Book Description

An extraordinary volume of never-before-published letters written by one of America's most beloved scientists.

Richard P. Feynman, brilliant physicist and beloved teacher, is an iconic figure in the world of science. Born in 1918 in Brooklyn, Feynman received his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1942. Despite his youth, he played an important part in the Manhattan Project during World War II, going on to teach at both Cornell and the California Institute of Technology, and winning the Nobel Prize in physics in 1965 for his research in quantum electrodynamics. Many remember his work on the Challenger commission, in particular his famous O-ring experiment, which required nothing more than a glass of ice water. Besides his work as a physicist, Feynman was at various times an artist, dancer, bongo player, and lock picker.

While there have been many books celebrating his myriad scientific achievements and personal eccentricities, his personal correspondence has remained largely hidden from view buried in the archive at Caltech or locked in a box in his daughter's Pasadena home. Now, for the first time, we have the privilege of reading his wonderful letters to students, long-lost relatives, former lovers, crackpots, colleagues, and die-hard fans. From his early love letters to his first wife Arline, who died at Los Alamos of tuberculosis, to his decades-long attempt to resign from the National Academy of Sciences, Feynman shares his views on feminism, fatherhood and everything in between. These letters, which span a full half-century, tell the story of a marvelous and inventive life, and reveal the pathos and wisdom of a man many felt close to but few really knew. By turns abrasive and charming, intimate and inspiring, we see the many sides of Richard Feynman, and treasure him all the more. ... Read more

Book Description

The main objectives of this introductory physics book are twofold: to provide the student with a clear and logical presentation of the basic concepts and principles of physics, and to strengthen an understanding of the concepts and principles through a broad range of interesting applications to the real world. In order to meet these objectives, emphasis is placed on sound physical arguments and discussions of everyday experiences and observations. At the same time, the student is motivated through practical examples that demonstrate the role of physics in other disciplines. This sixth edition features new pedagogy in keeping with the findings of physics education research. The rich, new pedagogy has been integrated within the framework of an established and reliable text, facilitating its use by instructors.This text, which covers the standard topics in classical physics and 20th century physics, is divided into six parts. Newtonian mechanics and the physics of fluids (Part I); heat and thermodynamics (Part II); wave motion and sound (Part III); electricity and magnetism (Part IV); properties of light and the field of geometric and wave optics (Part V); and an introduction to special relativity, quantum physics, and atomic and nuclear physics (Part VI). ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Blech
This book totally failed to explain the concept of torque to me, I spent one hour reading the torque chapter twice and it failed to show me. Then I asked my friend online and he was able to explain it to me in less than a minute. This book is only good for the problem sets, which occasionally have a cameo from a Warner Brothers cartoon and one picture of Raymond Serway on a bed of nails. You will not be able to teach yourself physics concepts if you use this book, so if your professor assigns it, I recommend you go to class. Maybe that's why he or she assigned it in the first place.

less than one star... but since there's no zero
This is one of the poorest books I've ever used for learning any subject. This is simply NOT GOING TO WORK if you learn by reading/studying, rather than in class.

I already have a college degree, and I've read thousands of books, and studied from many. Rarely have I found a book this thick that has so little
1) EXPLANATION OF CORE CONCEPTS,
or
2) THOROUGHLY WORKED EXAMPLES OF PROBLEMS.

There is a lot of verbiage but that is all.

DO NOT WASTE TIME WITH THIS BOOK. Without a GOOD teacher, this book is beyond totally useless. With a teacher one can use this book for homework problems, but nothing more.

Since I am doing this as a pre-requisite for medical school, I am using the web and a number of other texts instead. I wish I could find a good thorough text though.

Excellent Book - But Only a Gateway to the Field
I will keep my review short and pointed.

It is difficult for people to design books for students. I was a professor so I know the subject and sometimes it is a challenge to prepare and transfer the information in an easy way to the student. That is the challenge.

About the book. It is an excellent book, with lots of information and covers all the basic topics of interest. If you can absorb everything in this book you will have a solid physics foundation of knowledge. It is a modern book and tries to relate physics concepts to the real world and modern laboratory so there is lots of extra information and tables, conversions, units, etc. Lots of formulas and a good cross reference index and it is all clear to myself.

As a student you will never learn from just the book. You must read the book, but it is absolutely critical that you do every problem that you can find from assignments, to what is available in this book, to other books. Problems, problems, problems. Then you will absorb all that is in the book. The field is not intuitively obvious and there is no shortcut to study and problem solving.

Many better choices
My daughter is taking high school AP physics with this book. As a former teaching assistant in physics (grad school), this book is terrible in that the chapters give little insight to the information needed to work the problems. Without significant, and excellent, supplement by the teacher this book should not be used.

This book is pathetic
I am taking college physics as well as my second semester of general chemistry. This book in no way compares to my chemistry text. I am a very good college student with a BS in computer science and a strong physics background,... and even for me this book is extremely hard to follow. That is the consensus among my fellow students which include a friend who already has his MBA. There is not much explanation of concepts before you jump into the problems, and there are not nearly enough example problems worked in the text. Additionally, considering this is the 6th edition I am surprised to still find errors in the text.

