Book Description

In the decade and a half since the publication of the Second Edition of A Users Guide to Vacuum Technology there have been many important advances in the field, including spinning rotor gauges, dry mechanical pumps, magnetically levitated turbo pumps, and ultraclean system designs. These, along with improved cleaning and assembly techniques have made contamination-free manufacturing a reality. Designed to bridge the gap in both knowledge and training between designers and end users of vacuum equipment, the Third Edition offers a practical perspective on todays vacuum technology. With a focus on the operation, understanding, and selection of equipment for industrial processes used in semiconductor, optics, packaging, and related coating technologies, A Users Guide to Vacuum Technology, Third Edition provides a detailed treatment of this important field. While emphasizing the fundamentals and touching on significant topics not adequately covered elsewhere, the text avoids topics not relevant to the typical user. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very Useful Reference
This book is an excellent reference and was a great introduction to vacuum systems. There are very few books in the area, but that's OK thanks to O'Hanlon.

congratulations
Thankful we found more complete data on vacuum system.

Execellent, practical and comprehensive reference book.
I borrowed this book from a colleague here at Applied Materials. After looking at it for a few minutes, I offered to buy it from him. Of course, he refused. So here I am at Amazon (physically at work) to purchase the book. It is extremely practical and I intend to keep it here at work as a reference for problems I encounter. By the way, my web address is http://www.netcom.com/~kvick/main.html. Please feel free to visit or email me

If you work with vacuum systems, DON'T LOAN THIS ONE!
John f. O'Hanlon is so thorough, and has so much to offer. Whether the reader is an engineer or an operator of a vacuum system there is plenty here for each. This is a reference book, so never lend it to anyone! ... Read more

Book Description

Eagerly awaited by scientists and academics worldwide, Feynman's famous Lectures on Physics, now on CD.

Basic Books is proud to announce the next two volumes of the complete audio CD collection of the recorded lectures delivered by the late Richard P. Feynman, lectures originally delivered to his physics students at Caltech and later fashioned by the author into his classic textbook Lectures on Physics. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as Einstein's general relativity, superconductivity, and quantum mechanics, Feynman's 111 lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

If you liked the book then try this......
If you are looking for a laymans' basic physics primer, look somewhere else! If you have a background in the material and are looking for a review or for alternative views of the subject then this is appropriate.

I first read the "Feynman Lectures" (in book form) during the first year of my physics studies. They struck me then, and still do, as offering inspired and inspiring insight from a first class brain.

To hear him speak, after reading so much of his material through the years is a real kick. At first I couldn't imagine how one could hear the lectures without the written material in support. Although I think that this material is in fact best absorbed in conjunction with the written Lectures, yet these tapes are a pleasurable and thoughtful listen all by themself.

Foir the advanced...
If you order one of the series, go for the more general of the sets. I got one which was extremely good in it's description of the structure of crystals, 'Volume 3 From Crystal Structure of Magnetism', but went into later elaborate detail on formulae, much done on a chalkboard in the longlost 1960's, which left me in the dust...

Audio edutainment doesn't get any better ...
What better way to share your enthusiasm of science and physics with your kids than with Richard Feynman's audio physics lectures. Since I started playing them for my six month old son, we have gradually gone through each of the series. In the beginning I had been a little critcal of Richard Feynman. Who was this gravelly voiced man? It's kind of like saying who's Albert Einstein? Well my knowledge grew as both my son and I listened to Richard Feynman and learned not only about this amazing man but also about his love of learning.

I can't thank the team enough who has taken the time to put this series together. It is so valuable! So predominate is Richard Feynman at bedtime now that the physics audio lectures are now referred to as Grandpa Feynman's bedtime stories. My son is now 25 months.

I highly recommend these audio physics lectures and enthusiastically encourage more physics, science, geology, astrophysics and biology.

Edutainment does not get any better than this. Discover Richard Feynman and discover the amazing world around you!

Thank you Arnie and Reid ... Read more

Book Description

Written for the full year or three term Calculus-based University Physics course for science and engineering majors, the publication of the first edition of Physics in 1960 launched the modern era of Physics textbooks. It was a new paradigm at the time and continues to be the dominant model for all texts. Physics is the most realistic option for schools looking to teach a more demanding course. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

I love physics, chemistry, and electronics.
I believe this love will create much joy, hope, and peace.

I will say only one thing.

The things you love turn to profit, eventually.

-Calvin Newman

Excellent reference book for introductory physics courses
Being a freshmen of physics major in the first year of my university life, I engaged in three introductory physics courses, namely, mechanics, thermodynamics and optics, and electricity and magnetism. It was a surprise to me that all three courses recommended "Physics" by Resnick and Halliday as textbook. After one year of study, I found reading this book awarding and useful for my later and more in-depth studies. Although I didn't read the part on quantum physics and relativity, I'll give my comment on this book based on what I've read.
The book was written in an comprehensive way. No matter you 're a newcomer to physics or you already have some basis on general physics, the writers always give a careful and detailed desription on how they arrive at the results, and what assumptions they've made, so that you'll get a correct picture and understanding of the topic. Unlike some other textbooks, this book functions as a bridge for me to the more advanced physics courses, without much difficulties arised.
To improve the text, my idea is to introduce vector calculus in the E&M part, since it's essential for further studies on the topic.

Great Book!
Although i havn't yet finished this book...im half way through it...it is a relativly easy to understand book...

