QED : The Strange Theory of Light and Matter - 06 edition

Summary: 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 ...show more"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.

Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988) was Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology. A. Zee is a Permanent Member of the Institute for Theoretical Physics and Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is the author of Fearful Symmetry: The Search for Beauty in Modern Physics and Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell (both Princeton).

Reviews:

Praise for Princeton's original edition: "Feynman simply cannot help being original. In this quirky, fascinating book, he explains to laymen the quantum theory of light."--New Yorker

Praise for Princeton's original edition:"[A]nother tour de force by the acknowledged master of clear explanation in physics."--John Roche, Times Literary Supplement

Praise for Princeton's original edition:"Feynman's lectures must have been marvellous and they have been turned into an equally entrancing book, a vivid introduction to QED which is leavened and enlivened by his wit. Anyone with a curiosity about physics today should buy it, not only to get to grips with the deepest meaning of quantum theory but to possess a slice of history."--Pedro Waloschek, Nature

Praise for Princeton's original edition: "In four conversational and breezy chapters. . . . Feynman, who himself gave the theory its most useful and powerful form, undertakes without one equation to explain QED to the generality of readers."--Philip Morrison, Scientific American ...show less