Product Description
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

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

Product Description
Eagerly awaited by scientists and academics worldwide, Feynman's famous Lectures on Physics, now on CD.

Basic Books is proud to announce the next two 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 through such formidable theories as Einstein's general relativity, superconductivity, and quantum mechanics, Feynman's 111 lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

not for casual listening
For those familiar with the classic 3 Vol text set, one would not expect these lectures to be suitable for the scientifically inclined layperson, nor even the average physics undergrad. But I had expected these audio lectures to be in similar format as the texts, where specific chapters can be played while on a long drive, or trying to sleep at night. First, they are disorganized, with quantum mechanics on Vol 1, while kinectics and heat are on Vol 5, etc..and he constantly refers to this diagram or that equation, as if there should video to watch along. And if you are familiar with his QED book, then imagine listening to a CD of it, with all its diagrams and illustrations. I would not recommend this for anyone who does not have accompanying notes or video. And BTW, it has helped me to go to sleep at night. Thanks Dick!!

Learn from the best- con't
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!

Use with the Feynman Lectures (Red Books) - 3 Volume Set
As other reviewers have stated this series has a few problems. The first is that the audio was copied from audio tapes as one long CD track without partitions which is a huge pain. The lectures are also all jumbled up into "topic areas", and the listener is left to align them to the chapters in the Feynman Lectures on Physics.The sections to which the commentator on the CD's refers are in these books (ISBN: 0201021153, or even better get the hardcover). If you are learning physics for the first time, you definitely want the books to go along with at the same time.

Audio Volume 3: From Crystal Structure to Magnetism
'The Feynman Lectures on Physics: From Crystal Structure to Magnetism (Feynman Lectures on Physics (Audio))'
Volume II, Chapter 30: The Internal Geometry of Crystals
Volume II, Chapter 32: Refractive Index of Dense Materials
Volume II, Chapter 39: Elastic Materials
Volume II, Chapter 10: Dielectrics
Volume II, Chapter 11: Inside Dielectrics
Volume II, Chapter 34: The Magnetism of Matter

Audio Volume 4: Electrical and Magnetic Behavior
'The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol. 4 : Electrical and Magnetic Behavior'
Volume III, Chapter 13: Propagation in a Crystal Lattice
Volume III, Chapter 14: Semiconductors
Volume III, Chapter 15: The Independent Particle Approximation
Volume III, Chapter 21: The Schrödinger Equation in a Classical Context: A Seminar on Superconductivity
Volume II, Chapter 35: Paramagnetism and Magnetic Resonance
Volume II, Chapter 36: Ferromagnetism

Thanks to Autodidact Andy for the contents list (taken from his How To List on the cassette versions).

5 Stars for sure but here is a caveat before you buy
There is no way you can follow these lectures UNLESS you have the books (R.P Feynman lectures on Physics Vols 1-3) in front of you or maybe you can follow them if you are smarter than RPF himself, which is unlikely (otherwise i'd be reading your book). Anyway, the reason for this is there is a lot of formulae and explaining happening on the black board and RPF talks pretty fast with his sharp brooklyn accent. So, have the book and chapter he is talking about in front of you and pay attention to what he is saying and frequently pause to digest what he has said and you'll appreciate the lectures more. It may not be possible to understand everything he says in his books, let alone in the audio, which makes it difficukt understanding when you are not in possession of his books. But the CD's are a blast to listen to, EXCEPT the people who produced the CD's should be impaled on some sharp object because each CD has ONE track from start to finish. So to go back or skip sections is a real pain.

If you liked the book then try this......
If you are looking for a laymans' basic physics primer, look somewhere else! If you have a background in the material and are looking for a review or for alternative views of the subject then this is appropriate.

I first read the "Feynman Lectures" (in book form) during thefirst year of my physics studies. They struck me then, and still do, as offering inspired and inspiring insight from a first class brain.