THE BOOK FOR PHYSICS
I never bought the Halliday-Resnick book when I studied several Physics courses as an engineering undergraduate, but today, several years after graduation, I am considering buying it because of its immense value as a reference book (and my work doesn't have anything to do with Physics). I still remember all the other books quoted HR at some point. The weak point is, however, that for students who need step-by-step, spoonfed explanations, this is not the book, as it requires the reader to have a good level of Maths.

simply excellent
This textbook is excellent. It has an in-depth theory part, that explains everything!!! and it also has lots of challenging exercises and problems. I strongly recommend it for Engineering and Science undergraduates. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive book provides the most complete coverage of general relativity and cosmology—with detailed discussions on the historical origins of topics. Its presentation is consistently linked to observation, and to the physical numbers as well, so that readers develop a sense of the magnitudes involved in the material being covered.Chapter topics include waves as particles and particles as waves; atoms and the Bohr Model; The Schrödinger Equation; barriers and wells; statistical physics; conductors, insulators, and superconductors; and elementary particle physics.A reference for today's scientists. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not Good for an Intro or Self-Study in Modern Physics
This modern physics book is excellent for those who have some background in the material that is covered. For those of us who are being introduced to the topic, it isn't the best text. The book whizzes through the basics of many topics and dives right into some of the more difficult material. That isn't true for every topic, but it is true for some of the hardest chapters. The math that is "explained" in this book is not explained; I learned all of the necessary math in lecture. It is easy to tell the writers know their material; they just can't express it very well to others in an introductory text. The book gets clearer in the middle, but discontinues that trend shortly. Also, the text contains numerous errors--our class just keeps finding more.

I would recommend at least getting an additional, simpler text if this is your assigned text. I used Paul Tipler's text, "Modern Physics" and Serway's Modern Text (a continuation of the intro to physics texts). These were of sufficient level and clarity. Out of the three, I thought Serway nosed ahead of Tipler with Bernstein, etc. in last.

One last thing, the binding is terrible. Several of the people in my class (including me) had books that were falling apart.

Overall, this book is great for a second semester of modern physics. However, it doesn't stand alone very well for first-timers in the field. For those of you interested, THIS BOOK IS NOT GOOD FOR SELF-STUDY.

A good intermediate-level textbook
I am a college professor who has used this book for two years in a sophomore-level course on modern physics. In my opinion it is substantially better than competing textbooks currently available. It is written in a clear and engaging fashion, the illustrations are good, and the examples are well chosen. The mathematical level is appropriate for sophomore physics, engineering, or other physical science majors. The homework problems are also well designed and a good resource.

I do have a couple of quibbles. Thermodynamics are not introduced until Chapter 12, which makes the discussion of the black body spectrum in chapter 4 highly abbreviated and hard to follow--I actually had my class jump ahead to the first part of chapter 12 and then go back to chapter 4, hardly an ideal approach. Also, the Instructor's Solutions Manual is almost completely useless--carelessly produced and riddled with errors.

A Decent Introduction to Modern Physics
I bought this book for the first class in modern physics that I took. Till then I had only read books by Serway and Hayt for mechanics and electromagnetics. Comparably this book is not as well explained as Serway, but also not as difficult to understand as Hayt. However, It is a very good book for people who are just getting introduced to the concepts of Modern Physics. I think that the book gives a good base to readers who would like to further study modern physics. It is clearly and precisely explained and helps the reader see the physical world in a new perspective, different from what is understood by studying mechanics and electromagnetics. The book is divided into 4 parts: Relativity, Quantum mechanics, Applications and Frontiers. Each part does a fair role of presenting a good explanation supported by easy to understand diagrams, graphs and equations. Each physical concept is accompanied by a historical background and mathematical equations to back it up. The final sections talk about some applications of these concepts, such as lasers and semiconductors, which would be useful to engineering students as myself. I think that the book would be a good choice for someone who is beginning to learn modern physics. ... Read more

Book Description

Conceptual Physical Science: Explorations presents a clear and engaging introduction to physics, chemistry, astonomy, and earth sciences. The authors use analogies and everyday examples to clarify key concepts and help readers better understand the world around them. The book's consistent, high-quality coverage combines active learning with critical thinking exercises, hands-on experiments, review questions, and quantitative problems.Hands-On Explorations, found throughout the book, promote active learning by allowing readers to apply concepts they have learned. These easy-to-perform experiments, which use common household products, can be conducted at home.For college instructors and students, or anyone interested in chemistry, earth science, astronomy, and physics. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

BEST BOOK EVER (science wise)
... This boook covers the basics and dosen't go into much detal which i like, plain and simple. ... I recamend this for students having a hard time in science.

Excellent companion to Conceptual Physical Science!
This Explorations book simply reinforces the concepts laid out so well in Conceptual Physical Science (see my review).

In case it helps you better judge the value of my review, I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Physics, so I've read several types of physics books--from conceptual books (like this one) to complex ones written for engineering students.

I'd like to stress that Hewitt's books are very much geared to those totally new to physics and/or physical science or to those who find themselves long past due for a review. That's why I keep his books around--they are second-to-none for common sense, fancy-free explanations. See for yourself.

cartoons and etc....
This book is a bunch of cartoons with no answers to the questions. To understand the book you have to have a sense of imagination. The author gets too personal with his pictures instead of teaching about phyical science. ... Read more

Book Description

The emergence of nanoscience portends a revolution in technology that will soon impact virtually every facet of our technological lives. Yet there is little understanding of what it is among the educated public and often among scientists and engineers in other disciplines. Furthermore, despite the emergence of undergraduate courses on the subject, no basic textbooks exist.Nanotechnology: Basic Science and Emerging Technologies bridges the gap between detailed technical publications that are beyond the grasp of nonspecialists and popular science books, which may be more science fiction than fact. It provides a fascinating, scientifically sound treatment, accessible to engineers and scientists outside the field and even to students at the undergraduate level. After a basic introduction to the field, the authors explore topics that include molecular nanotechnology, nanomaterials and nanopowders, nanoelectronics, optics and photonics, and nanobiomimetrics. The book concludes with a look at some cutting-edge applications and prophecies for the future.Nanoscience will bring to the world technologies that today we can only imagine and others of which we have not yet dreamt. This book lays the groundwork for that future by introducing the subject to those outside the field, sparking the imaginations of tomorrow's scientists, and challenging them all to participate in the advances that will bring nanotechnology's potential to fruition. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nanotechnology: Basic Science and Emergining Technologies
An excellent comprehensive introduction. Very good index and usefull references for deeper study. This book will serve as handy general reference. ... Read more

