Richard Feynman, Signed (22 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. Number line complete 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 -- the first printing. Signed in blue felt-tip to bottom of the title page by the editor Michelle Feynman (though the editor's signature consists primarily of her initials). 486 pp. including Index. Inscribed by Author(s).

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Fine Book & Jacket, First Edition First Print, Signed by Steven Weinberg to Title Page with Provenance to buyer, in a Protective cover, carefully packed & shipped in a box. Signed by Author(s).

Hardcover. Vintage Copy. Richard Feynman's personally owned volume, signed on the front end page in the hand of his wife, Arline Feynman, likely a gift. One of a highly uncommon number of books signed to him in her hand. Volume appears well-used: Condition is Good bound in full blue cloth. Toning and scuffing to cloth. Hinge has started, toning to interior. 8vo, 9 1/4"h x 6 1/2"w. Volume is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Feynman, Richard (1918-88) (1) The development of the space-time view of quantum electrodynamics. Offprint from Physics Today 19 (1966). [11]pp. Light creasing. (2) Typed letter to Eliane Jobredeaux on California Institute of Technology letterhead, signed "R. P. Feynman" in a secretarial hand, with envelope. 1 sheet. Pasadena, CA, 12 February 1981. 270 x 218 mm. Light creasing, faint rust-mark from paperclip. Together 2 items. Very good. The rare offprint of Feyman's Nobel lecture presented by Feynman 15 years after he received the Nobel Prize. This is the first instance that we can recall in which an offprint by Feynman is accompanied by his original presentation letter. Also, we learn from this letter than Feynman used a secretary to send and sign letters like this which presumably he dictated. Another detail evident from this letter is that Feynman retained copies of this offprint as many as 15 years after it was published. His letter reads, "The enclosed reprint describes the development of my experiment. Sincerely, R. P. Feynman." Feynman enclosed a reprint of his entertaining Nobel lecture, which departed from usual practice in presenting an informal anecdotal account of his discovery, rather than a rigorously scientific presentation which he feared might bore his listeners. Magill, ed., The Nobel Prize Winners: Physics, pp. 903-10. .