To hear him speak, after reading so much of his material through the years is a real kick. At first I couldn't imagine how one could hear the lectures without the written material in support. Although I think that this material is in fact best absorbed in conjunction with the written Lectures, yet these tapes are a pleasurable and thoughtful listen all by themself. ... Read more

Product Description
"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
Beginning with his earliest, awkward drawings of the human figure in 1962, the book displays Feynman's fascinating development of a personal artistic sensitivity to line, form and the moods of his subject; as well as his experimentation with various styles and media.
The selected artwork was produced over a 25 year period until 1987, the year before his death. It mainly consists of black and white drawings, his favourite medium, all carefully chosen by his daughter, Michelle.
This book brings together, for the first time, a collection of the artwork of Richard P. Feynman, scientist extraordinaire and winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1965. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another side of Feynman
The amazing thing about great minds is just how many subjects they encompass. Feynman is known as a physicist and occasional drummer, but he was a fair amateur artist, too.

These drawings and paintings show how quickly he progressed, once he decided to learn drawing. I suppose it gave him yet another way to enjoy the female form, and yet another reason to habituate "gentlemen's clubs." He had other motivations, too, as shown by some very sensitive drawings of his friends and children.

This isn't great art. It is, however, very competent amateur work. Most of all, it's another view, from an unexpected angle, of one of the great minds of our time.

//wiredweird

What a find!
This is a really terrific collection. In this book are many of the little-known sketches and paintings of the late, great physicist/folk hero Richard P. Feynman. I sought this book out after reading Ralph Leighton's Feynman biography "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" I'm glad I went to the trouble to do so.

The book commences with a foreword by Albert Hibbs, whom many Feynman fans will recognize as Feynman's friend and co-author of "Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals." Don't skip over this foreword. Hibbs has a lot of interesting things to say about how visual Feynman was in all his projects, including his style of doing physics.

After the foreword is a helpful preface by Feynman's daughter Michelle. (Michelle works as a photographer, and was the primary person in charge of selecting these artworks). She describes some interesting features of Feynman family life, such as the fact that many of the models for these paintings became lifelong Feynman family friends. She gives us a fun little window into the experience of "growing up Feynman."

This book also contains Feyman's wry, interesting essay "But is it Art?" from "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!," as well as a selection of biographical sketches from four of Fenman's friends, including three artists and his biographer.

The actual sketches are really pretty good, in my humble opinion. There are about a hundred pages of black and white sketches, including charcoal, pencil, and ink wash drawings. Many are quite simple and direct. Others clearly took quite a bit of time.

Let me give you a friendly warning here, incidentally. Leafing through this section, you will go through page after page of sketches of young, beautiful women, in a variety of attractive poses. This will lead you to a pleasant, happy, blissed out frame of mind. Suddenly, with absolutely no warning whatsoever, you will turn the page and be confronted by the dilapidated, craggy, wrinkled face of an anonymous, elderly male physics professor, frowning under a ponderously furrowed unibrow, glaring out of the book at you. Be warned, O reader, and try not to have a seizure. Also included among these sketches are occasional other topics, such as Feyman's dog Rufus, and a few "one minute line drawings" (a common exercise in art classes)... Personally, I think Figure 87 is pretty neat. It includes small sketches of various subjects -- a woman, faces, a plant, a sleeping dog, and more. But there's more -- the background is full of Feynman's equations! They wind all over the place, throughout the drawing. It makes for kind of a neat juxtaposition. I could definitely see that sketch making a great poster.

After the black and white sketches are a small collection of color paintings, including a sketch of a little town, and Feynman's trusty dog Rufus.

Basically, if you are a Feynman fan, this book will go a long way toward rounding out your appreciation of him. Besides, there are some really terrific pictures in here. Two thumbs up! ... Read more

Product Description
The two latest volumes of recorded lectures by the world's greatest physics teacher.

