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The Feynman Lectures on Physics : Commemorative Issue, Three Volume Set

The Feynman Lectures on Physics : Commemorative Issue, Three Volume Set

List Price: $134.07
Your Price: $91.17
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Don't Believe the Hype!
Review: Like Public Enemy said:

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!

Get ready for some blasphemy to set your head straight:

These books just aren't that great!

Everyone and their uncle and their uncle's uncle have been telling me over and over again how great the Feynman Lectures are. Professors, friends, colleagues-- even the Amazon.com community, as you can see by the other reviews. Long ago, I bought into the hype, and bought myself a set.

Now, years later, after struggling again and again through these volumes (espeically volume 3)--- and thinking over and over again "well, it must just be me," I finally have to conclude that, "NO, it is NOT just me."

The fact is, these books just aren't that good.

How can I say such a thing? Let me give you some reasons.

First of all, the math is kind of lacking. "Yeah yeah," I can already hear you saying "but this is an INTRODUCTORY book, so there SHOULD be very little math." Well, yes and no. While he does talk about physical situations to try and get his points across, he often sort of leave stuff out that a few little equations would make much clearer-- and this is most tremendously frustrating. He tries to do something that may simply be impossible--- to write an introductory physics book for a physics audience-- not a POPULAR audience like, for example, James Gleick-- without many equations. Because of that, for people who are trying to really learn something, it is almost impossible, because just when you think you might be getting it, it's on to another topic. This makes the whole thing rather disjointed and frustrating. I really could not get a deep grasp of things from these books.

Second, there are no problems-- not with calculations and numbers. Again, I know you're gonna argue. But for me, I need at least one or two examples with CALCULATIONS.

Finally--- and I know I'm gonna get skewered for this one--- he is just NOT THAT GREAT AT EXPLAINING things! Blasphemy of blasphemies!! Saint Feynman the Great Expositor not that great at explaining things? Sorry, yes, that is what I think. This is a matter of personal preference, I guess, since a lot of people (ie. the rest of humanity!) think he is absolutely wonderful. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: encounter a great mind
Review: This is a great mind's presentation of an integrated view of physics. He can't help but portray it idiosyncratically, at his level. Historians will review it to see what we were thinking. Take it as you will. It's remarkable how much of this 40 year old book holds up. The chapter deriving Euler's formula numerically alone is worth the price of admission. This magisterial work belongs in the time capsule, or alongside "Ulysses", "King Lear", and the complete works of Yeats and Auden. Most of all, it is the ideal gift for someone with possibilities.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Next best thing to going to CIT in 1963 to do Physics 101
Review: 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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Timeless Classic!!!
Review: The set of lectures was gived by the one of greatest physicist in the earth, Richard Feynman. To me, I didn't take these lectures as my introductory course of physics. I learned physics using chinese books written by chinese physicists, I read textbook, I did many many exercises, but I really didn't appreciate the beauty of physics, and I didn't understand WHAT IS PHYSICS!!!. until I found Feynman's these lectures, I think it's him, Great Feynman, let me know what is physics! physics is not a collection of formula, not a set of mathematical equation, physics is a kind of art, physics is full of vividity!
In these lectures, Feynman exhibits his style of do physics, and show us his great ability of teaching. everything is natural, harmonious in feynman's book. I never feel any inconsistency in feynman's lectures. He told me the really physics: why we believe this and that theory? how we develop thisand that theory? what have we understanded completely,and what We havn't understanded? It is really enjoyment that reading it.
I believe there are not better book than the three volumes of lectures, and strongly recommend the timeless classic to any physics student!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The most impressive overview and presentation of Physics
Review: I agree with the many reviewers that state that there is a mathematical sophistication presented by Feynman, that most High School students or Freshman students will not have.
This should not detract from the fact that even without having the "full appreciation" of Feynman's presentation (due to mathematical immaturity), it portray's an understanding and grasp of physical laws that anyone with a bend towards the sciences will be able to understand.

A most impressive and breaktaking read

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best science book
Review: Feynman's is the best science book I ever read. The volume III is really unique. Simply a creative way to present the quantum mechanics, a normally very difficult subject. Other part I think especially worth reading including the chapters discussing angular momentum, oscillation and resonance, waves, etc.
I think the best thing about this book is that feynman combined the mathamatics with experiment and observation. This is actually how the science is done.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: hmmm....
Review: A note to myarmolinsky, a reviewer from NY: I would like to see a proof and/or a derivation of Newton's second law!

Also, VERY few (and I do stress VERY) high school students have the mathematical maturity to understand Feynman's lectures.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best books on elementary physics available today
Review: Feynman lectures on physics are the best books on elementary physics available today. Excellent treatment of all the arguments but the second volume (and the part on light of the first one) are really superb. Be warn that the books are on elementary physics but
are not "elementary" and prepare for reading any advanced text on physics (not mathematical physics).
Superb intellectual honesty by the author (e.g.see the considerations about the electromagnetic energy of a point charge)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What I think so far
Review: I just finished high school having done well in physics AP's. I am now reading through the feynman lectures (about a third of a way through volume 1). I think they are great if you already have some knowledge of essential mechanics problem solving. Certainly his section on probability and introduction to the heisenberg uncertainty principle is absolutely original and fascinating. Also the book is fun to read.
Importantly, Feynman is unpretentious in stating physical principles. He states Newton's 2nd law in its original form as it should be by deriving it from momentum considerations. Many introductory texts will simply state the second law and then prove it later or not at all the way Newton intended.
Another thing about these books: They set the goal as the truth. Most textbooks will simply define things like gravitation in a sort of standard way so that it can be learned as simply as possible. Most textbooks make the error of considering the absolute truth as a hindrance to learning. Feynman is great because when he shows diagrams of a box with some atoms in it he mentions the fact that the world is 3-d and most of the time you wouldn't see atoms of that particular type in the classroom in a diagram of that size.
THese books are great because even though they stray from the real world as all abstract texts do, Feynman revisits the real world and applies his abstractions to it in a common sense way. THe humor of the paradox of not knowing the essential truths of life yet knowing all these complex formulas is always wandering about this book. Feynman tries to connect these beautiful and true abstract concepts to the beautiful and yet totally non-abstract concepts of human life: Like a walk in the park.!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Feynest explanation of physics available!
Review: Not only was Richard Feynman a tremendously accomplished physicist, he was a tremendously effective communicator. In this set Dr. Feynman presents a years worth of college physics in a manner more readily digested, more intuitive, and more entertaining, than anything I have seen. Dr. Feynman pulls physics from the stuffy closet of academia, shakes off the dust and holds it up to the light so all can see what fools the 'experts' are. Dr. Feynman demonstrates none of the ego of others of his genre. His desire is clearly to convey physics to the best of his knowledge without trying to impress you with how smart he is. His informal manner, irreverent attitude, and inquisitive ponderings are refreshing. This series embodies three archetypes: What physics is, how to learn, and how to teach.


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