The Character of Physical Law presents an enlightening overview of selected physical laws, drawing together their common features into a broad principle of invariance. Delivered as the Messenger Lectures at Cornell University and recorded for television by the BBC, Feynman explores the importance of physical laws, emphasizing not how clever we are to have discovered them but how ingenious nature is to pay attention to them.

Feynman's discussions culminate in an exposition of the elegance and simplicity of scientific laws. Rather than a mere essay on modern science's achievements, this work is a profound statement on what is remarkable in nature. With his characteristic wit and enthusiasm, Feynman offers a memorable exposition of the scientist's craft.

The Law of Gravitation serves as a principal example, demonstrating the essential interaction between mathematics and physics. Feynman views mathematics as the key to any scientific law system, suggesting that a complete scientific theory would result in an integrated set of axioms.

The book further explores principles of conservation, symmetry, and time-irreversibility, relating them to classical and modern physics developments. In his final lecture, Feynman shares his insights into the process and future of scientific discovery, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of one of the most eminent and imaginative modern physicists.