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These SIX NOT-SO-EASY PIECES are drawn from Feynman's celebrated introductory course of lectures on physics. They delve into the most revolutionary discovery of twentieth-century physics: Einstein's theory of relativity. 'In these lectures everything you've ever heard about Feynman's wit and genius comes true' -- John Horgan
From the Publisher
6 NSEP makes learning physics a joyful experience.
Richard P. Feynman was more than a Nobel Prize-winning physicist; he was a prankster, a wit, and one of the greatest science teachers of all time. In this second collection of Feynman's taped Caltech lectures, he brings the difficult, anti-intuitive theories of Einstein down to earth for the science student and science-conscious layperson. When it comes to explaining science, nobody does it better than Feynman. "Feynman's lectures are like Mozart's symphonies. The more demanding they are, the more exhilirating the result. Hearing the Master's voice and rereading these magnificent lectures is one of the great rewards for being scientifically literate at the end of the twentieth century." -- David L. Goodstein, coauthor of FEYNMAN'S LOST LECTURE --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Richard P. Feynman was more than a Nobel Prize-winning physicist; he was a prankster, a wit, and one of the greatest science teachers of all time. In this second collection of Feynman's taped Caltech lectures, he brings the difficult, anti-intuitive theories of Einstein down to earth for the science student and science-conscious layperson. When it comes to explaining science, nobody does it better than Feynman. "Feynman's lectures are like Mozart's symphonies. The more demanding they are, the more exhilirating the result. Hearing the Master's voice and rereading these magnificent lectures is one of the great rewards for being scientifically literate at the end of the twentieth century." -- David L. Goodstein, coauthor of FEYNMAN'S LOST LECTURE --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
92 of 94 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Consisting of six chapters drawn from his legendary "Lectures on Physics", this is probably one of the best and most exhilarating introductions availiable on the theory of relativity for both laymen and students alike. By reading this book one can really appreciate Feynman's inimitable lucid and humourous writing style, while at the same time gain an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the basic fundamentals of both special and general relativity. The book also discusses the important concept of symmetry in physical laws. It has wonderful analogies that explain difficult ideas, and some mathematical equations for those who want to go one step further from just knowing the theory qualitatively (Though people who are not so sure of mathematics can also skip these without missing any descriptive content). This is a truly great book, something that everyone with an interest in modern physics should possess and enjoy.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had long heard of Feynman's great ability at science communication, and reading this book, it's not hard to see why: under one cover, he weaves together fairly complex ideas concerning vectors, special and general relativity in such a simple, yet nonetheless scientifically accurate way that you find yourself saying "Aah, I see; that makes sense." His style is unlike any other communicator of science I've ever come across: he presents ideas in a simple, straight-forward, context, and it all flows very well form one chapter to the next, yet he doesn't loose any scientific accuracy in the process; moreover, he enhances your knowledge of physics, adding fresh new insights and connections which you'd never realised before. Too many scientific journalists these days get so obsessed with making topics seem as simple as possible, they loose their true essence; Feynman's insights are like a breath of fresh air.
As far as the background of the reader is concerned, I'd reccomend the reader to have a maths and physics education up to about A level/IB standard, if they really want to appreciate from Feynman's fresh new insights: though he does build everything more-or-less from scratch, basic knowledge about calculus and physics equations are assummed. Furthermore, I can imagine the more general reader getting a bit bored with this book.
Overall, a great read if you're interested gaining a fairly detailed understanding of basic relativity.
As far as the background of the reader is concerned, I'd reccomend the reader to have a maths and physics education up to about A level/IB standard, if they really want to appreciate from Feynman's fresh new insights: though he does build everything more-or-less from scratch, basic knowledge about calculus and physics equations are assummed. Furthermore, I can imagine the more general reader getting a bit bored with this book.
Overall, a great read if you're interested gaining a fairly detailed understanding of basic relativity.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I regret to say that Feynman's fabled genius in explaining Physics did not come across in this book. Although the book explained relativity I felt it relied too heavily upon maths to do so and consequently, left me thinking hard to understand at times.
Still, if your willing to put in a little effort to overcome the difficult maths, (or simply overlook it which would make the text disappointingly short), the book is rewarding.
Furthermore, at times Feynman misses mathematical steps which are tricky to fill in yourself depending on your level of mathematical undertsanding.
In conclusion, Six Not So Easy Peices is a good book for those already familiar with relativity and fluent in maths, but is certainly a 'not so easy' read and requires a great deal of concentration if it is to be fully understood.
Additional Info: I am a Y13 Physics and Maths student so this review is from a Y13 perspective.
Still, if your willing to put in a little effort to overcome the difficult maths, (or simply overlook it which would make the text disappointingly short), the book is rewarding.
Furthermore, at times Feynman misses mathematical steps which are tricky to fill in yourself depending on your level of mathematical undertsanding.
In conclusion, Six Not So Easy Peices is a good book for those already familiar with relativity and fluent in maths, but is certainly a 'not so easy' read and requires a great deal of concentration if it is to be fully understood.
Additional Info: I am a Y13 Physics and Maths student so this review is from a Y13 perspective.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Does challenging yourself help you understand more ?
Following on from my review of 'Six easy pieces' where Mr Feynman nearly produced a minor miracle by getting me to understand something about physics I decided to buy this book... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Shrews
1960s lecture notes
I had heard much about Richard Feynman's legendary teaching ability. The introduction, and "special preface" in this book fuel the hype. Feynman's own preface is humble and folksy. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Dave C
Get the Feynman Lectures
You either like or you don't like Richard Feynman. To say he makes difficult things easy I think is only true for some students but most will be left confused. Read more
Published 23 months ago by T. J. M. Klerk
Too much hype
Everyone seems to say how great Feynman is at making difficult subjects easy to understand although i have read six easy and six not so easy pieces and haven't found that to be... Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2010 by DM
great read but chapter on symmetry is too long
I liked this book a lot but found the chapter on symmetry was too long and at times uninteresting.The chapters on Einstein's General Theory of Relativity are the best I've read... Read more
Published on 27 Sep 2005
This is a review of the CD and book version
The title of the book gives away the contents. I bought the CD because I have an hour commute to work and don't want to waste time on traffic reports. Read more
Published on 29 May 2005 by bernie
Jack Nicholson Watch Out!
Feynman at his finest. Presents not so easy arguments in a manner that is at once clear and convincing. Read more
Published on 31 Oct 1998
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