Hardcover. Vintage Copy. Richard Feynman's personally owned volume, annotated in his hand on two pages of the text on the theme of Christianity and science. Annotated by Feynman: "Christianity has always been a detriment to civilization and especially to scientific knowledge . This has spread in spite of Christianity" ; second annotation reads "Too bad U.S. has to be famous for bigotry." Blunt insights from a man who seldom strayed into direct commentary on religious subjects. The Feynman's bookplate is also inside the front cover, with the Confucian quote "Learning without thought is labour lost; thoughts without learning is perilous." Volume has been well-used, presumably by Feynman while a graduate student. Condition is Fair, bound in full blue cloth. Tearing to cloth exterior, scuffing to cloth, hinge has started. 8vo, 8 1/2"h x 5 1/2"w. Volume is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Condition: Very Good. First edition. FEYNMAN GIVES ADVICE TO LECTURE SERIES COMMITTEE CHAIR OFFERING REVEALING AND QUINTESSENTIALLY FEYNMAN ADVICE: "A good man interested in his work, and not a quack trying to sound important is what you need." Background: "No one can do anything alone, and all the influences of parents, teachers, and friends add up to make a success. In my case, I have always been conscious of the very large contributions given me by my school." -excerpt from Richard Feynman's 1965 telegram to the Far Rockaway High School Science Chairman American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate Dr. Richard P. Feynman was a descendant of Eastern European immigrants who settled in Far Rockaway, Queens. The world knows him for his work at California Institute of Technology, his contributions in Quantum Electrodynamics, the Manhattan Project, and the Challenger Shuttle Commission but he never lost the curiosity that he developed as a student at Far Rockaway High School. After being awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1965 he was invited to speak at Far Rockaway High School in January 1966. He presented at a school-wide assembly, attended a luncheon in his honor, and went to science classrooms to discuss subatomic physics. His visit was well-received by students and faculty who reported that he used layman's terms, slang, gestures and sound effects to help students better understand scientific principles. Following Dr. Feynman's visit, the school passed a resolution calling for a series of science lectures to honor the work of this renowned 1935 Far Rockaway High School graduate. The Feynman Lecture Series was launched in November 1966 and Committee Chairman Jay Rothstein invited Feynman to attend. The letter we have on offer is Dr. Feynman's typed response with his signature in which he graciously declines to attend, citing his inability to travel the long distance from California to New York. Dr. John C. Stewart, professor of geology at Brooklyn College delivered the inaugural lecture of the Feynman Lecture Series, "Dinosaurs, their Evolution and the Adaptation" on November 22, 1966 before an audience of 1,100 students and parents. Dr. Isadore Rubin, editor of Sexology magazine, gave the second lecture, entitled "Sex Education in a Changing Society" on February 16, 1967. Dr. S. Ichtiaque Rasool, staff member for NASA, gave the closing lecture "The Origin of the Solar System" on May 18, 1967. An archive related to the 1966-1967 lecture series accompanies the signed letter from Dr. Feynman (see below for contents). A legendary teacher, showman and physicist, Dr. Feynman's remarkable career inspired students, young scientists, and those who dared to dream up the impossible. He never abandoned his commitment to helping others, remaining active as a lecturer and researcher until the end of his life. This letter, his relationship with his alma mater, and the Richard Feynman lecture series at Far Rockaway High School honor his inquisitive spirit and his legacy as "the most brilliant, iconoclastic and influential of the postwar generation of theoretical physicists." (Gleick) Included with the letter is an archive of material relating to the 1966-1967 lecture series: a poster advertising a lecture on Dinosaurs, a typed letter signed to Rothstein from the chairs of the Feynman Lecture Series Committee, a 3-page carbon copy of the Committee's introduction to the 1966-1967 lectures, various clippings from the school's newspaper about the lectures, 4 black and white photographs of lecturers from the 1966-1967 series, and 3 tickets to the lectures in that series. Typed letter signed ("R. P. Feynman"), to Mr. Jay Rothstein, 5 December 1966. 1 page (8.5x11 in), on California Institute of Technology stationery. Usual folds (but very mild); a little creasing to edges; a rectangle block of mild toning to paper (possibly from once being framed). Housed in custom presentation folder. Full text of Feynman's letter on California Institute of Technology stationery: 5 December.

Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. THE MASTER PHYSICS TEACHER AT WORK: COMPREHENSIVE MANUSCRIPT LECTURE NOTES ON RICHARD FEYNMAN'S 'ADVANCED MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS' COURSE AT CALTECH. Brown card clip folder with 298 leaves, mostly written on both sides; mimeographed lecture materials interspersed. A unique record from the 1954-55 academic year of Feynman's 'Physics 129' course. Transcribed by Ray L. Newburn, later to become a NASA astrophysicist with a specialism in comet analysis. This series of lectures had been developed by Feynman immediately after World War II at Cornell, as recounted in the chapter titled 'The Dignified Professor' in 'Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman!'. James Gleick also describes the genesis of the course in his biography of Feynman: "At Los Alamos mathematical methods had been put through a crucible: refined, clarified, rewritten, reinvented. Feynman thought he knew what was useful and what was mere textbook knowledge taught because it had always been taught. He intended to emphasize nonlinearity more than was customary and to teach students the patchwork of gimmicks and trick that he used himself to solve equations" (Genius, pp.216-217). Of particular note, the preliminary sketches for that course, quoted by Gleick from Feynman's own notebook, are present here, as recorded directly from Feynman speaking at the blackboard: "Know what to leave out", "Specify accuracy you want", and so on. The content is particularly valuable given Feynman's many original contributions to mathematical physics, and his later course of introductory lectures at Caltech, now known simply as 'The Feynman Lectures on Physics'. The present lectures were quite technical and must have been a relentless experience: at the end of each semester Newburn makes wry comments to the course Teaching Assistant Michael Cohen, who marked his work with a red crayon (sometimes replying in kind, sometimes taking a sterner tone). At one point Newburn writes "Dr Feynman spent most of period going over problems and telling us how dumb we were". Whatever the challenges, the reward for Newburn and his fellow students was immense. In the notes we can see Feynman introducing the "different box of tools" that he describes in 'Surely You're Joking'. As he writes there, "I got a great reputation for doing integrals, only because my box of tools was different from everybody else's". Here, in the lecture of 1 October 1954, Feynman gives a list of ways to attack integrals, finishing with "Special tricks", which were then gradually introduced and worked through in numerous examples. Almost all of the material here relates directly to lectures given by Feynman; in total there are 76 dated sections, each apparently referring to one taught session. Occasionally Newburn has noted that other lecturers subbed for Feynman, and the course grading and some lectures were given by Michael Cohen, Feynman's grad student and a noted physicist in his own right - but the course is Feynman's and the vast majority of the material is here transcribed directly from his lecturing and blackboard examples. A full list of the lectures can be provided on request, as well as many further photographs. Only two other sets of notes on this course are known: the James C. Keck transcriptions from Cornell, 1946-47, and F. Curtis Michel's transcriptions from the 1959-60 session of the present Caltech course, held at Rice University. A remarkable survival, of the greatest interest for the light it sheds on perhaps the greatest physics lecturer of the modern period. Good condition: front cover and first leaf loose, wear to join between pages and metal clip for c.5 leaves; otherwise very good, clean and legible throughout. Inscribed by Author(s).

First edition of this work by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist regarding quantum electrodynamics. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by the author on the title page, "Richard P. Feynman." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Preface by Ralph Leighton. Rare and desirable signed. 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.

First edition of this collection of reminiscences by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and one of the greatest scientific minds of the twentieth century. Octavo, original half cloth. Signed by Richard Feynman on the title page. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket with a touch of shelfwear. Jacket design by Mike McIver. Told to Ralph Leighton. Edited by Edward Hutchings. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Signed first editions are exceptionally rare and desirable. Richard Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, thrived on outrageous adventures. Here he recounts in his inimitable voice his experience trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and Bohr and ideas on gambling with Nick the Greek; cracking the uncrackable safes guarding the most deeply held nuclear secrets; accompanying a ballet on his bongo drums; painting a naked female toreador. In short, here is Feynman's life in all its eccentricâa combustible mixture of high intelligence, unlimited curiosity, and raging chutzpah. âA storyteller in the tradition of Mark Twain. He proves once again that it is possible to laugh out loud and scratch your head at the same timeâ (New York Times Book Review).

Early printings of each volume of one of the greatest physics books ever written. Quarto, original red printed wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in volume one, "May 5, 1982, To my friend, Al Seckel." The recipient, Alfred Paul Seckel, authored several books on the nature of illusion and perception and edited two of Bertrand Russell's works. An active figure in the Freethought movement, Seckel co-designed the "Darwin fish" logo in response to the proliferation of "Jesus fish" logos used on bumper stickers and t-shirts. Each volume is in very good condition. Housed in a custom cloth clamshell box. Exceptionally rare and desirable, only a handful or inscribed copies of Feynman's Lectures On Physics are known to exist. "The whole thing was basically an experiment," Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning a book that has remained a definitive introduction to physics for decades. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as general relativity and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. More than 1.5 million English-language copies have been sold; probably even more copies have been sold in a dozen foreign-language editions.ÂA 2013 review inÂNatureÂdescribed the book as having "simplicity, beauty, unity . presented with enthusiasm and insight.".