Don't even consider purchasing the student solution manual. I think it works out about 15 of the end of chapter problems per chapter, which is not very many. ... Read more

Book Description

With its time-tested problems, pioneering conceptual and visual pedagogy, and next-generation media package, the Eleventh Edition of Young and Freedman's University Physics is the classic physics book with an eye on the future. Using Young & FreedmanUs research-based ISEE (Identify, Set up, Execute, Evaluate) problem-solving strategy, readers develop the physical intuition and problem-solving skills required to tackle the bookUs extensive high-quality problem sets that have been developed and refined over the past five decades. The completely redesigned, pedagogically consistent artwork and diagrams integrate seamlessly with the book to help readers better visualize key concepts.For college instructors, students, or anyone interested in physics. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Will make your physics concepts crystal...
I have used this book in my A level (High School). I think its simply fantastic. I has detailed explainations. I don't know how could my friends who are at college level find this book unuseful.
But it demands strong mathematics, that very few people have. If you have strong maths, then you are ready to use this book. But if
you haven't this book might be the toughest for you.

Great book for learning physics while abstracting from math
I liked this book a lot. It has a lot of information, presented very clearly, about topics in physics that are often not studied in undergrad programs like fluid dynamics, physics of sound waves and musical instruments and thermodynamics. The illustrations are stunning!! One can really understand a lot of physics by reading this book - from mechanics to electromagentism, waves and modern physics.

I do think that the book is somewhat superficial in all the above topics. It uses only modest math, and so does not reach the complexity level of the Berkely physics course series (which I am familar with). As I said, the strengths of the book are its breadth and simple explanations of the less complicated topics.

If one wishes a more in depth understanding of physics, it is easy to move from this text to more advanced texts on mechanics, magnetism or quantum mechanics (assuming appropriate knowledge of math). I would still recommend starting with this book in order to get a clear and broad view of physics while enjoying the process.

It is annoying that this book has an outrageous price. It is not so different from the 10th edition, and so you can get a new or used 10th edition copy for a fraction of the price $150 (I got a new 10th edition hardcover (with modern physics) under $40).

Fair at best
This book is too bulky and too wordy. The authors purport to bend over backwards to guide the student through some difficult subject matter, but they end up making it more confusing. And then there are the corny jokes. Who has time for this nonsense? Were it not for the very good illustrations, I would give this a lower rating. My advice: Go to the lecture, do the problems but don't waste time reading this textbook.

a lot of hard questions, not enough explanation
The book does not go indepth into a lot of physics problems. It will solve one question on one topic and then give the student a bunch of other questions at the end of the chapter that are different and harder than the solved example problems. Everyone who has taken college physics knows that there are a lot of variations to different questions, and there are conditions and exceptions that must be taken into account before a problem is solved. If you have a crappy physics professor, like I had, this book will make physics a nightmare for you.

A disappointment
I use this book for my college physics class and I can honestly say this book is crap. The questions are confusing at best and difficult to understand. There is a lot of worthless junk. The solutions to the book are even worst. It jumps straight into a equation without stating which one did it used. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling algebra-based physics book has been widelyknown for its carefully crafted exposition, strong biological applications, andhigh degree of accuracy and precision.The Fifth Editionmaintains these strengths and brings a conceptual emphasis and real-worldflavor to the examples, problems, and art program. In addition, the new editionfeatures an unparalleled suite of media and on-line resources to enhance thephysics classroom.For readers with an algebra-based physicsbackground. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Tough, Demanding, Excellent
I just completed an Advanced Placement (AP) Physics course atmy high school, using this book as our text. Although College-levelphysics is an extremely tough subject to comprehend, Douglas Giancoli does an excellent job in laying out the principals and applications of every aspect of the science. He starts with the basics: One and Two dimensional Kinematics, then moves on to cover Forces and Rotational motion, Gravitation, Torque, Momentum, Simple Harmonic Motion, Thermal Physics, Electricty and Magnetism, Relativity, Quantum and Nuclear Physics, and Astrophysics. Each chapter comes complete with practice questions and problems, and although they are sometimes incredibly difficult, they can be solved by using the information provided in the chapter, even though you sometimes have to extend the information one step further. The textbook has a companion website as well ..., complete with online questions and problems which made a great companion to the text. Occasionally throughout the year, we found a few errors in the text, and some of his explanations leave things to be desired, but overall it was a terrific textbook.