Book Description

No other book on the market today can match the 30-year success of Halliday, Resnick and Walker's Fundamentals of Physics! In a breezy, easy-to-understand style the book offers a solid understanding of fundamental physics concepts, and helps readers apply this conceptual understanding to quantitative problem solving. This book offers a unique combination of authoritative content and stimulating applications. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive publication covers all aspects of image formation in modern medical imaging modalities, from radiography, fluoroscopy, and computed tomography, to magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound.  It addresses the techniques and instrumentation used in the rapidly changing field of medical imaging.  Now in its fourth edition, this text provides the reader with the tools necessary to be comfortable with the physical principles, equipment, and procedures used in diagnostic imaging, as well as appreciate the capabilities and limitations of the technologies. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Comprehensive Book
"...fulfills the authors goal of providing an up-to-date survey of the physics of medical imaging in a format that will appeal to students and educators alike. The coverage of topics is sufficiently comprehensive, making it a suitable introductory text for a number of imaging-oriented courses." (Radiology, January 2004)

"An Excellent Introduction"
"...an excellent introduction to the physics of medical imaging...Medical Imaging Physics is sure to be a favorite of residents, perhaps supplanting Christensen's Introduction to the Physics of Diagnostic Radiology as the classic radiology residency physics text." (American Journal of Roentgenology, Vol. 180, No. 4, April 2003)

Review of Medical Imaging Physics
This text is excellent for Medical Physicists preparing for the first part of their ABR or ABMP exam. This book is also a very good text for teaching Radiology Residents. Radiology Residents currently (4/12/03), do not use calculators for their ABR exam therefore they do not need to know most of the calculations that are presented in this text. The chapter on Radiation Detectors is an excellent primer for medical physicists, health physicists and Biomedical engineers. My only criticism of the text is that the QA recommendations are not current and the MRI section does not address image quality enough detail.

Radiation Therapist/Radiologic Technologist
Big changes!!
I have a previous edition of this book but
This new edition is really big different from prev. edition.

This book is a bible of Radiation community...
I love Dr.Hendee's products.. ... Read more

Book Description

Aimed at helping the physics student to develop a solid grasp of basic graduate-level material, this book presents worked solutions to a wide range of informative problems. These problems have been culled from the preliminary and general examinations created by the physics department at Princeton University for its graduate program. The authors, all students who have successfully completed the examinations, selected these problems on the basis of usefulness, interest, and originality, and have provided highly detailed solutions to each one. Their book will be a valuable resource not only to other students but to college physics teachers as well. The first four chapters pose problems in the areas of mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, thereby serving as a review of material typically covered in undergraduate courses. Later chapters deal with material new to most first-year graduate students, challenging them on such topics as condensed matter, relativity and astrophysics, nuclear physics, elementary particles, and atomic and general physics. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A classic
Thousands of physics graduate students can't be wrong. The problems in this book may be very challenging, but they include fully worked solutions. The topics cover a very broad range of physics, though the emphasis is on selection of interesting questions rather than comprehensive coverage.

A standard
This book is a must for anyone preparting for their Physics Candidacy exam. The advanced graduate students traditionally pass this book down to the incoming graduate students. Nice challenging probelms with clear solutions. Good luck studying for the exams! ... Read more

Book Description

Covers the theory of electromagnetic fields in matter, and the theory of macroscopic electric and magnetic properties of matter. There is a considerable amount of new material particularly on the theory of the magnetic properties of matter and the theory
of optical phenomena with new chapters on spatial dispersion and non-linear optics. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The BEST
It the best. I mean the whole course. If you can read Russian buy the original book - they are very very cheap (hardbound): a couple of dollars.

A masterpiece.
In the beginning there was ether. Then Maxwell discovered his wonderful equations and Einstein, drawing inspiration therefrom, discovered Relativity. There was no longer an ether. Thank God! For, before, every electric, magnetic and optical phenomenon was supposed to be explained by properties of this ubiquitous ether. For a brilliant account of the physics of the ether, read "Aether", by Maxwell himself, at the Encyclopaedia Britannica (not the present edition: go to* and look at the Classics). Since Lorentz it became fashionable, and sensible, to, first, derive all properties of the electromagnetic fiel in vacuum, and, then, to introduce matter and the complications which appear (and which give rise to most of the beauty of the world). This wonderful book deals with these complications, and shows the beauties that come out of them. This is a high class text, the reader being supposed to know all of basic physics, including, of course, quantum mechanics. Thermodynamics is used lavishly for static or quasi-static situations, providing depth and cohesion. Did you know that you cannot, in this age of new materials, concoct one with electric permittivity (the familiar epsilon) smaller than one lest you violate the second law of thermodynamics? The chapter on electromagnetic waves is superb, with the best treatment of light dispersion to be found anywhere. Did you know that you cannot produce a transparent material which would disperse light in a different sequence of colours than that of the usual glass prism lest you violate causality? You have to read this book. Grab your copy while you can find it. One never knows.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS ON MACROSCOPIC ELECTRODYNAMICS!
This is the Volume 8 of the famous Course of Theoretical Physics by L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz. All serious students of theoretical physics must possess the ten volumes of this excellent Course, which cover in detail and rigour practically all the branches of theoretical physics. The Volume 8 treats the subject of the electromagnetic fields in matter, or the macroscopic electrodynamics. The book contains all the basic theory of macroscopic electrodynamics, discussing at the same time some more specialized and very interesting topics. The discussion is rigorous and very detailed, with clarity of exposition. There exists also in this book chapters not usually found in other similar books, such as the chapters on the dynamics of magnetic fluids, the theory of the interaction of fast particles with matter(for example, the Cerenkov radiation), the macroscopic theory of superconductivity and the theory of diffraction of X rays in crystals. There exists a little appendice! on curvilinear coordinates, which serves to auxiliate the reader in the mathematical calculations. Moreover, the authors discuss in a very elegant manner mathematical methods for solving problems in electrostatics, such as for example the method of conformal mapping. Certainly one of the best books on macroscopic electrodynamics! ... Read more