A collection of materials pertaining to Richard P. Feynman's involvement in Theatre Arts at the California Institute of Technology (TACIT), with all materials from the estate of Shirley Marneus, who founded TACIT and directed stage productions there for over 20 years. Highlights include a signed copy of Surely You're Joking, Mr. Fenyman! New York: W.W. Norton, 1985. Ninth printing. Near Fine with foxing to the top edge and lesser so to the fore edge and endsheets, corner crease to page 127/128; in the original dust jacket which is spine-faded; and a first edition of the posthumously published Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman, inscribed by Feynman's daughter, editor Michelle Feynman, to Marneus: "For Shirley, I know my father thought the world of you - as do I. All the best, Michelle Feynman". Additional material includes: The original cast information sheet for what is perhaps Feynman's most memorable role, the High Priest in TACIT's 1982 production of South Pacific, which includes Feynman's contact information, as well as costume measurements including his shoe and hat sizes; The rehearsal schedule for South Pacific, which notes a production meeting with Richard Feynman and fellow Caltech physicist Robert B. Leighton, who played the High Priest's assistant; Programs for six of the productions in which Feynman appeared and is credited: Guys and Dolls, South Pacific (four copies), The Lady's Not for Burning, The Madwoman of Chaillot, Kismet, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Cast list, organized by scene, for TACIT's 1978 production of Fiorello!, in which Feynman appeared as a gangster; the 1983 Caltech Faculty Roster, in which Feynman is identified as the Richard Chace Tolman Professor of Theoretical Physics alongside his portrait; 18 copies of a memorial program insert dedicating an unnamed production to Feynman "who brought the same compassion, integrity and sense of joy to each of his roles as he did to all other aspects of his life," listing all eight TACIT productions in which he appeared. Some toning and soiling to the programs with staining to several copies of South Pacific; Guys and Dolls is hole punched along the left margin, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is folded in half. Feynman was already regarded as the most brilliant, influential, and iconoclastic figure in his field when Marneus approached the theoretical physicist, who had been a member of the Caltech staff since 1949, about performing in a 1977 production of Guys and Dolls. Feynman recalled this moment in his irreverent memoir Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, ".at Caltech there's a group that puts on plays. Some of the actors are Caltech students; others are from outside. When there's a small part, such as a policeman who's supposed to arrest somebody, they get one of the professors to do it. It's always a big joke - the professor comes on and arrests somebody, and goes off again. A few years ago the group was doing Guys and Dolls, and there was a scene where the main guy takes the girl to Havana, and they're in a nightclub. The director thought it would be a good idea to have the bongo player on the stage in the nightclub be me." Feynman was known to be an enthusiastic bongo player, after having developed a passion for samba music during his 1951-52 sabbatical in Brazil. In her remembrance of Feynman for The California Tech, a campus weekly, Marneus recalled, ".immediately, he wanted to find out more about the stage, about acting, how to do it well, to really go for the principles of the form. And though his research, classes, conferences kept him on a rigorous schedule, he always made time to come back to TACIT, each time fresh yet more skilled, each time challenging himself. Finally, as the Sewer King in The Madwoman of Chaillot, he pulled off a little jewel of characterization - a mix of wry humour, weary insight, delicious dubiety determined that the 'g.

FEYNMAN, Richard P. Recommendations. No place: No publisher, circa 1986. Five sheets of mimeographed paper, each measuring 8-1/2 by 14 inches, stapled at top corner; pp. 5. $22,500.Mimeograph of the galleys of the Recommendations of the Rogers Commission tasked with investigating the Challenger disaster, signed on the front page by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman with his additional note: "PRIVATE (CLOSE HOLD)."The Rogers Commission was formed in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster to investigate the reasons behind the space shuttle's explosion. Richard Feynman was in the final months of his life and reluctantly accepted the appointment to the Commission, despite believing it would "ruin [his] life." Feynman was consumed by the investigation, painstakingly analyzing the evidence and eventually reaching a conclusion that exposed systemic problems at NASA that extended well beyond the Challenger. Feynman harshly criticized the culture of NASA, from its poor decision-making to its excessive risk tolerance. This galley of the Commission's ultimate recommendations, ironically, takes a more moderated approach. It begins by recommending that the design of the Solid Rocket Motor joint and seal (the infamous O-rings) be improved and goes on to suggest changes to NASA bureaucracy and oversight. This report, unlike Feynman's minority report, "strongly recommends that NASA continue to receive the support of the Administration and the nation." Small notation in an unidentified hand above Feynman's signature reading: "1st gally [sic] 9:45 5/26." This item was formerly the property of the Feynman family.Original folding creases. Fine condition. Signed.

