a little tough to read, but pretty good

books:


	• QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter (Princeton Science Library) Richard P. Feynman Princeton University Press, 2006 - 192 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Excellent Popular Physics Book

Feynman QED lectures show how physics concepts need to be introducing to any people who are scared about science. Feynman was a great scientist and a better pedagogue. It is simple to read and simpler to understand. We need more Feynman's at schools.
Next book that I am going to read Feynman's Physics Lectures.

Highly comprehensible

This book covers four lectures that explains QED in terms of the path integral method, which was developed by the author. Needless to say, this is authoritative on this approach, but it also remarkably clear and comprehensible. Notwithstanding that, I would recommend slow and careful reading, as you may find a small sequence of statements that seem perhaps a little unjustified. Later, Feynman fronts up to some of these, and explains why he oversimplified to get things going. If you see them first, and this is not unreasonable, I believe you will get more from the text. The first lecture is a general introduction that shows how the path of the photon as a particle can be followed in terms of time-of-flight from all possible paths. The assertion is, the photon is a particle, not a wave, however there is no explanation for why there is a term that I would call the phase. The second lecture is a tour-de force and explains in terms of this particle treatment, why light reflects and diffracts, and is particularly interesting in why light behaves as if it is reflected only from the front and back of glass, whereas it is actually scattered by electrons throughout the glass. The third lecture covers electron-photon interactions, and covers Feynman diagrams and shows why QED is the most accurate theory ever proposed. The fourth lecture may seem a bit of a disappointment. The author tries to cover a very wide range of phenomena, which he terms "loose ends", and in some ways this chapter has been overtaken somewhat, nevertheless it also gives a look into Feynman's mind, and that also is well worth the price of the book. It is also here that the issue of renormalization is discussed - if you could call Feynman admitting it is "a dippy procedure" a discussion.

Why buy the book? I suspect this is probably the best chance a non-specialist has of understanding the basis of QED. The biggest disappointment? Feynman dismisses wave theory, which everybody else uses, and replaces it with a monumental raft of integrals. My initial thoughts were that waves are effectively an analogue way of solving those integrals, perhaps a gift from nature, and it is a pity I can't ask Feynman why that option was dismissed.

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A Fantastic Theory

Even though these lectures are more than 20 years old, Feynman did an incredible job of explaining a fundamental concept in Physics. I can see now why he received the Nobel prize for his work in this area. I would call him the Carl Sagan of Physics, except that Mr. Sagan's popularity came later in time. QED is so bizarre and incredible, yet so accurate and powerful a theory that it boggles the mind! Mr. Feynman's explanation is so complete and articulate that anyone can understand it. This theory explains the physical underpinnings of most of our daily experience, the interactions of photons with matter, yet it is a complete surprise!

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Clearest intro to QED

I have given this book to several very talented HS students. It can be understood even without higher math.

a little tough to read, but pretty good

It takes some slogging, but this is pretty good. If you don't have a lot of physics background, you'll need patience, but your patience will be rewarded.

reviews: page 1, 2

Celebrated for his brilliantly quirky insights into the physical world, Nobel laureate Richard Feynman also possessed an extraordinary talent for explaining difficult concepts to the general public. Here Feynman provides a classic and definitive introduction to QED (namely quantum electrodynamics), that part of quantum field theory describing the interactions of light with charged particles. Using everyday language, spatial concepts, visualizations, and his renowned "Feynman diagrams" instead of advanced mathematics, Feynman clearly and humorously communicates both the substance and spirit of QED to the layperson. A. Zee's new introduction places both Feynman's book and his seminal contribution to QED in historical context and further highlights Feynman's uniquely appealing and illuminating style.

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