Book Description

Recent advances in semiconductor technology have made possible the fabrication of structures whose dimensions are much smaller than the mean free path of an electron. This book gives the first thorough account of the theory of electronic transport in such mesoscopic systems. Beginning with coverage of fundamental concepts, the book presents a detailed account of transmission function formalism which is used to describe three key topics in mesoscopic physics: the quantum Hall effect, localization, and double-barrier tunneling. Other sections include a discussion of optical analogies to mesoscopic phenomena, followed by a concluding description of the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism and its relation to the transmission formalism. Complete with problems and solutions, the book will be of great interest to graduate students of mesoscopic physics and nanoelectronic device engineering, as well as to established researchers in these fields. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Integrals from my heart
A few words to just sum it up, SUPER DATTA. The electro-moelecur analysis presented by author Super Datta is an incredible interpretation in defining the forier series. Euler's Identity is not only sexy, but intellectually stimulating. My boyfriend Michael and I a few weekends ago in Key West Florida had the opportunity to visit with Super Datta. While sipping tasty tropical beverages and listening to KC and the Sunshine band, we contemplated for hours over quantum mechanical models. This is simply the beginning of the decaying power sears.

Super Data, Super Job, I'm simply, In love

sincerely

*Timothy*

A great book
The book primarily describes the so-called transmission formalism which is applied to electron transport in mesoscopic systems. Yet the main strength of the book is its introduction of the powerful, yet easy to implement numerically, apparatus of single-particle Green's functions. A device engineer armed with the knowledge of this apparatus and a copy of MatLab should be able to accurately model conductance and charge distribution in devices on the scale of tens of nanometers. Indeed, the book illustrates the application of the apparatus to transmission calculations in devices such as resonant tunneling diodes and single-electron transistors. The book provides much more than calculation recipes; the roots and physical relevance of the transmission formalism are well explained by examples such as the quantum Hall effect and conductance fluctuations. The text should be a great aid to future nanoelectronic device engineers. ... Read more

Book Description

The advent of low-pressure synthesis techniques for the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of diamond has opened up a new and fascinating field of research and development. The preparation of diamond in the shape of thin films or extended wafers has enabled a variety of new applications, including optical windows, heat spreaders for thermal management, durable cutting tools, and a variety of sensors. Great effort has been made to develop new and efficient methods of economic low-pressure diamond deposition. This book responds to the worldwide interest with a comprehensive presentation of the complete spectrum of methods for CVD-diamond deposition and an overview of the most important applications. ... Read more

Book Description

This powerful study guide makes sometimes-daunting material accessible. More than 240 problems solved step-by-step help students gain a firm grasp of proper methods and a solid foundation for further study. All the essentials of this basic course are covered clearly and concisely, cutting study time and making important points memorable. The next-best thing to a private tutor, this study guide helps boost grades and proves ideal for professionals, too, who wish to study solo to master this discipline.

Reviews (11)

Schaum's Quantum Mechanics
The rapidly rising Israeli science represented by Peleg et al. produced here an unusually concise, clear, and well organized presentation of a complicated subject with the benefits of worked out problems. They managed to do this with little sacrifice of detail, providing a mathematical background chapter and even a chapter on the foundations of quantum mechanics with six postulates and a discussion of the Schrodinger versus Heisenberg pictures. Dirac's bra and ket notation is explained and used frequently, and the difficult subject of spin receives its own chapter. The book keeps up with latest trends in mathematical and physics research by having three chapters on solution/approximation methods (one of the main recent trends in mathematics and physics is obtaining solutions and approximations for equations including those of Schrodinger, Einstein, Navier-Stokes). The complicated topic of scattering theory receives its own chapter, as do angular momentum and radiation by semiclassical treatment. For more detailed works, see my reviews of Cao, Carlip, Kursunoglu, etc., and also the book Quasi-classical Methods.

Good Supplement
The problems are advanced. Does not cover density matrix, time reversal symmetry, and wigner-eckart theorem. Prior familiarity with quantum mechanics is helpful. Detailed solutions are provided. The book accomplishes its purpose: provide detailed solutions to benchmark questions in quantum mechanics. The book is very helpful. I recommend with high regard.

Too Advanced
I have taken an introductory course in quantum and am now studying intermediate quantum. This book has been of no help. This book is way too advanced and should be entitled, "Schaum's Outline of Quantum Mechanics for Post-Doctorates of Physics."

Re: Low on solved problems
This refers to the 'Low on Solved Problems Review'
I cannot think of a more inaccurate thing to say, even if you didn't like the book. The whole book is *full* of solved problems, that's the whole point. My main critique is that there are too many errors but most of them aren't hard to spot. Anyone studying quantum should get this book and use the solved problems to help you understand how to solve those tricky quantum questions (just beware of errors and you should be ok).
Make sure you also pick up the 'Problems and Solutions on Quantum Mechanics' from Y-K Lim et al at the University of Science and Technology in China.

Low on solved problems
Did not contain enough exhaustive solutions to really help those who need to get over the "math hump". The text runs together and subject areas are not clearly seperated. It's like an abridged textbook. I expected more math help and less theory help. If your looking for a suplement to QM classes as an undergrad the Dover books are better at doing the math. The Schaum editors left their forte behind with this one.
Update 11/03 - Half-way through second quarter in undergrad QM...still no help from this text. It attempts to be another textbook when it should double the solved problems both basic and complex. Problems should be solved from several angles and at various levels of approach. ... Read more

Book Description

This introductory laboratory manual for the calculus or non-calculus based college physics course provides a combination of "hands-on" and computer-based instruction. The text covers basic physical principles while introducing laboratory procedures, techniques, and equipment.

• Experiments include Measurement of the Earth's Magnetic Field.
• Advance Study Assignments precede each experiment to ensure that students read the experiments and are well-prepared when they come to class.
• Experimental procedures are described for different types of common laboratory apparatus.