custom folder. Condition: Very Good. First edition. FEYNMAN OFFERS ADVICE AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR A SCIENTIFIC ENDEAVOR. An exceedingly rare two-page autograph letter from Richard Feynman from 1983, signed once in full cursive, once with a printed last name, once with his initials, and once with a printed "alias" "DR. -". Background: The recipient of the letter - Stephan Arnold Mascari - has provided (in an included letter of provenance) the context of the letter: "Here's the story behind the letter: It was in the middle of 1983 that I decided to give up being a lawyer in Washington, DC, and devote my life to resolving the greatest mystery in science-the nature of the conscious mind. I had been studying the issue since my undergraduate days at Georgetown and became convinced that the mind must have some other basis than the neural machinery of the brain. And several eminent neuroscientists had convincingly argued for a dualistic mind-a soul if you will. "But I had no illusions about the intellectual climate of the day. Materialism was (and is) the reigning dogma. Anyone is surely a heretic if they try to resurrect the antiquated notion of the soul. Even if I could discover a natural origin for souls, mainstream journals would reject my work. Why devote my life to this ancient dilemma if I had no way of publicizing my discoveries? "Surely, the answer would be to assemble a world-class panel of unbiased experts and let them pass judgment. So I wrote to Richard Feynman. After explaining my mission and strategy, I asked him what he thought of this idea and whether he would consider joining such a panel. This letter contains Feynman's response. "I might add that Feynman himself had little to say about the nature of the mind. He did express the view in one of his books that he considered the conscious mind to be 'yesterday's potatoes' but he left it at that. When I wrote to Feynman perhaps the best book on the subject was Brain, Mind and Computers by Stanley Jaki. I photocopied and sent thirty pages of this book to Feynman to challenge his 'potatoes' comment. He read it and quoted it back to me [in this letter] but he somehow mistook my handwritten word 'Jaki' to be 'Likki.' This then is the story behind the letter." -Stephen Arnold Mascari Feynman's Response: Feynman's lengthy hand-written response to Mascari's invitation to join his panel is as follows: Sept 6, 1983 Dear Dr. +, The best way to get an idea "evaluated"* is simply to publish it freely and see what sensible people say - or better what how experiments to test its validity turn out. All this stuff about expert panels, attorneys, secret panelists or authors, etc. is all silly and unnecessary. I don't want to be on such a panel, but thank you for thinking me worthy. On the other hand, if you do ever publish it in a normal manner, please send me a copy. Also thanks for sending the note by Likki. Ten years later we are still confused. It is a wonderful (OVER) ----- *If you are unsure of its value thru your own checking, analyzing or experimenting [page 2] problem you are working on I hope you can contribute something sen sound to it and not just another hairbrained idea. "These people who make assertions so promptly" Steno warned, ". (see page 120 of Likki "Brains, Mind and computers".) Good luck. Thanks for writing. [signed] Richard Feynman [printed] FEYNMAN P.S. IF YOU CAN'T READ MY WRITING, I SAID "NO" TO BEING ON PANEL. R.P.F. (ALIAS DR. - ) -------------------------- [The full quote by Steno that Feynman cites is indeed from Brains, Mind and Computers, p. 120 and is revealing of Feynman's way of thinking: "These people who make assertions so promptly," Steno warned, "will give you the history of the brain and the arrangement of its parts with the same assurance as if they had been present at the construction of that marvelous machine and if they had penetrated all the plans of its great Architect." As for himself, he was "resolved to be persuaded only by those who in looking for a solid science are unable to find satisfac.

