a lecture to first year physics students and also provides great
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Mar 06, 2009
Dave
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Rereading this. When I was thirty I got tired of being a science moron and embarked on a few years of self-study, mostly in physics, astronomy, and cosmology. Richard Feynman became my hero, and these audio lectures one of my most treasured learning experiences. Just as you can understand political power (and brilliant writing) reading Robert Caro, you can understand how the world works -- nad brilliant teaching -- from Richard Feynman. Pure intellectual pleasure.
May 28, 2010
Rob
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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
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