Reviews (1)

Great must have for Entry-Level Physics
What a great resource! I used it all the way through and had a great time learning what would otherwise be a dull and boring subject. Thanks all!

-Proby ... Read more

Book Description

The national best seller--an unparalleled collection of timeless writings by one of the most beloved and original thinkers of the twentieth century.

The Pleasure of Finding Things Out is a magnificent treasury of the best short works of Richard Feynman, from interviews and speeches to lectures and printed articles. A sweeping, wide-ranging collection, it presents an intimate and fascinating view of a life in science-a life like no other.

From Feynman's ruminations on science in our culture to his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, this book will fascinate anyone interested in the world of ideas. Newcomers to Feynman will be moved by his wit and his deep understanding of the natural world and of the human experience; longtime admirers will discover many treasures available nowhere else. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Brilliance and charm: Feynman as a teacher
I very much enjoyed this entertaining and delightful collection of lectures, talks and essays by the world-renown and sorely missed Professor Feynman, Nobel Prize winning physicist, idiosyncratic genius and one of the great men of the twentieth century.

I particularly enjoyed the subtle yet unmistakable way he scolded the people at NASA for putting their political butts before the safety of the space program they were managing in his famous "Minority Report to the Space Shuttle Challenger Inquiry." But the chapter that really sold me on Richard P. Feynman, boy wonder grown up, was "It's as Simple as One, Two, Three" in which he explores the ability to do two things at once through an experiment with counting. Such a delight he took in learning as a kid from his friend Bernie that we sometimes think in pictures and not in words. And then the further delight he took in learning that some people count with their inner voice (himself), and others (his friend John Tukey) count by visualization.

I was also loved the chapter, "What is Science?", a talk to science teachers in which Feynman demonstrates that the real difference between science and other ways of "knowing" (e.g., religion) is the ability to doubt. In science we learn, as Feyman said he himself learned, to live with doubt. But in the religious way of "knowing" doubt is intolerable. Feynman gives an evolutionary illustration of why doubt is essential. He begins with the "intelligent" animals "which can learn something from experience (like cats)." At this stage, he says, each animal learned "from its own experience." Then came some animals that could learn more rapidly and from the experience of others by watching. Then came something "completely new...things could be learned by one animal, passed on to another, and another, fast enough that...[the knowledge] was not lost to the race...," and could be passed on to a new generation.

Now, let's stop for a moment. What a great teacher does--and here and elsewhere Feynman proves himself to be a great teacher (although he said he doubted that!)--is to guide the student just enough so that the student arrives at or anticipates the point of the lesson before the teacher gets there. What is the punch line of this lesson for the science teachers? Namely this: with the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next it became also possible to pass on false knowledge or "mistaken ideas." Feynman calls this a "disease."

"Then a way of avoiding the disease was discovered. This is to doubt that what is being passed from the past is in fact true, and to try to find out ab initio, again from experience, what the situation is, rather than trusting the experience of the past..."

In other words, don't blindly accept the word of authority. Test it for yourself! And this is what science does. It tests and it tests again, and it doubts and it doubts--always.

I loved this because one of my dictums is "always guide the experts"--the lawyer, the doctor, the insurance adjustor, et al. Always guide them because, although they are the experts, you're the one who really cares. To this I can now add that you should also doubt the experts because even though they are experts they can be wrong. And, as Feynman showed in his report on the Challenge disaster, they can be wrong for reasons that have nothing to do with their expertise.

I also liked the commencement address he gave at Caltech on "Cargo Cult Science...and How to Not Fool Yourself." We fool ourselves a lot. The managers at NASA fooled themselves; what's their names of cold fusion delusion fame fooled themselves. Feynman has noted that he has fooled himself. Science, he avers, is a tool to help us to not fool ourselves. He is profoundly right. Without science we would go on fooling ourselves with all sorts of mumbo-jumbo, "revealed" religiosity and scientific-seeming stuff such as Rhine's ESP experiments some years ago at Duke, the entire litany of New Age pseudobabblese, and--yes!--such stuff as the amazing Cargo Cult Science in which some Pacific Islanders, in an attempt to attract the big birds of the sky with their cargoes of goodies, built "nests," that is, landing fields with empty cargo boxes, and faux towers, etc. in the hope that the planes flying overhead would see them and land on their island. Feynman has taken this as an example of pseudoscience, that is, behavior in the form of science without the substance of science, without the "integrity" of science.

The integrity of science, Feynman advised the graduates, demands that all the information about the experiment be given, even detrimental facts. Feynman contrasts this idea with that of advertizing in which only that which makes the product look good is given.

When reading this book it helps to imagine that one is listening to Feynman speak. The text includes repetitions and the omissions which he no doubt conveyed with his voice, expression or gesture. When one reads him this way, some of Feynman's endearing charm and the gentle, self-effacing humor for which he is famous comes through. Here's a joke from pages 206-207: He is at Esalen in a hot bath with another man and a girl. The man begins to massage the girl's foot. He feels something in her big toe. He asks his instructor, "Is that the pituitary?" The girl says, "No, that's not the way it feels." Feynman injects, "You're a hell of a long way from the pituitary, man." And they both look at him. "I had blown my cover, you see--and she said, It's reflexology. So I closed my eyes and appeared to be meditating." Yes, Feynman is a long way from reflexology.

Find out
Anyone who became familiar with Richard Feynman from his hugely popular memoirs What Do You Care What Other People Think, and Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman will find The Pleasure of Finding Things Out an intermediate step between those books and the dense scientific texts behind his Nobel Prize and reputation as one of the 20th century's great minds.

