Definitely should have read Six Easy Pieces prior to reading Quantum by Manjit Kumar. The book consists of six lectures given by Richard Feynman to an introductory physics class. Feynman presents complicated material in an easy to understand manner. Could not help but wonder how scientific development of the past sixty years would have changed this book. Highly recommend!

"Easy" is a subjective term. There is no doubt about Feynman's depth of knowledge and willingness to explain ideas. Like many incredibly intelligent people, he can often present ideas as obvious when a mere mortal like me cannot immediately grab them.

As university lectures, these six easy pieces do create a foundation but I found often it was too high level and had to be taken on faith. Surprisingly, I found his description of quantum physics to be the most accessible of the six pieces taking very complex ideas and explaining them as well as illuminating the reasons for fundamental doubt. Frustratingly, he refers to future lectures which do not appear in the book.

It is however a valuable publication showing a viewpoint drawn from extreme intellect.

I first encountered Richard Feynman through his 'Fun To Imagine' series as a teenager (the series is fully available on YouTube). He has a talent for making complex physics immediately accessible, and the series is definitely worth your the time—if not for what he says, then for the way he says it.

This book covers six fundamental concepts: atomic motion, basic physics, physics' relationship to other sciences, energy conservation, gravitation, and quantum behavior—all explained in Feynman's characteristic conversational style.

While the book succeeds in explaining these topics, some extremely well (like the final chapter 'quantum behaviour'), its lecture-based content sometimes works against its mass-market aims. The 'Basic Physics' chapter exemplifies this issue: it rushes from basic electromagnetism straight into an extensive list of quantum particles (strangeness, leptons, mesons, etc.) merely to conclude that "This, then, is the horrible condition of physics today." It's a bit of dramatic flair, and while that approach might work well in a lecture, in book form it feels more like a missed opportunity (and wasted space!).

Explanations, too, sometimes feel poorly written, using terms before they are defined. Again, it is a defect of more casual speech or a lecture that does not translate well to a book.

I would have loved to have liked this book more. This particular experience won't stop me from continuing to read through the rest of his works.

3/5

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11231283

Loved first part but got a little lost as it began to get harder.

What a trip. I understand why physicists on YouTube try to be the best teacher: it’s the true nature of Feynman genius :) they want to do like him.

Very good introduction to the world of Physics for anyone relatively interested and with a little background knowledge.

The last line of the last chapter “Quantum mechanics maintains its perilous but accurate existence” seems like an omen from the 1960s that still rings true.