WARNING
This book is maddening. Hundreds of physics problems, and no manual to show you how their solutions are derived. You can't learn physics unless you go over the solutions to problems -- so you can't learn physics with this book alone. You need 1.)a professor with the solutions manual 2.) the solutions manual (which a lowly student is not allowed to have) -- or 3.) a different book (my recommendation). I'm preparing on my own for the MCAT, and this book is driving me crazy. I'm able to get my hands on College Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Biology texts, all with detailed answers to their problems. Trying to answer a problem, failing, reviewing the answer, coming back to it later and trying again -- that's how you learn. Reading five pages of text, one or two worked-out examples, and then tackling 30 problems of varying degrees of difficulty with no assistance from the text (or the absolutely useless student manual, what a waste of money) -- is no way to learn physics. If the authors published a student solutions manual with worked-out problems, this would be a good text. I wish the authors could read some of the comments on this site and realize WORKED-OUT PROBLEMS FOR STUDENTS OF PHYSICS ARE ESSENTIAL TO LEARNING PHYSICS. Perhaps in a classroom setting, with a good teacher, this is a helpful text. Trying to use it on your own as a resource for MCAT preparation, or any other solitary learning, however, is a complete waste of time. DON'T BUY IT.

Outstanding text
I used Giancoli as my primary text in high school, and found it to be a superb text. I think those complaining of a lack of worked problems are missing the entire point of this text and the essence of studying physics. This book is about understanding physics principles and the equations you use to solve physics problems. You will find that with this understanding (certainly provided by this excellent text), the need for mindless ploughing through physics problems is lost. You will be able to solve physics problems on the basis of your conceptual understanding of the problems. So many students rely on rote learning and repetition by doing hundreds of questions. Sure, you might be able to attack similar problems for the next week or so, but as soon as you stop practicing, the skill is lost. True mastery of physics comes from appreciation of principles, not mere recognition of patterns in problems...this text will help you achieve such an appreciation.

Texts like this are why many people fear physics.
I am a student at a university who has been forced to wade through this book, with little prior knowledge of the topic. The explanations for the theories and concepts are not incredible, but suffice. The problems, however, are torture. Simply having a couple of novice examples throughout the chapters, and then being thrown into the problems at the end with no help but for the ODD answers at the back of the text is not helpful, and not conducive to learning. Frustration is not a good method to get people to understand and/or enjoy a topic. I would not recommend this book for the novice, but can see how it can be used as a good reference book for those of more learning in the topic. A solutions manual really does need to exist, as that is how one learns this subject, through trial and error, and the answers in the back are simply not enough.

Down with Giancoli
Will someone please tell the King that he has no clothes on? Will someone please stop stocking Physics departments with books that are simply a flag for how clever we all are. "Look at this book chaps..."as we flaunt the open text, "bloody tough to understand, eh?!"

Giancoli is accurate and detailed. Giancoli is a fantastic text to dip into (for the most) able student. In my experience of delivering the subject within the English National Curriculum it is hopeless for the 'average' Physics student. Giancoli is black and white in a colourful world. Has anyone that has ordered this book ever seen a Tom Duncan? Have you looked at the Longman series? Streuth!

Why do 'we' make it so difficult for people to access our subject? ... Read more

Book Description

This Sixth Edition helps readers understand the interrelationships among basic physics concepts and how they fit together to describe our physical world. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the relevance of physics to our everyday lives.
Real-world physics applications, including many biomedical applications, show how physics principles come into play over and over again in our lives.
Problem Solving Insights explain each calculation in detail, guiding readers through the quantitative process
Includes a CD containing physics simulations ... Read more

Reviews (13)

An excellent book for a particular audience
This is an excellent book for a high school level physics course or a less than rigorous Physics I course at the college level. It contains no math beyond algebra/trig. For a more rigorous treatment, the book to get is the Serway/Beichner text.

Great Physics Starter Book
I found this to be an excellent book for those with a physics phobia. All theories are explained using simple mathematics thus making it easier to understand. There are several questions worked out with thorough explinations in every chapter and the text explains how each new idea is related to other concepts learned earlier in the book and/or chapter.

There are couple of weaknesses in this text that stand out in my mind. First, there is a section in each chapter that quizes you on conceptual questions but there are no answers in the back of the book making it difficult to be certian about your work. Second, the web page associated with this book is riddled with errors and is not much of a tool. In spite of these problems I would recomend it to someone just starting physics.

an eyesore
This book is painful to read. There are far too many unnecessary pictures, colored boxes, sidenotes, etc. The text itself is straightforward and would suffice with minimal digrams. This is simple material folks! There is no reason to overkill with embellishments. I don't appreciate all of the extra books (I paid enough for the text already) and internet resources. If I were a physics major I might appreciate these extra resources, however, most people (myself included) in an algebra based physics course are there only to fill a requirement.

Monopolizing on the college text book market.
I did not like Physics nor did I enjoy this absolutely boring and dry book detailing what physics is and how it works. What makes this book even more easy to dislike is that they come out with a new edition so often that the whole purpose of selling your book back to the school book store is not an option because the university will carry the newer addition next term. What Cutnell and Johnson need to do is spend less time writing new material to put in the new addition to feed their hungry pockets and more time expressing formulas and equations that actually compliment the examples and problems within the text.