This book is not meant to be entertaining, but I suppose a glimpse into Mr. Feynman's mind cannot help but be entertaining, even when it is a series of lectures based entirely on science. Here he talks about what he calls the "thrill" of boldly finding out what no man knew before, on subjects ranging from the discovery of the reasons behind the crash of the space shuttle Challenger to the atomic bomb project at Los Alamos and from the role of science in society to his Nobel acceptance speech. And while it is not specifically written with the non-scientist in mind, a strong background in science is not necessary to understand and enjoy the wind-ranging collection of philosophies, musings, and remarks collected on these pages.

scraping the bottom of the feynmaniana barrel
This book is yet another posthumous compilation of Feynman's musings. With each successive book - starting from the wonderful transcriptions of Leighton, Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman - they have been declining in quality for years. Well, this is a hodgepodge of paper scraps and even raw oral interviews that have been thrown together to exploit just about the last drop of these kinds of things, and I can say that I don't think the process should continue.

There are some amusing things in this book and some interesting details, but there really isn't anything special except for the fact that Feynman enjoys the personality cult associated with a zany physics genius. He was an original character and, in physics, a truly great thinker. But that doesn't make every last little thing that he ever said or scribbled down interesting, except to uncritical devotees who live with the fantasy that everything he said was better than worthwhile. Indeed, if you know about something in great depth he writes (well talks) about, his views appear as superficial as the rest of non-specialists on the subjects. Where he is truly interesting in on physics, mathematics, and science - and the overwhelming majority of what he produced on those subjects is already available.

I would not recommend this book, except as a source of Feynman trivia if that is your bag. Indeed, I had heard most of these things before - either in films about the man or from his earlier writings. As such, that makes this book the crassest attempt to commercially exploit the legacy of this great man yet again. If such a thing were possible, the editor should be ashamed.

different but in a way too different
I found this book to be complicating as it jumped from subject to subject. It wasnt really that informative. It gave out the authors personal information and feelings rather than actual facts. I guess it was something that one with the same mind frame as him could relate to. I had to read this book for school. I got nothing out of it, except the ignorant and close minded thoughts of the author. The grammar was also terrribe. It wasnt written in a way that one could follow. I had to use my imagination to kind of figure out the authors feelings of whatever he was talking. It was written in a way as if he was actually talking to in person rather than through a book. But I do have to say that it was different. I guess if you are into and study science it is the book for you. But its not really a book to learn from. Instead its more like a book to say "Oh! I feel that way too." To conclude, I dont know what to say to those of you who are into science, but to those of you who do not have much of an interest in it i would reccomend that you choose another book.

A grab-bag of a book.
This book is a hodge-podge of personal and professional reminiscenses and interviews. Feynmann tells stories about building the A-bomb, his Dad, teaching his children, curiosity, learning, "the big picture," and how he learned that different minds work differently. I enjoyed parts of the book, particularly the parts most related to the book's title, like how his Father taught him scientific curiosity.

It is obvious that a lot of people have respect for Feynman, and I don't doubt he earned it. But as a story-teller, while he is sometimes interesting, frankly a lot of the time he is rather incoherent. The interviews are especially inarticulate, fumbling for words. I guess you had to be there. Elsewhere, Feynman comes across as another famous scientist piddling in other fields in his spare time. As an educator he is interesting, though not always fully syntactical. What he teaches well is his own infectious enthusiasm for "finding things out." Like some other scientists who are not very familiar with other fields, he tends to depict that pleasure as an almost exclusively scientific one. But of course Confucius, Origen, and Augustine knew the same pleasure, as do we in the contemporary humanities. As a teacher myself, I agree that enthusiastic curiosity is itself the greatest lesson. Feynman communicates that well, among other things.

Feynman admits that "in a field that is so complicated that true science is not able to get anywhere, we have to rely on a kind of old-fashioned wisdom." It would be truer to say that science is one in a continuum of epistomological methods, from the most direct (and limited), like math, to "hard sciences" like physics and chemistry, to "soft sciences" (paleontology) and up through history to psychology and finally theology. Like many scientists, and antagonistic philosophers (Rorty), Feynman confuses epistomological "hardness" with rationality, in the sense of finding out what truly is, and being reasonably certain about it.

The odd thing about Feynman's excursions into other fields is that he admits, "I'm still a very one-sided person and don't know a great deal." His editors think he's just being modest, I guess.

Most of the time Feynman treats religion with formal respect (one gets the feeling he's been scolded before and doesn't want to pour oil on the fire). He is, in fact, rather ignorant on the subject, refuting silly heresies, and thinking he has got to the heart of the matter. At one point he compares the "Catholic religion in the Middle Ages" to Hitler and Stalin. I'm not Catholic, but in my opinion that reflects poorly on his understanding of the historical roots of science and democracy. For all Feynman's love of science, it's a pity he should be ignorant of where it came from.

That such a grab-bag of a book would inspire the loyalty that is revealed in reviews below, is something I have great sympathy for. But it also demonstrates what many observers have commented on, the priest-like status that scientists have attained in Western culture. Books like this make me mourn for the sins of modern thought: over-specialization, the cults of celebrity and science, and philosophical confusion about how we know things. The book did make me think about how to teach, however, and introduced me to an interesting scientist.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man ... Read more

Book Description

J.L. Lagrange is a name well known to students in all branches of mathematics and applied mathematics. But by far his most famous work deals with mechanics -- the Mecanique analytique. In this work, he used the Principle of Virtual Work as the foundation for all of mechanics and thereby brought together statics, hydrostatics, dynamics and hydrodynamics. His approach differed significantly from the mechanics of Newton and the physical approach to mechanics of Laplace and Poisson. The difference is due primarily to the introduction by Lagrange of a fictitious constraint force. The purpose of the constraint force is to enforce an algebraic relation between the coordinates of the parts of a continuous body or between various bodies. Moreover, the physical origin of this force does not have to be known. From this point, Lagrange utilizes the methodology of the Calculus of Variations -- a methodology which he himself developed -- to vary the configuration of a system in statics or the path of a system in dynamics in order to obtain the governing differential equations.Audience: Historians of science, mathematicians, physicists and engineers, and scholars specializing in classical mechanics, celestial mechanics, mathematics of mechanics and mechanics in general. ... Read more

Book Description

Einstein's essay, On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, introduces his famous "principle of relativity," one of the twentieth century's most revolutionary concepts. In his introduction to this seminal work, the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking cuts through Einstein's mathematical complexities to explain this revolutionary concept in language that excites and informs the reader. This book features selections from a translation of the original essay, The Principle of Relativity, as well as an insightful biography of Einstein and Hawking's informative summary.