First edition of this work by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist regarding quantum electrodynamics, which James Gleick calls it "a model of science writing." Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author to his sister on the half-title page, "Dedicated to my dear sister, Joan. Richard P. Feynman." The recipient, Joan Feynman was Feynman's younger sister and grew to be a world-renowned astrophysicist in her own right. As children, Richard was Joan's first teacher and constantly advised her to challenge herself. Today, she is known for her work on the origin of auroras (i.e., the polar lights) as well as significant contributions to magnetospheric physics and the study of solar wind particles. In 1974, Joan Feynman became the first woman elected an officer of the American Geophysical Union and was recognized by NASA with an Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 2000. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Preface by Ralph Leighton. An exceptional association linking two brilliant titans of physics and astrophysics, most likely the finest extant. 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.

First edition, early printing of this collection of reminiscences by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and one of the greatest scientific minds of the twentieth century. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, lengthily inscribed by the author to his cousin on the half-title page, "To Frances Lewine Hi Franky - send me your book -- you ought to write one- it's easy, all you have to do is tell all those wonderful stories of yours to some friend with an open tape recorder. Richard." The recipient, Frances Lewine was known as a champion for the rights of women journalists throughout the 1950's, 60's, and 70s and worked to fight discrimination. Growing up near Feynman and his sister in Far Rockaway, Lewine was assigned to the White House in 1956 as a reporter covering the activities of first ladies and Washington society. In 1965, the same year Feynman won the Nobel Prize for Physics, Lewine became the first full-time female White House correspondent. Just over a decade later, she joined the administration of President Jimmy Carter and became the Department of Transportation's deputy director of public affairs in 1977. After Carter left office, Lewine joined the Cable News Network as an assignment producer and field producer at the age of 60. As her professional career, her letter, and Feynman's inscription suggest, she had many colorful stories to tell. In an unpublished letter to Feynman dated October 23, 1965, Lewine wrote "I have spread the word all over Washington-- including the White House that I am a close relative of the Nobel Prize winner-- and I am basking in glittering reflected glory. .'three cheers for Richard Feynman----and his cousins and his sisters and his aunts.' . Aside from clucking like [I'd] won the prize myself, I have been busy at the White House with LBJ's gall bladder." (Courtesy family of Joan Feynman). Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Mike McIver. Told to Ralph Leighton. Edited by Edward Hutchings. Signed examples of this book are rare; inscribed copies are rarer still; and association copies are rarest of all. Indeed Feynmanâs signature has become something of a âFeynman storyâ of its own. The legendary physicist, it seems, who understood so much, could never understand why people collect autographs. He asked one collector, âCould you please write and explain it to me?â To another he wrote, âIâm sorry to have to inform you that I do not send autographsâ; and then he signed the letter, thereby sending an autograph. He even made a bet, once, on how many times he would have to sign his name in connection with a certain speaking engagement. He lost. Requests for Feynmanâs signature were referred routinely to his secretary, who returned instead a printed card saying firmly that âProfessor Feynman has found it necessary to refuse all requests for autographs.â Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Richard Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, thrived on outrageous adventures. Here he recounts in his inimitable voice his experience trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and Bohr and ideas on gambling with Nick the Greek; cracking the uncrackable safes guarding the most deeply held nuclear secrets; accompanying a ballet on his bongo drums; painting a naked female toreador. In short, here is Feynman's life in all its eccentricâa combustible mixture of high intelligence, unlimited curiosity, and raging chutzpah. âA storyteller in the tradition of Mark Twain. He proves once again that it is possible to laugh out loud and scratch your head at the same timeâ (New York Times Book Review).