The two latest volumes in the acclaimed Feynman Lectures on Physicsaudio series deal with the fundamentals of mechanics and sound. Theselectures by the late Richard P. Feynman were originally delivered tohis physics students at Caltech and later fashioned by the author intohis classic textbook Lectures on Physics. Volume 12, Feynman onFundamentals: Sound, includes a discussion of the wave equation,beats, modes, and harmonics. ... 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
Discusses the fundamentals of kinetics and heat, covering the kinetic theory of gases, the Brownian Movement, the applications of kinetic theory, diffusion, the laws of thermodynamics, and illustrations of thermodynamics, as part of the Feynman lecture series.Audiocassette. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Volume 6 - Feynman on Fundamentals, Kinetics & Heat
Recorded April/May 1962 Cal Tech

Cassette 1 - V1 Ch39 The Kinetic Theory of Gases
Cassette 2 - V1 Ch41 The Brownian Movement
Cassette 3 - V1 Ch42 Applications of Kinetic Theory
Cassette 4 - V1 Ch43 Diffusion
Cassette 5 - V1 Ch44 The Laws of Thermodynamics
Cassette 6 - V1 Ch45 Illustrations of Thermodynamics

There is something magical about hearing Richard Feynman's lectures on physics. Somehow he got an advance copy of the owners manual for the cosmos and sorted it out for we mortals. ... Read more

Product Description
Eagerly awaited by scientists and academics worldwide, Feynman's famous Lectures on Physics, now on CD

Basic Books is proud to announce the next two 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 through such formidable theories as Einstein's general relativity, superconductivity, and quantum mechanics, Feynman's 111 lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight.

12 CDs: Total playing time: Approx. 12 hours ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Rotation, Oscillation and Light
just an extension to Alex Morgan's helpful reviews of the first six volumes. (the chapters are split to separate tracks now.)

Audio Volume 7: Feynman on Mechanics
Volume I, Chapter 19: Center of Mass, Moment of Inertia
Volume I, Chapter 20: Rotation in Space
Volume I, Chapter 21: The Harmonic Oscillator
Volume I, Chapter 24: Transients
Volume I, Chapter 25: Linear Systems and Review
Volume I, Chapter 40: The Principles of Statistical Mechanics

Audio Volume 8: Feynman on Light
Volume I, Chapter 26: Optics The Principle of Least Time
Volume I, Chapter 27: Geometrical Optics
Volume I, Chapter 28: Electromagnetic Radiation
Volume I, Chapter 29: Interference
Volume I, Chapter 30: Diffraction
Volume I, Chapter 31: The Origin of the Refractive Index

Good but it was hard to understand.
I found this lecture specifically hard to understand, because it was not design to be hear. ... Read more

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What is science and what is its true value? Can a scientist believe in God? Why, in this supposedly scientific age, is there such widespread fascination with flying saucers, faith healing, astrology and alien invasion? Can there be such a thing as a satisfactory philosophy of ignorance? At the peak of his career, maverick genius Richard Feynman gave three public lectures addressing the questions that most inspired and troubled him. Covering everything from the atomic bomb to ethics, the imagination to the meaning of life, they are brought together in this provocative and hugely entertaining volume. ... Read more

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Richard Feynman's fame rests to a large extent on his picaresque exploits, but he was also a theoretical physicist of some significance. The discovery of the notes for his major lecture on the motion of planets around the sun, presented in this book, allows readers an insight into the workings of his mind. The book relates how the notes came to be lost, and how they came to be found again and reconstructed. The lecture concerns the fact that, when a planet or any other body arcs through space under the influence of gravity, it traces out a specific set of mathematical curves. Feynman considers why nature chooses to trace out in the sky those - and only those - elegant geometrical constructions.Amazon.com Review
Richard Feynman, the rock star of theoretical physics, has left an image that belies his nerdy side. Not many bongo-playing surfer beatniks would have spent hours of their spare time proving Newton's law of elliptical planetary motion using only plane geometry. But Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun shows that the great man did just that. Originally delivered to an introductory physics class at Caltech in 1963, this 76-minute CD and book set contains everything the math-savvy listener needs to savor the pleasures of applied math. Caltech physicist David L. Goodstein and archivist Judith R. Goodstein found the notes and tape amid another professor's papers and set to work making sense of them; unfortunately, photographs of the blackboard drawings didn't survive. The book briefly covers their find and recovery work, then presents the proof as reconstructed--crucial reading if one is to follow the lecture. There's nothing easy about it, as Feynman acknowledges in the lecture:

I am going to give what I will call an elementary demonstration. "Elementary" means that very little is required to know ahead of time in order to understand it, except to have an infinite amount of intelligence.

Customer Reviews (12)

If you are a Feynman fan
This is a lot of fun -- if.If you are pretty good at mathematical games and have a love for all things Feynman. What makes it work is the CD with Feynman giving the lecture.He goes at the speed of light, but he is always amazing, even when you have no idea what he just said!I can't imagine what it was like for the young folks trying to make sense out of what was going on. But, I bet he inspired them for the rest of their careers. He still does that to people today. If you want a sample of the Feynman magic this is a tough place to start.But do find a way to start.

Feynman's proof of the law of ellipses
First we see that planets sweep out equal areas in equal times, following Newton's easy proof. Now to prove that planets move in ellipses. Cut the orbit into infinitesimal, equiangular pieces (as seen from the sun). Each little piece of the orbit corresponds to the velocity vector at that point. Draw a velocity diagram by moving all of these velocity vectors so that they have a common origin point. Obviously, as we move around the orbit, the velocity vector will make one revolution around the origin. In fact, it will trace out a circle, as we shall now prove. The orbit is cut into infinitesimal triangles with equal angles at the sun, so clearly these triangles are similar with a scaling factor r, i.e. an area scaling factor r^2. But time is the same as area, so time also varies as r^2. The change in velocity in one of these pieces is force*time=(1/r^2)*(r^2)=independent of r, so the dv steps in the velocity diagram are all of equal size, and because of the equiangular division they all make equal angles with each other (dv parallel to PS), so the velocity vector does indeed trace out a circle, and the equiangular division of the orbit as seen from the sun translates to an equiangular division of this circle as seen from its center. Of course, the center of the circle is not the origin of the velocity vectors; in particular, the velocity vector going through the center of the circle is the longest velocity vector, so it corresponds to the position on the orbit closest to the sun (as is obvious by the law of equal areas). If we turn the orbit diagram so that this position is straight to the right of the sun, then the longest arrow in the velocity diagram points straight up, since the velocity vector drawn in the orbit diagram will of course be parallel to the tangent to the orbit. When we have advanced a given angle beyond this starting point on the orbit (as seen from the sun), the corresponding velocity vector (i.e. the tangent to the orbit at this point) is found by advancing the same angle in the velocity diagram (as seen from the center of the circle) and connecting this boundary point with the origin of the velocity vectors, and conversely. So the velocity diagram contains complete information about the tangents of the orbit, so it contains complete information about the orbit up to scaling. So the problem becomes: for any velocity diagram, to recreate the orbit. To do this we turn the velocity diagram 90 degrees to the right. To recreate the orbit we must now find a curve that is always perpendicular to the velocity vectors. This can be done as follows. For any point p on the circumference of the velocity diagram circle, draw the line connecting it to the origin O of the velocity vectors and the line connecting it to the center C of the circle. Mark the point P where the perpendicular bisector of Op cuts Cp as a point on the orbit. Now we prove that the orbit generated in this way, as p moves around the circle, is an ellipse (we assume O to be inside the circle; if it was on the boundary the orbit would be a parabola, etc.). The perpendicular bisector cuts the triangle OPp into congruent halves (SAS), making OP=Pp, so CP+OP=CP+Pp=radius of the circle=independent of p, so P traces out an ellipse with foci C and O, and the perpendicular bisector is tangent to this ellipse (because all its other points are outside of the ellipse because they have greater sum of distances to the foci), as required. QED.