Black-and-white illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A great book writted by the genius himself
This book clearly illustrates the theory of relativity and all of its aspects. I am a junior in high school and I found this book both captivating and easy to understand. I think anyone who is interested in this subject like I am should read this book. It is one of the best books I have ever read.

Laypeople: avoid this book! Physicists: Buy this book!
I really do not know how to rate this book. I hope that rating it with three stars could be a neutral point between the opinions of laypeople and the physics' community. This book is a collection of the most important lectures given by Einstein, Lorentz, Minkowski and Weyl that led to the formulation of the theory of relativity in its two parts. The first part is the special theory, which studies the inertial and moving reference frames without considering the effects of gravity. The second part, the general theory, explains the nature of gravity as a consequence of the curvature of Minkowski's four-dimensional space-time. The expositions featured in the book are, of course, the written version of the lectures given decades ago by its authors. Because of this, they are plenty of strange-looking and complex equations to the laypeople but, for any physicist, is a beautiful mathematical symphony that explains with accuracy the principle of relativity. You have to be a physicist to fully understand this book, namely, if you are not a physicist, or, if you are not formally studying physics, please avoid this book!. I am almost sure that you will get tired of reading it after the first lecture if you do not have solid knowledge of physics and mathematics. Try to look somewhere else for less complicated explanations of the relativity. Maybe the book: "Relativity: The Special and the General Theory" could be useful for you, the laypeople. Nevertheless, in the other hand, if you are a physicists or something like that, this book must be in your shelf as one of the richest treasures in all-time physics.

How science should be written
Reading the original papers would be best, but if you don't read German then the Dover collection is the next best thing. In the paper on special relativity, the Lorentz transformations are derived via formulating and solving a first order pde, a treatment that no textbook presents (first order pdes aren't taught in math physics, in spite of the fact that every set of first order autonomous odes generates a first order pde). It took my teaching the subject to advanced undergrads in later years to realize what many others have by now noticed, namely, you don't need two postulates for special relativity. "Galilean invariance" is enough. The constancy of the speed of light follows from the requirement that there is no special reference frame.

Einstein's presentation of GR is unsurpassed for conciseness and clarity, is a model for other researchers to follow when writing papers. Here, he introduces the famous misconception (corrected today in the better texts like Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler) that general covariance is a physical principle. Well, even the greatest minds make mistakes.

Feynman wrote well, but no scientist to date has written better than Einstein.

An accessible reference book
This compact collection of English translations of the original papers is a cheap and highly accessible reference book.

The book is a chronology of the development of the theory of Relativity. Starting with Lorentz' papers on Michelson's interference experiment and electomagnetic phenomena in moving frames of reference, the book follows the rapid development of the subject from Einstein's ground breaking papers of 1905 on Electrodymanics and Inertia. Minkowski's original paper on Space-Time is a delight: it's always a pleasant surprise when one finds that the explanation of the originator has not been bettered in nearly 100 years!

Latter chapters of the book present Einstein's papers on General Relativity -which are mathematically complex. They are definately not the place to start if one wants to learn the principles of General Relativity. Nonetheless, after one has learnt the principles from more accessible materials, such as "The Principles of Cosmology and Gravitation" by M V Berry, these papers can be very useful as original sources that the reader can use in order to grasp the methods by which Einstein presented his revolutionary discoveries.

This is an excellent, high value, low cost source that is worth keeping!

A colection of classical articles
This book is not for the usual reader, it contains many articles from the beginning of the 20th century in physics that are now classics.
Basically it deals with the birth of relativity theory, in form of a collection of articles related beetween them and that describe the early evolution of the theory in the circle of physics. The original audience was cientists, so the usual reader will be daunted by formulas and formal description of theories and hipotheses.
It is however a must read for physics students and those interested in theory of relativity and a strong reference for PHD thesis and cientific works.
I bought it to use in my PHD thesis as reference as the basis of the view of the world where there is no priviledged point of reference, that is, everything is relative, wether in physical sciences or social sciences. This is the essence of the relativism that permeates the post-modern view of world, and historiography today.
I strongly recommend it for use as reference for cientists and students, but it is daunting in mathematics, You can use it without knowing lots of math, but you need to understand the concepts derived from the math. They are surprisinlgy well described by einstein and the others, after all they were geniuses. ... Read more

Book Description

Quantumelectrodynamics (QED) was the subject of "QED - The Strange Theory of Light and Matter," the popular book by Richard Feynman which was first published by Princeton University Press in 1985.Feynman makes passing references to the fact that the book is based on a series of general lectures on QED which were first delivered in New Zealand.Feynman had doubts about the accessibility of the lectures on QED to a general audience, and chose not to initially deliver these lectures at his native Caltech.Rather he chose remote New Zealand as his testing ground and in the process, gave the New Zealand physics community the dubious honor of being the guinea-pigs for his QED lectures.At Auckland University, these lectures were delivered in 1979, as the Sir Douglas Robb Lectures. Althoug h the published version of "QED - The Strange Theory of Light and Matter" is an excellent self-contained description of the subject, watching an unedite d Feynman delivering the lectures reveals his style and enthusiasm for his subject in a way which is impossible in a printed medium.Direct quotation s from the lectures provide fascinating additional insight both into the material of QED itself and into Feynman's character.4 VHS video cassettes .NTSC version (North American standard). ... Read more

Reviews (59)