Good book for first time physics reader
I used this book in my college physics I & II classes. The book is easy to read and provides some easy calculation questions to practice. However, it does not go to much about the concept. Even it touches the idea, it would not explain enough for you to know exactly what the theory is. There are many book After-Chapter questions. The best way to learn from these questions is to buy the answer supplement for this book. If you are not goint to take health professional tests, like MCAT.. This book would give you the path for physics. ... Read more

Book Description

Features a clear, accessible treatment ofthe fundamentals of electromagnetic theory. Its lean and focused approachemploys numerous examples and problems.Carefully discussessubtle or difficult points. Contains numerous, relevant problems within thebook in addition to end of each chapter problems and answers. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

The Undergrad E&M Standard for Greatness.
Interesting. Insightful. Conceptually Complete. Great Mathematical Notation. Great Explanations. All of these and more could be said about David Griffiths' incredible book on Introductory E&M. David's writing style is next to none, the text is never boring and extremely insightful. The various chapters are structured extremely well. It "flows" extrodinarily well from section to section. He conveys very well the enormous and far reaching applicability of the science of E&M.
Griffiths often uses physical arguments by analogy instead of mathematical rigour to convey many physical ideas. He treats the math like it should be treated in physics, as a language to work with ideas, not as a hindrance blocking their meaning. His mathematical notation is so completely natural and reader friendly, you get used to it very quickly. The examples are insightful and the problems, while challenging, are well thought out.

Every diamond has its fault, and this textbook's fault is its lack of a student solutions manual and answers in the back. However, the quality of writing GREATLY overwealms this fault, hence the 5 star rating. With this textbook, a good instructor, and a little hard work, you WILL learn E&M.

Cool and informal
This introductory book on Electrodynamics is one of the coolest and informal books I have ever read in my student life. I have used the book as an undergraduate and I still use it even now in my post-graduate study. The physical insights offered by the author in almost all the chapters are invaluable and interesting.Problems in Electrodynamics can be mathematically very demanding, but the book stands on it's own feet and the mathematical background required to use the book is more or less sufficient. The exercises are well thought-out /collected,but a major source of irritation is the lack of solutions or even answers for that matter. Dr Griffiths should understand that an elementary treatise such as this is used by a good proportion of the student community (who do not always have contact with a good teacher) for self-study. Such students need someone to hold his hands and be led into such an interesting area of classical physics. Moreover, when Landau can offer offer solutions to the problems in his Course of Theoretical Physics, Dr Griffiths shouldn't mind giving hints and solutions to the problems. If the author doesn't want to share the solutions in the textbook, a solutions manual should be sold in the market. However, a solution manual is available,from the publishers, but only for teachers who should be able to solve the problems on their own. Even many teachers have privately admitted the problems are beyond their capacity without suitable hints. So, how can the author expect students to solve most of the problems on their own? I have seen many students not following the book, precisely due to lack of solutions , and due to that I can only give four stars out of five. Also, the author needs to dispense with the idea of introducing new concepts in the exercises. But if one forgets that, I would say, the book is surely raccommended to beginners and a good book to start with before graduating to Jackson.

What the hell is this?
This book sucks. Griffths, if you can spend your most time typying FREE solution manual for instructors, and let them cut and copy it and scan them on to their class website, why don't you offer students a solution manual. Why do we have to spend 100 bucks for this thing. I really don't understand the people that wrote GOOD reviews about this book. no answers in the back. skip steps in examples, the author is trying to punk you.

Positives & Negatives
I'll begin with the NEGATIVES because there are fewer:

- No solutions and difficult end-of-chapter problems for some of the chapters make it very difficult to use this outside of a class
-Examples are good but they ill-prepare you for the end-problems

POSITIVE
-Very easy to read
-Good descriptions and explanations of phenomena
-Good simple examples with straightforward solutions (would like more)

Overall, I give it a 4/5. It's the first book I've used to study E&M beyond basic physics and I was mostly happy.

The best around.
This book is wonderful. I used it for a 1 year junior-level course at UERJ and I can say it was perfect.

I really don't understand the people that wrote bad reviews about this book. First of all, they seem not to understand that this book is AN INTRODUCTION. There exist excellents books on advanced material (Jackson, Schwinger...), but I doubt anyone has begun with those.

Some of those reviewers say that the math in the book is too elementary. So what? This is a EM course, not a Mathematical Physics one. If you want to struggle with Bessel or others horribles special functions, get Griffiths problems and change them by yourself so that the eigenfunctions are those you want. If you want Green's function, go ahead, you can solve lots of Griffiths' problems with it. But this is not the point. This is a physics book, and the discussion on the fenomena are very good. In my opinion the math used is that you do need to understand the physics.

Other constant complaint is the lack of problem solutions saying that without them you cannot know if you're learning. Well, particularly, it didn't bother me. The problems are very well selected and cover a wide range of difficulty. The easy ones should tell you if you're doing well. And, despite of what others have said, the problems make this a very good book for self-studying.