Lucid explanation of Feynman's proof of the law of ellipses
The book first walks you through the works of Copernicus, Galileo, Brahe and Kepler. Then it gives a brief account of Feynman's life and his work. Then, through numerous diagrams, the authors clearly explain Feynman's ingenious proof of the law of ellipses. Finally, the book presents Feynman's lecture "The Motion of Planets Around the Sun".

It is amazing how Feynman, starting on the lines of Newton, and then not being able to follow Newton's reasoning, devised a different but elegant proof of the law of ellipses.

An Entertaining And Captivating Lecture
This Review refers to the paperback edition of Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun with audio CD.

The title of Goodstein's book, Feynman's Lost Lecture, may be a bit misleading in terms of the overall content.The book is, in truth, mainly an explanation of the elliptic patterns performed by the planets, among other things, that an unpublished Feynman lecture originally referred to (although the lecture is included in text and on CD, the lecture is only a fraction of the overall book).Goodstein provides a geometrical means of explaining elliptical patterns that even a non-physicist will find easily comprehensible, especially considering the frequency of companion diagrams.The book also includes a rather unique introduction providing a brief biography of Feynman along with the author's personal experiences related to the well-known physicist.An unexpected, but greatly appreciated, addition is Feynman's original notes regarding his lecture contained in the back of the book.

Feynman's Lost Lecture details how to use geometric proofs to find answers to problems such as the speed of a planet when in motion around the sun and how to prove geometrically that an object is an ellipse.The author properly explains and demonstrates these concepts throughout the book via written and visual examples.

Goodstein presents the topics in such a fashion that the reader can easily try for himself\herself the idea portrayed.This is generally due to a generous selection of diagrams and exemplary situations, which properly convey the ideas that Goodstein presents (although it would probably be much more beneficial if more of the diagrams accompanied Feynman's actual lecture).The main text is also of a form easily understood and more than adequately conveys the topic that the author presents.However, the literary style is slightly lacking - in that it often becomes a bit informal in description and detail.

Overall, the literary shortcomings do not interfere with the author's ability to convey the topic and makes for a rather interesting read.Yet another above-par lecture accompanied by a surprisingly above-par explanation, Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun is more than worth it's price and should be a welcome addition to any reader's (both physicists and non-physicists alike) personal library.

authors create a labour of love for Feynman
This book is a labour of love by Judith and David Goodstein for their friend Richard Feynman. I really enjoyed the revelations of the human side of the great physicist, especially the 20 page reminiscene by David Goodstein (a fellow physicist at cal tech) and Feynman's sometimes gruff answers to questions after the lecture. A different view of the human side of Feynman than what you read in "Surely, you're joking". I found the technical side of the book even more rewarding (see next paragraph) but be warned: this is pretty intense geometry and logic - I have a hard time imagining anyone without at least a couple years of post secondary math or physics or engineering following all the arguments.

But if you have the background and patience, it's some pretty cool stuff. Like many folks, I learned planetary dynamics using calculus, not geometry, and so this was my first exposure to the elegant relationship between velocity diagrams and orbits. While Feynman's lecture is somewhat unorganized and not entirely clear, the book does a great job filling in the blanks. There are certainly some rough spots (way too much time on the initial simple properties of ellipses, the argument connecting Kepler's third law to the law of gravitation is not clear, and more) but anyone with sufficient background willing to invest a few hours will be able to get past these minor problems. I kind of like how the pace accelerates to a ridiculous level by the end, leaving you to pretty much work out all the hard details of Rutherford's law of scattering for yourself.

Listen to the lecture, scratch your head wondering "what the heck was that", then read the book and study the arguments, then listen again and feel enlightened. ... Read more

Product Description
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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Copyright 1964, 10th reprint, 665 pp + index, orange and blue soft cover, printed in India ... Read more

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Eagerly awaited by scientists and academics worldwide, one of the final two sets of recordings of Feynman's landmark Lectures on Physics.

