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Product Description
'The whole thing was basically an experiment,' Richard Feynman, looking back on the origins of these lectures, said late in his career. It turned out to be a hugely successful one, spawning books that have remained a definitive introduction to all physics for decades. And now, 'Basic Books' is proud to publish the complete, error-free, and authorised collection of the late Richard P. Feynman's lectures. As a fundamental aspect of our knowledge of the physical world, quantum mechanics remains a vital subject in physics. Feynman begins with the ideas of amplitudes and the abstract notion of a state in Volume I, before moving on to the study of two-state systems in Volume II. The novel approach in Volume III rounds out and builds upon the material developed in the earlier lectures, while remaining independent of the first two. Timeless and collectible, the lectures are essential reading and listening, not just for students of physics, but for anyone seeking an introduction to the field from the inimitable Richard Feynman.
About the Author
The late Richard P. Feynman was Richard Chace Tolman Professor of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology. He was awarded the 1965 Nobel Prize for his work on the development of quantum field theory. He was also one of the most famous and beloved figures of the twentieth century, both in physics and as a public intellectual.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Well printed, better than I thought. I bought these books to review the basic physics because of its nice structure. But I have to say, it may not be suitable for beginners(such as first year uni student) to use as a main text book, text books should have more examples and exercises.
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1 review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
'The test of all knowledge is experiment.'
28 Dec 2011
Format:Paperback
This first volume of the original 3-volume, 1963 - 1965 edition of Nobel-prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman's lectures to Caltech freshmen and sophomores has been part of my library ever since I was introduced to it as a textbook in my freshman physics class. Volume I concentrates on mechanics, radiation, and heat; Volume II on electromagnetism and matter; and Volume III on quantum mechanics.
Volume I: the first three chapters ("Atoms in Motion," "Basic Physics," and "The Relation of Physics to Other Sciences") were meant by Feynman to outline the relationship of physics to other sciences, and other sciences to each other, and to discuss the overall meaning of `Science.' Here in the introduction to Volume I, Feynman iterates one of his most-quoted ideas on science: "If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis...that `all things are made of atoms--little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another.'"
There are 52 chapters in Volume I, from "Atoms in Motion" to "Symmetry in Physical Laws." It would be well to remember that this book and its fellows are not meant to be read in isolation. Rather the lectures were connected with a series of experiments and demonstrations. As Feynman puts it: "The principle of science, the definition, almost, is the following: `The test of all knowledge is experiment.'"
Before my introduction to this book, I had always thought of mechanics as the least glamorous (most boring) aspect of physics, and couldn't wait to move on to nuclear physics. The study of levers, friction on inclined planes, etc. had certainly been boring in high school. However, Feynman goes nuclear (or at least atomic) from the very first pages of these lectures. We study the characteristics of force, not just as they relate to weights on a spring or sliding bodies on a plane, but right down to the level of molecular and electromagnetic forces.
Nor does Feynman confine himself to the realm of the small. His students are soon hurtled out of the atomic realm, and asked to consider the orbit of Sirius B with respect to Sirius A, and the physics responsible for the shapes of galaxies.
These lectures by Richard P. Feynman were meant for physics students, as opposed to the general public. Those readers who have no background in physics, calculus, statistics and probability might find this book tough going. However, any of us might struggle through certain sections with no loss of self-worth, if we remember that one of America's most brilliant scientists gave two years of his knowledge and intellectual energy in order to present us with a solid understanding of his physicist's universe. Feynman says in his epilogue to these lectures: "Finally, may I add that the main purpose of my teaching has not been to prepare you for some examination...I wanted most to give you some appreciation of the wonderful world and the physicist's way of looking at it, which, I believe, is a major part of the true culture of modern times."
Volume I: the first three chapters ("Atoms in Motion," "Basic Physics," and "The Relation of Physics to Other Sciences") were meant by Feynman to outline the relationship of physics to other sciences, and other sciences to each other, and to discuss the overall meaning of `Science.' Here in the introduction to Volume I, Feynman iterates one of his most-quoted ideas on science: "If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis...that `all things are made of atoms--little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another.'"
There are 52 chapters in Volume I, from "Atoms in Motion" to "Symmetry in Physical Laws." It would be well to remember that this book and its fellows are not meant to be read in isolation. Rather the lectures were connected with a series of experiments and demonstrations. As Feynman puts it: "The principle of science, the definition, almost, is the following: `The test of all knowledge is experiment.'"
Before my introduction to this book, I had always thought of mechanics as the least glamorous (most boring) aspect of physics, and couldn't wait to move on to nuclear physics. The study of levers, friction on inclined planes, etc. had certainly been boring in high school. However, Feynman goes nuclear (or at least atomic) from the very first pages of these lectures. We study the characteristics of force, not just as they relate to weights on a spring or sliding bodies on a plane, but right down to the level of molecular and electromagnetic forces.
Nor does Feynman confine himself to the realm of the small. His students are soon hurtled out of the atomic realm, and asked to consider the orbit of Sirius B with respect to Sirius A, and the physics responsible for the shapes of galaxies.
These lectures by Richard P. Feynman were meant for physics students, as opposed to the general public. Those readers who have no background in physics, calculus, statistics and probability might find this book tough going. However, any of us might struggle through certain sections with no loss of self-worth, if we remember that one of America's most brilliant scientists gave two years of his knowledge and intellectual energy in order to present us with a solid understanding of his physicist's universe. Feynman says in his epilogue to these lectures: "Finally, may I add that the main purpose of my teaching has not been to prepare you for some examination...I wanted most to give you some appreciation of the wonderful world and the physicist's way of looking at it, which, I believe, is a major part of the true culture of modern times."
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