Finally, I don't understand the complaints about Griffiths' colloquial style. Some other (well celebrated) authors share the same informal writing style and everybody call them genious. Actually, this makes the book very pleasant to read thorough leaving the hard work to the problems. ... Read more

Book Description

No other book on the market today can match the success of Halliday, Resnick and Walker's Fundamentals of Physics! In a breezy, easy-to-understand style the book offers a solid understanding of fundamental physics concepts, and helps readers apply this conceptual understanding to quantitative problem solving.  The extended edition provides coverage of developments in Physics in the last 100 years, including:  Einstein and Relativity, Bohr and others and Quantum Theory, and the more recent theoretical developments like String Theory.  This book offers a unique combination of authoritative content and stimulating applications. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Not The Best, Not the Worst
I used this as a text book for three semesters of University education. Some chapters are fine and quite readable, and others are random and completely lack organization. Some chapters take one point and beat it into the ground with a large baseball bat made out of lead, others mention something once and assume you understand it completely.

The examples are fair but compared to some of the chapter end questions you'd scarcely believe that they came from the same book, the difficulty varies greatly. As for the explanations even the best in this book I did not find as well stated or helpful to understanding as those found in Tipler's "Physics for Scientists and Engineers." Buy this book if you are taking a class and they require you to use it, buy it not if you are trying to learn physics on your own, as I doubt it will help you very much unless you already know it.

Highly overrated
Alright, so of course this is the book required by just about every college in the country these days in their introductory physics courses---well, it shouldn't be. The authors certainly provide mathematical motivation for the concepts they cover, but certainly don't give adequate real-world motivation for concepts. Oh yeah, so, as one idiot reviewer who thinks he's some kind of precocious student said, this book helped him and his high school buddies get fives on the AP Test---WELL BIG DEAL IDIOT!!! GOOD FOR YOU!! I only managed to do that in my freshman year of highschool so I guess it must be really hard or something--*cough* Well, in the real world of people who actually know anything about physics or math or any field, getting a five on the AP exam in highschool isn't anything special. Basically, this book will prepare you to pass exams and standardized tests--it won't give you understanding. For that, go somewhere worthwhile---for example, the Feynman Lectures on Physics, all three volumes of which cost about half as much as Halliday and Resnick's book.

is this a money-making gimmick or what?
Our physics department decided to switch to this book last year, and I have been trying to figure out which edition to buy.. "extended enhanced problem edition", "extended", "enhanced"? How about throwing in a student's companion text that contains "chapter extensions?"? What about getting the right Solutions manual? only 30% of the solutions are in it? And now I just found out they have published (another?) new 7th edition which no doubt will have a brand new array of essential supplements and extensions. Why all these editions and supplements?

Average text, but costs too much
This is an average text, which means there are things about this book that are both good and bad. Let me begin with the good. "Fundamentals" is a fairly rigorous text. There are many topics contained in this book and each topic is covered in adequate depth and there are a large number and variety of problems to solve for each topic. Also, like any good calc-based physics text should, it introduces vectors early and sticks with the use of vectors and vector components throughout the text.

There are, however, some bad aspects to this book. The biggest problem with this text (and most others) is it's terse treatment of inertial reference frames. A more indepth examination of reference frames would probably reduce student frustration later on when solving problems.

My other big gripe with this book is its outrageous cost. $140 is just too much for a text. My suggestion is this, if you're enrolled in a physics course that requires this text, just check out an intro physics book from your library if you can. If you're autodidactic, look into Dover Thrift books. You can get a physics text there with all the same material for about 1/7th the cost of "Fundamentals".

NEGATIVE 5 STARS
This book, and it's complimenting e-grade system has made Physics the worst experience of my college life thus far. The problems are confusing, the grammar is very poor, and the book lacks organization. The worst thing is the e-grade system. Picky and ungodly slow, it has frustrated hundreds of students, as well as their professors. I found myself at the tip of anger when it took me over 5 hours to complete an assignment, simply because the pages took around 5-10 minutes to load.

Please DO NOT SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE. They are evil and need to be banished from writing bad textbooks and frustrating students further. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling, calculus-based text is recognized for its carefully crafted, logical presentation of the basic concepts and principles of physics. PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS, Sixth Edition, maintains the Serway traditions of concise writing for the students, carefully thought-out problem sets and worked examples, and evolving educational pedagogy. This edition introduces a new co-author, Dr. John Jewett, at Cal PolyPomona, known best for his teaching awards and his role in the recently published PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS, Third Edition, also written with Ray Serway. Providing students with the tools they need to succeed in introductory physics, the Sixth Edition of this authoritative text features unparalleled media integration and a newly enhanced supplemental package for instructors and students! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good introductory text
This was the required text for a course I TAed. I found the text useful for preparing my own lectures, as it often reminded me of ideas I would have 'taken for granted' among my students, although I found derivations often uncompelling and examples often glossing over subtle points. Also, examples and homework problems seemed predominantly to explore only straightforward applications of course concepts. I imagine, however, that many students at this level (freshmen bio, geo, and non-science majors) would prefer this kind of treatment, which is why, considering also this text's clarity and simplicity of presentation, I gave the above four star rating.