Series editor David Pines has selected, from the more than one hundred recorded lectures, the six that address the greatest physics discoveries of the past five hundred years. In these lectures, Feynman not only explains gravity, relativity, probability, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and superconductivity, he offers his own unique take on what made these discoveries possible. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear Feynman expound on the contributions that have led to our present understanding of the nature of the universe. Volume 19 (Masers and Light) contains sections on polarization and the Principle of Least Action. ... Read more

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One of the two latest volumes of recorded lectures by the world's greatest physics teacher.

This new volume in the acclaimed Feynman Lectures on Physics audio series deal with the fundamentals of fields. Volume 13, Feynman on Fields, contains sections on relativity, light scattering, relativistic effects in radiation, and magnetic fields. ... Read more

Product Description
Perseus is proud to announce the release of the next twovolumes in the complete collection of audio recordings of Feynman'sfamous Caltech course from which his classic textbook, Lectures onPhysics, was produced.

These fifth and sixth volumes in the collection comprise Feynman onFundamentals. Volume 5 makes up a beginning course in Energy andMotion, and includes chapters on the conservation of energy, motion,Newton's laws of dynamics, the conservation of momentum, and work andpotential energy. Volume 6 makes up a course in Kinetics and Heat, andincludes chapters on the kinetic theory of gases, brownian motion,applications of kinetic theory, diffusion, the laws of thermodynamics,and illustrations of thermodynamics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fun learning lectures on Physics ...
What better way to share your enthusiasm of science and physics with your kids than with Richard Feynman's audio physics lectures. Since I started playing them for my six month old son, we have gradually gone through eachof the series.

In the beginning I had been a little critcal of RichardFeynman. Who was this gravelly voiced man? It's kind of like saying who'sAlbert Einstein? Well my knowledge grew as both my son and I listened toRichard Feynman and learned not only about this amazing man but also abouthis love of learning.

I can't thank the team enough who has taken thetime to put this series together. It is so valuable! So predominate isRichard Feynman at bedtime now that the physics audio lectures are nowreferred to as Grandpa Feynman's bedtime stories. My son is now 25months.

I highly recommend these audio physics lectures andenthusiastically encourage more physics, science, geology, astrophysics andbiology.

Edutainment does not get any better than this. Discover RichardFeynman and discover the amazing world around you!

Thank you Arnie andReid

Feynman at his best!
Although this is volume 5 of the lectures on tape, it is his earliest audio lectures.This set is the one to have!In this set, Dr. Feynman covers the basics of kinematics.He discusses energy, momentum, distance,and work.Whether you are a physics student, eager to learn from the best,or just an interested amateur, Feynman puts these fundamentals intosparkling clear terms, and you can gain a true understanding of theseimportant aspects of physics.My recommendation is to have volume I of the"Big Red Books" out and put these tapes on.You will be amazedat how much you can learn from any of them.If you can only get one of the(so far) 6, this is the one to get! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

The best physics textbook ever written
I don't know if I can add much to the many excellent reviews already written, but this set is quite simply the best.The first volume is wonderfully un-orthodox in its presentation of classical physics, doing physics the way Feynman does it.Even the chapters on stat. mech. and thermodynamics, which are usually so dull in texts, is fascinating, and one is just riveted to the book, waiting to see how he will treat the next topic.Despite Feynamn's statement in the preface that his educational experiment failed in the second and third volumes, these too are classics.The second treats classical E and M, at what nowadays is at least at the Junior/Senior level, and in some parts (notably electron self-energy) even covers graduate material.All throughout the book is filled with his charm and spirit of adventure.Finally, the third volume is a highly un-orthodox intro to quantum mechanics. This is the only text I know which has been able to cover QM simply and yet completely, with classic sections on the two-slit experiment. In short, every serious physicist should have these volumes. ... Read more