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Six Easy Pieces: Essentials Of Physics Explained By Its Most Brilliant Teacher (Helix Book) [Paperback]

Richard P. Feynman
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)


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Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics By Its Most Brilliant Teacher Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics By Its Most Brilliant Teacher 4.4 out of 5 stars (85)
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Book Description

April 10, 1996 0201408252 978-0201408256
Richard P. Feynman (1918–1988) was widely recognized as the most creative physicist of the post–World War II period. His career was extraordinarily expansive. From his contributions to the development of the atomic bomb a Los Alamos during World War II to his work in quantum electrodynamics, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1965, Feynman was celebrated for his brilliant and irreverent approach to physics.It was Feynman’s outrageous and scintillating method of teaching that earned him legendary status among students and professors of physics. From 1961–1963, Feynman, at the California Institute of Technology, delivered a series of lectures that revolutionized the teaching of physics around the world. Six Easy Pieces, taken from the famous Lectures on Physics, represents the most accessible material from this series. In these six chapters, Feynman introduces the general reader to the following topics: atoms, basic physics, the relationship of physics to other topics, energy, gravitation, and quantum force. With his dazzling and inimitable wit, Feynman presents each discussion without equations or technical jargon.Readers will remember how—using ice water and rubber—Feynman demonstrated with stunning simplicity to a nationally televised audience the physics of the 1986 Challenger disaster. It is precisely this ability—the clear and direct illustration of complex theories—that made Richard Feynman one of the most distinguished educators in the world. Filled with wonderful examples and clever illustrations, Six Easy Pieces is the ideal introduction to the fundamentals of physics by one of the most admired and accessible scientists of our time.


Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book reprints the six easiest chapters from Feynman's celebrated Lectures on Physics (LJ 12/15/63), which the Nobel Prize-winning scientist delivered from 1961 to 1963 at the California Institute of Technology. Intended for as wide an audience as possible, these chapters are primarily qualitative in nature, with a minimum of formal mathematics. They discuss atoms, basic physics, the relation of physics to other sciences, the conservation of energy, gravitation, and quantum behavior. While this informative work provides a relevant historical perspective on the essentials of physics, the result is somewhat superficial. Nonetheless, because Lectures on Physics is out of print and because the information is still relevant, reprinting these specific chapters was probably a realistic move. The material will be readily understood by scholars, physics students, and informed lay readers. Recommended for academic and public libraries. (Audio tape and CD packages are also available.)-Donald G. Frank, Harvard Univ. Lib., Cambridge, Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Richard P. Feynman was raised in Far Rockaway, New York, and received his Ph.D. from Princeton. He held professorships at both Cornell and the California Institute of Technology. In 1965 he received the Nobel Prize for his work on quantum electrodynamics. He died in 1988.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Basic Books (April 10, 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0201408252
  • ISBN-13: 978-0201408256
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

After a first hearing I replay the CDs while browsing through the book. Kersi Von Zerububbel  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
88 of 91 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Feynman as an excellent teacher April 16, 2002
Format:Paperback
From 1961 to 1963, Nobel laureate Richard Feynman delivered a set of lectures to classes in basic physics. By design, the contents of the lectures were transcribed, with the goal being the creation of a set of materials that could be used worldwide in the teaching of physics. Unlike so many abstract scientists, Feynman was an excellent teacher, able to explain the principles by using everyday analogies and without appeal to advanced mathematics. This book is a collection of six of those lectures, chosen for their appeal to the general reader.
The titles and topics of the lectures are:

i) Atoms In Motion - an examination of the atomic theory of matter and how atoms react with each other.
ii) Basic physics - the history of physics before and after the discovery of quantum mechanics.
iii) The Relation of Physics to Other Sciences - how physics can be used to explain chemical, biological, geological and astronomical phenomena.
iv) Conservation of energy - the fundamental principle of conservation of energy, and how energy can change form.
v) The Theory of Gravitation - the development of the theory of gravity from Kepler to Einstein.
vi) Quantum behavior - an explanation of some simple thought experiments demonstrating the weirdness of quantum behavior.

Feynman is also honest with his audience in saying that in many cases, the mechanism is not known.
Since the lectures were delivered forty years ago, many advances have been made. However, they still remain an excellent introduction to the basic principles of physics and can be read and understood by anyone interested in how the universe functions. They can also still be used as primer material in a basic physics course.

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55 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you have been reading the reviews of this book you might be beginning to suspect that this book is a great place to start. You're right. Feynman uses easy to understand examples and relates them very well to his subject matter.
After I saw the 10 year anniversary edition to "A Breif History of Time" I felt guilty and I read my 10 year old copy. I should have read this book first. I would have been much better prepared to read the other. Both books were great but Feynman did a better job of relating the scientific to the mundane.
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Introductions by a great teacher May 7, 2006
Format:Paperback
What happens when you take one of the most creative Nobel scientists ever and put him in front of a freshman physics class? This.

These essays were transcribed from a series of lectures in the early 1960s. Although the nominal purpose was to teach physics, the real goal was to convey the excitement of science and its relationship to the everyday world. A few points have aged, especially where Feynman connects biology, but the discussion as a whole is still informative and enjoyable.

This is a great book for just about any kind of reader: the serious scientist who wants to see Feynman's mind at work, or the interested layman who wants some math-free insight into the physics of the macro and micro worlds.

//wiredweird
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent first taste or refresher to physics
Introduction to physics, to theory and experimental techniques. Math is `delayed` until the last chapter. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Ori Artman
4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable instrument to take me back to the world of physics !
This book has been written in a very enjoyable style, and I came to appreciate fully Mr.Feynman; it can be a great help to newcomers and also to people who already have some... Read more
Published 2 months ago by marini gianluigi
4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome but just the tip of the iceberg
This is a great intro to some key physics concepts. However, like a chain of undersea mountains, all you get to see are a few peaks rather than the underlying structure. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dr Christopher Mason
5.0 out of 5 stars great introductory read
The book arrived on time in excellent condition, must read for an potential physics student at any level or even the interested reader
Published 3 months ago by Sean
4.0 out of 5 stars For physics lovers only
Of course this book is only for those who appreciate physics and are exposed to the trials and tribulations of teaching the subject to the undeserving masses.
Published 3 months ago by Gopa Sen
5.0 out of 5 stars great
Richard Feynman. . . . .great. . ; ; ; ; ; ; as always. . . Enough said .
Published 3 months ago by Doc Mary
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Funny and smart. Great background in science for the novice with an. Interest in physics. Good intro to the field
Published 3 months ago by Chris Applegate
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book from the master.
This is a book of problem solving on a quantum scale from the great master himself. I don't recommend this to anyone not solidly grounded in Quantum theory though.
Published 4 months ago by Clinton G. Wax Labs
3.0 out of 5 stars Easy physics as it was in mid 20th century
What may have been interesting and informative in the 60s is not so today (end 2012).
This book is no more than nice (nostalgic? Read more
Published 4 months ago by RonnieG
4.0 out of 5 stars Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most...
Great little book. I would definitely advise also getting the CD of Feynman's lectures on Physics. Because he was such a terrific lecturer, hearing the words (which are edited... Read more
Published 4 months ago by ligardner
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