Students who consider themselves more analytically inclined would be wise to consult instead Purcell. In fewer words Purcell describes E&M more clearly and more completely, with interesting examples and homework problems which evoke a fuller understanding of the theory. ... Read more

Book Description

Physics for Scientists and Engineers combines outstanding pedagogy with a clear and direct narrative and applications that draw the reader into the physics. The new edition features an unrivaled suite of media and on-line resources that enhance the understanding of physics. Many new topics have been incorporated such as: the Otto cycle, lens combinations, three-phase alternating current, and many more. New developments and discoveries in physics have been added including the Hubble space telescope, age and inflation of the universe, and distant planets. Modern physics topics are often discussed within the framework of classical physics where appropriate. For scientists and engineers who are interested in learning physics. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Good introduction to physics.
In all fairness to the book, it's not as bad as I made it out to be below. It is a little upsetting to be given tons of equations without any proofs. But the proofs really are beyond the scope of the book. I've looked at other books of the same level since I wrote the original review, and this one has turned out to be better than all the others. The book would've been better if they mentioned a few extra things like how its treatment of electricity and magnetism should be taken as only working in an absolute frame, and is only an approximation to the full treatment.

All in all, this book covers so many topics, that no matter what physics you are doing in the future, you'll always be able to find some information in here that won't be mentioned in your other book.

It covers everything you need to know for a first mechanics course, a course in waves and modern physics, a first course in electricity and magnetism, plus a lot more that is never touched in class. Calculus is not needed for the mechanics course, but it is used in the book. If you know calculus, then you'll benefit. If you don't, you can skip the "calculus equations", and the rest of the mechanics part of the book will still all be comprehensible.

Excellent Freshman Physics Textbook
You are blessed if your professor adopts this book as your textbook. This book presents the physics concepts with rare clarity. It abounds with great number of examples and problems. The overall difficulty level of this book is more challenging than other popular college physics textooks that are available today. A good foundation of senior high school honor Physics and AP physics is certainly helpful. Some selection of topics, such as Coriolis Effect, should capture the imaginations of young minds. This book is currently adpoted as textook at UC-Berkeley (Physics 7 series) and MIT (physics 8.01).

Decent but way expensive
I had to buy this book for my two general physics courses. I must say this book is the most expensive I've ever bought. This leads me to my first bad critique: this book is unnecessarily large and expensive. The book is full of useless pictures (all in vibrant expensive color), it has too many examples and 1/3 of the majority of the pages are blank. I don't recommend this book if your a poor college student. My second bad critique is that some examples aren't fully explained (particularly with the some equations). Third bad critique: some problems require knowledge that you won't find in the book. There was an instance where I ran into a problem (a double Atwood machine problem) that required knowledge of Newton's laws in non-inertial frames which the book does not provide. I managed to solve this problem with outside help but I must say I felt cheated. My last bad critique: this book has no errata yet!
Now for some good points. The authors exposition of the material is fairly straight-forward. The book is full of problems (some which overly challenging but good nevertheless), covers a great number of topics (45 chapters worth), and uses very little calculus (the majority of the problems involve highschool mathematics).

Not a very good physics book
If you're a beginner or not interested in physics stay away from this book. Its mostly geared towards people with high interest and a good reference. Otherwise, the book is very boring to read and all they do is throw formulas at you. Stay away at all costs.

A decent intro to Physics.
I am currently taking a calculus-based physics course in my freshman year using Serway's text (Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Sixth Edition). I purchased Giancoli's text because it has the same type of material and a solutions manual to accompany it. I am now in my third term and, having used both books for the first two terms, I can say that Serway's book is probably a better choice for those majoring in physics such as myself. The reason I make this claim is that Serway's derivations are a little more riggerous in most cases and in the exercises Serway FORCES you to develop and derive equations for the perticular problem at hand (precicely what a physicist in the "real world" must be able to do to be successful), whereas Giancoli rarely gives problems that cannot be solved directly by substituting values into given equations. This discrepency can sometimes be troubling though to those not used to having to decide what assumptions to make for themselves.

However, neither book can give a student a complete insight into the complicated subject of physics. Each is a pretty good text for a first course in physics and the level of calculus used in each is very basic (a study of basic differential and integral calculus will do fine). ... Read more

Book Description

Physics for Scientists and Engineers combines outstanding pedagogy with a clear and direct narrative and applications that draw the reader into the physics. The new edition features an unrivaled suite of media and on-line resources that enhance the understanding of physics. Many new topics have been incorporated such as: the Otto cycle, lens combinations, three-phase alternating current, and many more. New developments and discoveries in physics have been added including the Hubble space telescope, age and inflation of the universe, and distant planets. Modern physics topics are often discussed within the framework of classical physics where appropriate. For scientists and engineers who are interested in learning physics. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Excellent Introductory book!
I used this book in my four-quarter introductory physics sequence in college. This book does exactly what it's meant to do: give the reader an introduction to the concepts of physics. The book is more qualitative than quantitative, and uses only basic calculus that the student should be learning at the same time they are taking an introductory phsyics course. The book is very colloqual, and is a good read.

