# Are the Feynman lectures on physics good?

Aaren
I've been reading a lot of stuff around physics as of late, and I was wondering if the "The Feynman Lectures on Physics: Volumes I, II, III." are a good thing to read?
I'm asking as the price for these books aren't cheap, and I want to make sure they are worth the buy.

They are very, very good. They are also available free online: https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/

There are some incidental mistakes, which have mostly been corrected. In the quantum mechanics part, Feynman gives an incorrect argument against hidden variables. And they are not suitable for most as a first course. However, they have so many insightful perspectives that they are a terrific supplement.

docnet, Infrared, berkeman and 2 others
Homework Helper
Gold Member
Feynman's lectures are great for intuitive and insightful explanations`. Chapter 7 of "The Feynman Lectures on Gravitation" is a nice introduction to general relativity. (He covers general relativity in chapter 42 of the feynman lectures volume II also.) The rest of that book takes a QFT route into the subject.

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mpresic3
Yes, I think the Feynman lectures are worth the price. I have a copy that I purchased in a 3 volume binder (?), I think it was a commemorative edition. They were in a half price bookstore but they were shrink-wrapped and looked brand new, and possibly even un-opened for 85$. They are a bit sturderier than the paperback 3 volume set I inherited when a former graduate school roommate moved on. So you see, I bought them even after I had a thirty-five year old copy of them in paperback, so I thought they were worth the purchase. Feynman lectures present physics in a novel, interesting manner. The lectures do not contain any problems to check understanding, but there is a separate volume that has problems. All told, for the majority of physics / engineering students, are better served with a conventional treatment from Resnick/Halliday, Knight, or Giancarlo. Feynman is a really good read after the conventional treatment, to appreciate what you already know, and to extend your knowlege. I have heard some physics graduates say they used the lectures in "brushing up" for their GRE's or even in studying for the less demanding part of their qualifying examinations, although most qualifying exam problems go beyond this level. Depending on your goals, I can recommend them. If you want to read them for enjoyment, I can recommend them highly. If you are reading them for self-study to bring you up to the level of a third year undergraduate in physics / engineering, I think you will have to fill in some gaps. DaveE and BvU Science Advisor Homework Helper 2022 Award Science Advisor Gold Member Yes, I think the Feynman lectures are worth the price. I have a copy that I purchased in a 3 volume binder (?), I think it was a commemorative edition. They were in a half price bookstore but they were shrink-wrapped and looked brand new, and possibly even un-opened for 85$. They are a bit sturderier than the paperback 3 volume set I inherited when a former graduate school roommate moved on. So you see, I bought them even after I had a thirty-five year old copy of them in paperback, so I thought they were worth the purchase.

Feynman lectures present physics in a novel, interesting manner. The lectures do not contain any problems to check understanding, but there is a separate volume that has problems. All told, for the majority of physics / engineering students, are better served with a conventional treatment from Resnick/Halliday, Knight, or Giancarlo. Feynman is a really good read after the conventional treatment, to appreciate what you already know, and to extend your knowlege. I have heard some physics graduates say they used the lectures in "brushing up" for their GRE's or even in studying for the less demanding part of their qualifying examinations, although most qualifying exam problems go beyond this level.

Depending on your goals, I can recommend them. If you want to read them for enjoyment, I can recommend them highly. If you are reading them for self-study to bring you up to the level of a third year undergraduate in physics / engineering, I think you will have to fill in some gaps.
Yes, I think you "nailed it".

When I was an undergraduate at Caltech in the late 1970's they DID NOT used the Feynman lectures in the first 2 years of physics classes, they used the Berkeley Physics texts. The common assessment was that Feynman was great for deep understanding, but that it wasn't that great if you wanted to become proficient at solving physics problems. It's not a great book for Engineers, Biologists, Geologists, Chemists, etc.

Homework Helper
Read lecture 3. That should do it.
From which:
Feynman said:
Physics is the most fundamental and all-inclusive of the sciences, ...

Such modest folks, these physicists

Hamiltonian
archaic
no, feynman is overrated.

don't kill me.

atyy