Richard Feynman: A Life in Science by John Gribbin (PDF)

Description

One hundred years on from his birth, and 30 since his death, Richard Feynman’s discoveries in modern physics are still thoroughly relevant. Magnificently charismatic and fun-loving, he brought a sense of adventure to the study of science.His extraordinary career included war-time work on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, a profoundly original theory of quantum mechanics, for which he won the Nobel prize, and major contributions to the sciences of gravity, nuclear physics and particle theory.Interweaving personal anecdotes and recollections with clear scientific narrative, acclaimed science writers John and Mary Gribbin reveal a fascinating man with an immense passion for life – a superb teacher, a wonderful showman and one of the greatest scientists of his generation.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This is a book for science lovers. I never took “physics” when I was in high school, even though I could have chosen to do so as part of my curriculum. In later years I regretted that decision. Therefore, a lot of the math is over my head, but not the appreciation of how a science genius benefits human activity. After reading this book I gained some insight as to how one man can overcome incredible complexities in order to understand how our world works. Without Feynman, would we be so much more in the dark as to the nature of particle physics? I think so! Richard Feynman stands out as one of the greats. I have now put him next to Albert Einstein on my list of heroes. The author did a fine job of laying out some of Feynman’s many achievements.

⭐This was a fascinating book, and I had a hard time putting it down. Richard Feynman is one of my personal heroes, and not only was he one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century, he was also an interesting character! He was well known for his sense of humor and love of adventure, and his biography is fascinating to read.

⭐Gribbin & Gribbin outline their goal right at the outset: to bring both the flavour of Feynman the magician, and the wizardry of Feynman the scientist, to a larger audience which might otherwise not be aware of his remarkable contributions to 20th-century physics. In that goal they are successful, though the work’s primary weakness is a palpable distinction between the enthusiasm with which its two elemental ingredents are communicated. I am no physicist, and did not regard the book as an opportunity to try and become one, but I am now sufficiently intrigued to have a go at Feynman’s introductory lectures. In that sense, [of] QED, the Gribbins have fashioned an explorer.

⭐John and Mary Gribbin have done a splendid job in explaining the life and works of Richard Feynman. It is a short book of only about 300 pages, but it briefly explains every important part of Feynman’s life. Starting with his childhood the book shows what influenced him to become a physicist and how in an early age he learned the meaning of knowing the name of something and actually knowing something.The book goes through Feynman’s education, his career as a physicist and his contributions to science. Along with that the book gives explanations of what was going in the world of physics before, during and after Feynman. This is the part where anyone reading will have problems because there is so much physics explained that a person needs to have a prior knowledge of basic physics and an intermediate knowledge of the atom to actually understand what Feynman did that made him a legend. If one cannot understand Feynman’s contribution, there is no point in reading the book. Other than this, I have no complaints about the book.The book explains one thing most impressively, i.e. it establishes how Feynman is an unusual physicist. Most usually do their best work by their early thirties, but Feynman made major contributions until he was middle aged. He received his Nobel Prize for his work on QED, but his other major contributions are in gravity, weak interactions, strong interactions, super fluidity, atomic bomb and he also led a major role in the investigation of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Feynman enjoyed life to its full extent; he made adventurous trips, played bongos, and actually had fun in doing what he was doing.The book establishes that Feynman was no ordinary genius. The most important thing about him was he was never too proud and never let his genius get to his head. He was one of the most down to earth and honest person. He didn’t accept mistakes from others but was still willing to accept his own mistake. He was willing to share his knowledge with anyone who wanted to learn and had this `feel’ about him that one could not help but get influenced by him.It looks like John and Mary Gribbin had to give the public a taste of the life of one of the most influential physicist who throughout his life was enthusiastic, adventurous and never backed down from a challenge. If you want a basic overview of Feynman’s life with insights in quantum physics, I absolutely recommend this book. But if you are the type that cannot handle physics, this book is not for you.

⭐I really enjoyed Richard Feynman – A Life in Science. The book is an interesting account of Feynman’s life, and teaches a lot about physics as well. I feel that the author felt it was necessary to write about Feynman not only because of his scientific discoveries, but because of his view of the world, and how he brought that to science. The book is very interesting. It goes into detail about Feynman’s career and life, and gives us details about all of his personality quirks. Richard Feynman is best known for his work in quantum electrodynamics, which he won a Nobel Prize for in 1965. He also worked on quark the theory of superfluidity and was a member of the Manhattan Project during World War Two. Feynman was famous for his lectures and teaching. He taught physics because he found it fun, and he conveyed this in his teachings. We should read this story because it teaches it about physics and the way the world works, but more importantly, because it presents us with Feynman’s optimistic interesting view on life. I think that if we all learned a little of Feynman’s philosophies, we would all be much happier and simpler people.

⭐Does a very good job of bringing his personality to life whilst taking regular breaks to explain his main physics work (in an accessible way).Very enjoyable – it’s easy to see why he has become regarded as the foremost lecturer on the subject, and why he is so highly regarded amongst his peers, former students and the wider public. One of the biggest characters in the field of theoretical physics (along with Schroedinger maybe)… and there is a brilliant short section on one of his fascinations: the principle of least action (which is fairly wonderful).

⭐I have long admired Feynman’s work. I remember seeing him on TV in his heyday when I was a student and being captivated by his ability to explain the most complex ideas in ways anyone could understand. This biography does him great justice. It is very readable and I found myself reading it at every opportunity until I managed to finish it. If you are interested in science or just curious about it you should read this book. A riveting read about a great man.

⭐A great book of a great man, unparalleled except perhaps by Einstein and Newton in Modern Science.A suitable balance between a Biography of his personal and scientific life, both just as interesting.Recommend

⭐Having read other books on Richard Feynman I was surprised how this one brought those all together and yet showed Feynman in its own unique way.Enjoyed immensely, recommend.

⭐Purchased an ex-library book from the USA via Amazon. Somehow this is a more difficult book to get hold of compared to other biographies but is a must for anyone with an interest in the life and work of Feynman, co-written by John Gribbin who is a fine science writer.

Keywords

Free Download Richard Feynman: A Life in Science in PDF format
Richard Feynman: A Life in Science PDF Free Download
Download Richard Feynman: A Life in Science 2018 PDF Free
Richard Feynman: A Life in Science 2018 PDF Free Download
Download Richard Feynman: A Life in Science PDF
Free Download Ebook Richard Feynman: A Life in Science