Some reviews complain that the book isn't rigorous enough, and glosses over material. They forget that this book is only meant to be an introduction to the ideas and basics of physics. Mathematical rigor should wait for upper division courses.

Other reviews claim the book assumes too much of the student. I disagree. The book rarely goes beyond basic calculus. Some ideas may be unintuitive, but you just need to wrap your mind around them. Some of the problems are definitely tricky, but they help develop problem solving skills.

Overall the book is a great reference on the concepts of phsyics. I still refer to it when I forget why a certain thing works a certain way.

Physics boot camp
This is a good book, but I hate it. I am in my second semester of physics at a Cal State school and have used this book for both mechanics, and now electricity and magnetism.

This book excels at forcing the student to develop problem solving skills. As others have pointed out: there is little theory. Each chapter starts with, maybe, a few pages of the basic theory (these sections can be quite interesting) and then immediately gets into the equations.

I love the conceptual side of physics, having read about the subject since I was a kid. But there is nothing interesting about calculating the electric field around a cylinder, or, better yet, the force of friction on a box sliding down an incline. But hey, we need to learn this stuff. And with this book, you WILL learn it.

In all honesty, I don't think that a physics book for science and engineering students could be written any better. Tedious, thorough, and forces you to learn the material no matter how dry it is. Thank God I'm not a physics major.

Physics Student
This is a great book for Calculus base physics. It offer in-depth explaintion of the theory and how it derive a theory.

The problem at the end of each chapter are challenging and encourge the student to work at it in able to solve it. Also, after doing these problem, it a guarantee that you will at least learn something.

blehhh
Like the other reviewer from UCB, I had to use Giancoli for two semesters of physics, and this book did not help me one bit. All it did was make me feel completely helpless. The explanations of most concepts are pretty clear and concise. The problem is when you get to the problems.

Most of the practice problems at the end of the chapters are much harder than the level at which the actual text covers the physics. As another reviewer said, this book may be good if you've taken a rigorous Honors Physics or AP Physics class in high school, but not everyone has. If your high school only offered a regular college-prep physics class (non-calculus based at that), you will suffer from all the knowledge that it is assumed you can automatically derive or figure out (as if it were common sense) on your own.

I highly regret not looking for other, better, physics textbooks at the time I took my introductory physics classes. I urge anyone who doesn't feel like they already have a good solid background in calculus-based physics, and is assigned this book, to go and find one that explains things in a more in-depth way. Physics is all about the problems, if you can't do the problems then you're screwed in the class. This book does not help you figure out how to solve problems.

well written
Great book, well written, great organization, one of the best books for classroom.
Very good and practical examples. You'll actually see how knowing a little bit of physics can help you understand your usage of daily appliances, and you can participate in intelligent converstaions without sounding silly! ... Read more

Book Description

Conceptual Physical Science, Third Edition takes learning physical science to a new level by combining HewittUs leading conceptual approach and friendly writing style in a new edition that provides stronger integration of the sciences, more quantitative coverage, and a wealth of new media resources to help readers. The dynamic new media program includes hundreds of animations and interactive tutorials developed specifically for students taking physical science courses. Media references throughout the book point readers to additional online help. KEY TOPICS The bookUs consistent, high-quality coverage includes five new chapters on chemistry, astronomy, and earth science for an even more balanced approach to physical science.For college instructors, students, or anyone interested in physical science. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

concept Physical Science
I can't seem to find the area to post recommendations for the company I bought this book form. Mindspring.com. They were very prompt in mailing this book to me. My child has started using it yet, but the promptness of the delivery was very important to me. Thanks

A good book
hello i love the book because it explains you alot of things and it helps you to understand.it is a good book because with the pictures you understand better the lesson an this book has a lot of pictures ... Read more

Book Description

"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." --George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review

In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.

Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling.

Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works. ... Read more

Reviews (371)

Superb and exciting overview of superstring theory
It is fascinating and gratifying to read about the recent progress that young geniuses like Brian Greene (the author) are making in theoretical physics. This book is an exposition on superstring theory, which has the promise of being a "theory of everything", seeking to explain the origin of elementary particles as being different resonant patterns of a string or perhaps a membrane, as well as the unification of the various forces and the evolution of the universe. This subject is extremely difficult mathematically -- it occupies the very highest talent level in physics -- and yet Dr. Greene does an extraordinary job of explaining the essential ideas in non-technical language for the intelligent lay person. The book conveys the excitement about the recent discoveries, and recounts some of Greene's own original work, providing the reader a fascinating glimpse into the creative process. The explanations of relativity and quantum mechanics are among the best non-technical explanations I have read. The need for superstrings (or ultimately M-theory) is well motivated and the basic idea of the theory is well explained. The theory's limitations are discussed forthrightly. I was inspired by the discussions about the future directions of the research and the large questions that remain unanswered. As an experimental physicist who is far removed from these developments, I am admittedly not in a position to judge the true accuracy of the book, but at least it seemed fairly clear. One improvement I could recommend if there is a future edition: Although the author did comment that the experimental confirmation and characterization of supersymmetry would be important, more emphasis of this point may be warranted since the tax paying public will be asked for millions of dollars for a next generation of particle accelerators.

