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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.

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Library Journal Review

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. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

These six chapters are taken from the celebrated and preeminent physicist Feynman's work, Lectures on Physics (1963). Very accessible to the general reader, the "easy pieces" present delightfully written essays on fundamental aspects of physics and its relationships with other sciences. From classical physics, the selected essays focus on two of the central themes that define physics--energy and its conservation, and the theory of gravitation. From modern physics there are essays that provide insights into the structure and behavior of matter and the core principles of quantum physics, viz., the discrete nature of energy and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. In one chapter, Feynman provides an entertaining exposition of the relationship between physics and some of the other disciplines of science. In particular, he shows the very important links between physics and biology essential to an understanding of life in all its diverse forms. What becomes evident in these essays is Feynman's ability to reduce profound concepts of physics to simple ideas. The chosen essays are very good in elucidating some of the difficult and troublesome philosophical implications as well. All levels. N. Sadanand; Central Connecticut State University

Booklist Review

Nobel Prize-winner Feynman, considered the father of modern physics, was an electrifying and influential educator. Six Easy Pieces is based on the most accessible chapters in his groundbreaking book, Lectures on Physics (1963), which eventually ran to three volumes. These "easy pieces" cover key topics with a minimum of mathematics and a wealth of excellent analogies and vivid descriptions. Feynman's explanations build in momentum, lifting his audience over tricky concepts and definitions so that it can appreciate the rarefied beauty of particle physics. He defines elementary particles and tracks their interactions; explains how physics relates to other sciences, from chemistry to psychology; elucidates the theory of gravitation; introduces quantum mechanics; and answers questions such as "What is energy?" Readers can even hear Feynman in action: an audiotape or CD can be ordered with the book.While Feynman is certainly a hard act to follow, Kane, a physics professor who has taught physics to nonscience majors, has become fluent in explaining what exactly particle physicists do and what their discoveries mean. Kane believes that the modern era of particle physics began in 1910 with Ernest Rutherford's subatomic particle experiments. His discoveries laid the groundwork for Fermilab and the detection of the unstable and elusive top quark. A "phenomenologist," Kane emphasizes the interplay between mathematics and experimental evidence, taking time to describe how colliders and detectors work and to break down the standard theory into comprehensible chunks. He interprets the precise, if seemingly quirky, language of physics and explains the "unique and unchanging" properties of the various particles. Kane also reports on how developments in particle physics, astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology are becoming increasingly connected, enhancing our comprehension of the workings of the universe. While the realm of particle physics is one of constant motion and transition, and far beyond our experience or intuition, Kane helps us envision it all as best we can, and we're happy to have quarks and leptons dancing in our heads. ~--Donna Seaman