The discussion revolves around the suitability of Richard Feynman's book "Statistical Mechanics; A set of lectures" as a first introduction to the subject of statistical mechanics. Participants explore the book's content, style, and appropriateness for beginners in the field.
There is no consensus on whether the book is suitable for beginners, with some participants suggesting it is not appropriate for an introductory level while others highlight its engaging style.
Participants express varying levels of familiarity with the material, which may influence their perspectives on the book's accessibility for newcomers to statistical mechanics.
I think that in general, Feynman is perspicuous if and only if you're adequately prepared. His lectures are fun to browse around in even if you're not very well-prepared, because his expositions are so colorful. But that's maybe rather like looking at an illustrated book written in a foreign language that you don't know.ergospherical said:I found this little book titled “Statistical Mechanics; A set of lectures” by Feynman in the library. I’m not taking Stat Mech until Easter so I’d just be reading for interest at this stage, although the content looks fairly involved. Is it suitable for a first introduction?