First edition. PRESENTATION OFFPRINT INSCRIBED BY FEYNMAN. First edition, extremely rare offprint, inscribed by Feynman, of Feynman's senior undergraduate thesis at MIT, a fundamental discovery "that has played an important role in theoretical chemistry and condensed matter physics" (Selected Papers, p. 1), published when he was just twenty-one. This is a remarkable paper, documenting the first steps in original research of one of the most brilliant minds of the twentieth century. "Feynman was one of the most creative and influential physicists of the twentieth century. A veteran of the Manhattan Project of World War II and a 1965 Nobel laureate in physics, he made lasting contributions across many domains, from electrodynamics and quantum theory to nuclear and particle physics, solid-state physics, and gravitation" (DSB). Feynman showed that "the force on an atom's nucleus is no more or less than the electrical force from the surrounding field of charged electrons - the electrostatic force. Once the distribution of charge has been calculated quantum mechanically, then from that point forward quantum mechanics disappears from the picture. The problem becomes classical; the nuclei can be treated as static points of mass and charge. Feynman's approach applies to all chemical bonds. If two nuclei act as though strongly attracted to each other, as the hydrogen nuclei do when they bond to form a water molecule, it is because the nuclei are each drawn toward the electrical charge concentrated quantum mechanically between them" (Gleick, Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman). His discovery, now known as Feynman's theorem or the Feynman-Hellmann theorem, has endured as an efficient approach to the calculation of forces in molecules. "The importance of the forces on the atomic nuclei for molecular geometry, the theory of chemical binding, and for crystal structure is evident" (Selected Papers, p. 1). ABPC/RBH lists no copy of any offprint of any of Feynman's papers in Physical Review (where he published almost all of his most important work). Not on OCLC. Provenance: Signed 'R. P. Feynman' in pencil in top margin of first page. This offprint was signed by Feynman and given by him to Robert Kinsel Smith (1920-99), a classmate and personal friend of Feynman's at Princeton University, where both Feynman and Kinsel Smith studied for their PhDs (a letter from Kinsel Smith's son testifying to this provenance accompanies the offprint). Born in Far Rockaway in the Queens section of New York City, Feynman (1918-88) entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1935 to begin his undergraduate studies. Although he originally majored in mathematics, he later switched to electrical engineering, as he considered mathematics to be too abstract. Noticing that he 'had gone too far,' he then switched to physics, which he claimed was 'somewhere in between.' To complete their bachelor's degree, all physics majors at MIT were then (as now) required to write a 'senior thesis'. "Thirteen physics majors completed senior theses in 1939. The world of accumulated knowledge was still small enough that MIT could expect a thesis to represent original and possibly publishable work. The thesis should begin the scientist's normal career and meanwhile supply missing blocks in the wall of organized knowledge, by analyzing such minutiae as the spectra of singly ionized gadolinium or hydrated manganese chloride crystals . Seniors could devise new laboratory instruments or investigate crystals that produced electrical currents when squeezed. Feynman's thesis began as a circumscribed problem like these. It ended as a fundamental discovery about the forces acting within the molecules of any substance" (Gleick). Feynman recounted his work on the thesis in an interview with Charles Weiner in March, 1966. "I went to Slater [the renowned solid-state theorist John Clarke Slater (1900-76)], and he gave me a problem, which was . why does quartz have such a small coefficient.

Condition: Very Good. Early Printings. Three volumes, early printings. Signed by Richard P. Feynman with a small doodle on the preface page next to an image of him playing a bongo drum, followed by "Hawat / Muan [?]", perhaps a reference to Frank Herbert's Dune. Bound in publisher's original red cloth stamped in gilt and white. Very Good with fading to spines, light rubbing to cloth and light marking to covers, bumping to corners, former owner names at front, slight foxing to endsheets. UCLA students' bookstore rubber stamp to bottom textblock edge and front free endpaper of volume I. Complete with three exercise books (1964-65), bound in publisher's original stapled wraps. Very Good with rubbing to spines, light wear to covers, former owner name inside front covers and toning to pages. Based on lectures presented before undergraduate students at the California Institute of Technology, during 1961-1963 by Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman, who has sometimes been called "The Great Explainer". One of the most popular physics textbooks ever written, selling over 1.5 million copies, signed copies are very scarce.

