Six Easy Pieces
Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher
by Richard Phillips Feynman, Paul Davies · first published 1994
61% recommend39% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Six lectures from Feynman's freshman physics course that explain hard ideas simply, with no prior physics needed. Suits laypeople and curious beginners, and works as a gentle entry before Six Not So Easy Pieces.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"It was Feynman's outrageous and scintillating method of teaching that earned him legendary status among students and professors of physics. From 1961 to 1963, Feynman delivered a series of lectures at the California Institute of Technology that revolutionized the teaching of physics around the world. 'Six Not-So-Easy Pieces', taken from these famous 'Lectures on Physics' represent some the most stimulating material from the series. In these classic lessons, Feynman introduces the general reader to the following topics: atoms, basic physics, energy, gravitation, quantum mechanics, and the rela
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I've gifted copies of Six Easy Pieces [0] to numerous people now, it's the only book I can say that for. [0] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5553.Six_Easy_Pieces
on “Ask HN: What is one book you would recommend everyone to read?” ↗Just finished Six Easy Pieces by Richard Feynman, which I liked a lot and now finishing "Eight Engineering Stories" by Bill Hammack...both of which are really good at explaining complex physical / engineering concepts in a simple…
on “Ask HN: What Books Are You Reading?” ↗If you're interested in the subject matter, I highly recommend Richard Feynman's 'Six Easy Pieces' series (available on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBxHpsmcxyNghmwd6MJBy... ). Feynman was a key member of the Manhattan project (Wikipedia link here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project…
on “Is Quantum Theory About Reality or What We Know?” ↗…it's about Feynman's life, it's a way to get you inspired and into the mindset. Feynman Lectures on Physics: freshman level course that Feynman taught at MIT. Lots of material, will last you year(s). Six easy pieces: 6 easy lectures from Feynman. Six not so easy pieces: 6 not-so-easy lectures from Feynman. Feynman lectures on computation.
on “Carlo Rovelli on the ‘greatest remaining mystery’: The nature of time” ↗After reading Walter Issacson's Einstein biography, I read Six Easy Pieces, which is were taken from 6 of Richard Feynman's lectures. The intended audience is for Freshmen Physics students. Having never taken any Physics courses in college, I've only read a few books on the…
on “What books got you curious and inspired about fields other than CS?” ↗…physics is done, they don't actually teach any physics. I personally would recommend Feynman's books for the layman, such as QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter or The Character of Physical Law, or Six Easy Pieces (followed by Six Not So Easy Pieces), as ways for people to get at least some exposure to physics without popsci buzzwords. IMO even those books are limited, because you can't really understand physics…
on “Speculation that wormholes and entanglement are two aspects of the same thing” ↗just start with the Feynman undergraduate lectures (listed). The easy-mode of that is "Six Easy Pieces" which are the easiest 6 lectures. At some point you'll need math, I recommend https://www.amazon.com/No-bullshit-guide-linear-algebra/dp/0... (I actually started here), and for calculus, "No BS Guide…
on “All of Physics in 9 Lines” ↗Feynman’s Six Easy Pieces: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5553.Six_Easy_Pieces
on “Ask HN: How can I think more like an engineer?” ↗I found Feynman's "Six Easy Pieces" an interesting read in this vein.
on “Ask HN: Are books worth it?” ↗OP, we're in the same boat. I also am in a deep, deep QM hole, and just finished reading Six Easy Pieces, Six Not-So-Easy Pieces, and QED (HIGHLY recommended), and have been trying to work through several quantum physics textbooks. It's astonishing to me how few high-quality visualizations there are: smatterings…
on “Ask HN: Good software for interactive exploration of quantum/particle physics?” ↗A fantastic mind with such an ability to relate the otherwise un-relatable. "Six Easy Pieces" is an accessible read if you find this interesting.
on “Watch: Richard Feynman on why he can't tell you how magnets work” ↗My personal favorite: - Thirty Years that Shook Physics: The Story of Quantum Theory Other great books: - The Theory Of Everything - The Quark and the Jaguar - Six Easy Pieces
on “Particle mystery: physicists confirm the muon is more magnetic than predicted” ↗I'd read Six Easy Pieces first.
on “Ask HN: What are you reading right now?” ↗Six Easy Pieces was one of my favorite books as a kid.
on “Ask HN: Which books do you consider real gems in your field of work/study?” ↗I've been on a big math and physics kick lately and have started reading Feynman's "Six Easy Pieces". It's got me thinking - what software is out there that is kind of like a particle / quantum physics sandbox? Any environments where you can start playing with things, such as particles and forces,…
on “Ask HN: Good software for interactive exploration of quantum/particle physics?” ↗