A classic in the physics community!
QED. It's not Quod Erat Demonstrandum; no, it's not even Quickly Ends Dandruff. Then, what is it? Quantum ElectroDynamics. Now, if you're ignorant of physics, you're probably still thinking, "That says a whole lot. What is it?" By this rather formidable name, you might not be able to tell if you want to read the book or not, so I'll synopsize. Over three quarters (75%, if you prefer--ooh, I can do math!) of this book explains movements and interactions of electrons and photons expressed as probabilities. The last section discusses a variation of QED, quantum chromodynamics (i.e. quarks). Unlike some abstruse conjectures (most notably, string theory), quantum electrodynamics can be and has been experimentally verified. In fact, it is the most accurate theory ever devised! This does not mean that QED is totally compliant with common sense (fortunately; physics addicts often find common sense to be rather dull--and incorrect!). The reader learns to accept that light does not always travel in straight paths, that light reflects from all parts of a mirror, and that electrons can travel backward in time. Richard Feynman, who (along with Sin-Itiro Tomonaga and Julian Schwinger) was awarded the 1965 Nobel Prize for his work on this theory, elucidates QED so that even those who have never before studied physics can understand it. (To be more accurate, they can understand *how* QED works; Feynman admits that no one, himself included, truly understands *why* QED works.) If you already are familiar with the theory, you are likely to become bored with this book. On the other hand, I'm not sure that this book is the best for physics neophytes, since it is specific in explaining this one given area (even skipping the historical background present in most popular accounts of physics). You might want to first obtain more general knowledge of modern physics. If you find optics interesting, definitely read this book. For anyone who wants a deeper knowledge of modern physics or chemistry, an understanding of quantum electrodynamics is a sine qua non, and this book is probably the most explicit introduction on the market.

~pythia~

Earnest Enthusiasm and Elfish Delight
*QED* is an edited version of four lectures delivered to a lay audience at UCLA in 1983. It conveys Feynman's unique combination of earnest enthusiasm and elfish delight at the fact that "the way we have to describe Nature is generally incomprehensible to us." (p. 77) It is probably true that the book can be profitably read by every class of reader, from Feynman's physicist peers to street people (if this is not the contemporary equivalent of "the man in the street," why isn't it??) who have never studied physics. Feynman was a great communicator, and knew how to throw out a lifeline of wit, reason, or good sense in the midst of the most bewildering complexities. Twenty-first century humanity urgently needs to integrate something of the quantum view of reality into its common understanding of things, and Feynman's work is a precious contribution toward that end. Highly recommended!

Illuminating
Get it? Illuminating. This book explains the interaction between light and matter, which is illuminating. If you understand the pun, then you have the brain capacity to understand this book.

Richard Feynman possessed some kind of special brand of genius which enabled him to masquerade as a regular guy. He was able to cut to the quick of Nature's mysteries and explain in plain english what he saw there for the benefit of those of us lacking in genius.

Feynman freed us from the need to relate to quantum physics by memorizing a set of arcane mathematical expressions, and delivered to us a way of understanding the probabilistic nature of quantum reality by drawing a bunch of little arrows pointing this way and that. His method, known as "Feynman diagrams", is so simple that it seems almost childlike, yet it works every time.

The theory of Quantum ElectoDynamics is the most complete theory that science has in its arsenal. The theory explains 99% of everything we see at the classical level of reality. Feynman was never quite able to tie in the oddities observed in the interaction of nuclei or gravitrons, but reality as we observe it is more or less dictated by the interaction of electrons, and this theory describes that interplay perfectly.

Feyman's "sum over histories" explains reality even better than Newton's seemingly incontrovertable laws of Nature, which in actuality, decribe only the end result of the sum over histories. Where Newton described one reality, the one observed by all of us, Feynman described every microscopic reality, each as real as the other, and all culminating in the one macroscopic reality as described by Newton. Feynman described particles moving faster than light, and even backwards in time - all of which is explained in his "strange theory of light and matter", and all of which is endlessly verifiable in the laboratory.

For anyone willing to break out of the Newtonian mindset which humanity has been in for over 300 years, and which is still taught in today's high school science classrooms, this book is a must read. Treat yourself to 150 pages of plain english which will infuse you with wonder for the rest of your days.

Excellent
I am an Electrical Engineer and had the usual education. It is a delight to read this book and learn about the fundamental theory upon which much of the Electrical Engineering profession is based.

Much of what we are taught in schools is an approximation and sometimes wrong. It is great to learn, even if it is only qualitatively, about more accurate representations.

I wish that Feynman were alive to keep updating his lectures with the latest developments. The lectures seem to have been last updated in 1980s and I am sure Physics has moved on since then.

Easily understood intro to QED
Richard Feynman, along with Schwinger and Tomonaga, won Nobel prizes in the 1960's for their development of quantum electrodynamics (QED). In this book, Feynman attempts to bring this esoteric field down to the layman's level and succeeds as usual. The chapters in the book are taken from lectures he presented to a largely nonscientific audience, but the material is not dumbed down. Of course, many of the details are left out since only years of study can provide a true understanding of the theory, but Feynman presents his lectures in such a way that only a reasonable amount of thought is needed to appreciate the basics of QED.

"The Strange Theory of Light and Matter" is an entirely appropriate subtitle to a book that attempts to explain the theory behind phenomena that escape our everyday experience and intuition. QED is arguably the most successful scientific theory in existence. Its predictions have correlated extraordinarily well with experiment although "prediction" in the QED sense is not what we are generally used to. The quantum world is inherently probabilistic. There are certain things we just cannot "know." We cannot predict which photons will reflect of a glass surface, but with QED, we can at least accurately calculate the percentage of photons that do reflect. That's just one of the results of QED that Feynman attempts to explain, and he does so in a very straightforward fashion.

Feynman never insults the intelligence of his audience by pretending that the basics of QED are beyond its grasp, but instead repeatedly insists that no one really understands QED, but that should not prevent anyone from appreciating some of its results. With this attitude, Feynman explains the basics of partial reflection, particle interactions, and the discoveries of new particles, and he does all this through numerous figures and analogies rather than mathematical equations.

Richard Feynman was not your ordinary physicist. He was a physicist's physicist and a great teacher (read James Gleick's bio of Feynman called Genius). His teaching abilities are in full display in this book as he is able to bring an incredibly strange theory down to the average reader's level. I highly recommend this book. It will tax your thinking abilities but will never insult them. ... Read more