Richard P. Feynman's National Medal of Science, bestowed upon him by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Bronze, the medal depicts a man in contemplation writing a formula in the sand on the obverse, and reads on the reverse: "Awarded by the President of the United States of America to Richard Phillips Feynman 1979." Established in 1959, he National Medal of Science is is an honor bestowed annually by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the following six fields: behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physical sciences. National Medal of Science Laureates include: Theodore von Kármán, Cornelius Van Niel, Kurt Gà del, Gilbert Stork, Barbara McClintock, Albert Sabin, Richard P. Feynman, and Eugene M. Shoemaker. In fine condition. Housed in a custom leather case.ÂWith a gold tie pin replicating the medal housed in the original box. American theoretical physicist Richard Phillips Feynman was best known for his his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as his work in particle physics for which he proposed the parton model. During his lifetime, Feynman became one of the best-known scientists in the world. He was a keen popularizer of physics through both books and lectures, including a 1959 talk on top-down nanotechnology called There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom and the three-volume publication of his undergraduate lectures, The Feynman Lectures on Physics. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as general relativity and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. Along with his work in theoretical physics, Feynman has been credited with pioneering the field of quantum computing and introducing the concept of nanotechnology. For his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics, Feynman received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 jointly with Julian Schwinger and Shin'ichirÅ Tomonaga. In addition to the Nobel Prize and National Medal of Science, Feynman received the Oersted Medal in 1972 and Niels Bohr International Gold Medal in 1973.

First edition. First edition, first printings of all three books, with first editions of their respective exercise books. Signed by Richard Feynman in ink beneath on preface of Vol. I. Complete in three volumes, perfect bound in original red cloth lettered in white and gilt; exercise books in stapled wraps. Very Good, with light foxing to edges and shelf wear, spine slightly sunned. No writing or marks in text. Spine of Vol. I slightly concave. slight curve to boards of Vol. III. Exercise books are in Near Fine condition overall; Vol. II wraps slightly worn. A stamped envelope and a sheet of notes from the former owner laid in. A rare signed set of the important lectures Feynman gave at the California Institute of Technology, 1961-1963. Feynman received a share of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics. This set belonged to the noted physicist Peter D. Zimmerman, recently purchased at the sale of his estate. Each hardcover volume has Zimmerman's neatly printed name in ink on the front free endpaper, with his dates of purchase in 1964 and 1965. Zimmerman (1941-2021) was an American nuclear physicist, arms control expert, and former Chief Scientist of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. At his death, he was Emeritus Professor of Science and Security at King's College London. He graduated from Stanford in 1963 with a BS, a Filosofie Licentiat degree at Lund University in 1967 and a Ph.D from Stanford in 1969. An uncommon first printing set of one of the most popular physics texts of all time, a compilation of the Nobel laureate's lectures at Caltech. Scarce signed.

Richard Feynman's own office copy of his collected lectures on physics, with his ownership signatures. Quarto, 3 volumes, original red cloth. With Feynman's ownership signature and address to the front free endpaper of volume one, "R. P. Feynman. Calif Instit. of Technology Pasadena, Calif. 795-6811 Ext. 2688" and signature to the front free endpaper of Vol. II, "Office R P Feynman." Each volume is in very good condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box by the Harcourt Bindery. From the library of Richard P. Feynman. A unique example of one of the most important physics texts ever published. "The whole thing was basically an experiment," Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning a book that has remained a definitive introduction to physics for decades. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as general relativity and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. More than 1.5 million English-language copies have been sold; probably even more copies have been sold in a dozen foreign-language editions.ÂA 2013 review inÂNatureÂdescribed the book as having "simplicity, beauty, unity . presented with enthusiasm and insight.".