A peek into answers of Life, the Universe, and Everything
This book is absolutley amazing! Dr. Greene is an excellent writer and teacher. This book deals with the cutting-edge field of superstring theory--the idea that little vibrating loops of string are the most basic constituents of our universe, as opposed to "point" particles as presented for decades by the standard theory. Superstring theory may be the answer to Einstein's unrealized quest for a "Theory of Everything."

The book begins with a very lucid explanation of Einstein's Special and General Theories of Relativity, then leads into Quantum Mechanics, and discusses the inconsistencies between these views of physics on a large scale (General Relativity) and physics on a very small scale (Quantum Mechanics). Dr. Greene then goes on to explain superstring theory and how this new framework smooths out many of the contradictions between General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.

Using this new understanding of superstring theory, Dr. Greene leads the reader through a myriad of otherwise mind-boggling topics such as: the beginning of the Universe, the possible existence of other universes, 11-dimensional existence, time travel, tears in the fabric of space, and black holes. It's written on a level for the layperson (like me) and I think most people will be able to understand and appreciate all the concepts presented.

needed more about the elegant universe
This books is over-rated, but still better than most books on the subjects he covers. I gave it two stars to get your attention. It is actually a 3 or 4 star book.

I was dissappointed because the title suggested I'd read more about the mysteries of the beginning of the universe and some of the philosophical issues pertaining to the nature of existance and ultimate reality. While the author did give me some good mindfood at the end of the book, the coverage was too brief and far too restrained. I think he was aware of his peers reading it and was being too conservative.

I skimmed a lot. I kept an eye out for places where he quit trying to teach me details and made some interesting comments. I'll give him credit--there were plenty of facinating paragraphs---but they were hidden in page after page of boring stuff. Lets face it, this is arcane stuff! But the implications are interesting, at least to me. I think the book should have been about half the length.

I personally don't think it is possible to understand things like relativity without working some problems. When I took physics, I had to work a few problems to think about the stuff deeply enough to "get it." I don't think many readers are looking to work that much--most of us want a stimulating read. And as the author mentions, many believe that no one really understands quantum mechanics. Also, I did not like the analogies as much as some other readers.

I recommend this book to really really smart readers or to readers who know how to skim without losing interest. Some of the insights were worth looking for.

Detailed but biased instroduction to string theory
Toe central problem of physics today revolves around this conundrum: Gravity is governed by Einstein's relativity theory, which requires that space-time is smooth. Gravity has been experimentally verified. Atomic forces are govered by quantum mechanics, which requires that space-time is bumpy, foamy, and irregular. These atomic forces have been experimentally verified.

How can space time be smooth for gravity, and yet be bumpy for quantum machanics? Enter string theory.

This book is a terrific introduction not only to string theory, but to relativity and quantum mechanics as well. The first half of the book reviews the history and development of these theories, since they are a fundamental component of string theory. In particular, Greene's treatment of relativity uses some outstanding analogies to explain time dilation and gravitational warping. I thought I understood the basics of relativity; this book still taught me a few things.

Analogies are this author's strength. He uses them at every step to avoid the need to complex mathematical formulae. There are no formulae in this book (some will think that a minus, but I view it as a plus.) Using analogies, he's able to provide a comprehensible view of what 10-dimensional spacetime would be like, and how expanding one of the other dimensions might affect life in the Universe. These 5 pages alone are probably worth the price of the book.

If you want a glimpse of one of the cutting-edge areas of particle physics research without needing to study math for 10 years, this book can give it to you.

The science of wonder
I have to credit Brian Greene. He did what I thought was the impossible: he got me interested in science. I've been a liberal arts-type since I can remember. The exact rules and laws of science always left me kind of cold, and so I found myself drawn to literature, poetry and music as the more complete descriptors of human experience.

But last Fall, I couldn't sleep one night and ended up staying up until dawn watching THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE. It was amazing and captivating. It got me excited in a way "science" hadn't since I was a kid, fascinated with the imaginative possibilities of space travel.

I was hooked and had to get the book. The tv program proved to be a great distillation of the book, but if you saw the program and your interest was piqued by the magical dance of superstrings and the mind-bending extra dimensional possibilities, you'll enjoy the full feast of Greene's book even more.

THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE is an enormous feat. It marries the rigor of scientific enquiry with the elegant, at times poetic, presentation of literature. Greene is such an able and down-to-earth explainer of complicated mathematical concepts that he makes even the most dyed-in-the-wool math hater think about signing up for some evening classes at the local college. ... Read more

Book Description

Built from the ground up on our new understanding of how students learn physics, Randall Knight's introductory university physics textbook leads readers to a deeper understanding of the concepts and more proficient problem-solving skills. This authoritative text provides effective learning strategies and in-depth instruction to better guide readers around the misconceptions and preconceptions they often bring to the course.The superior problem-solving pedagogy of Physics for Scientists and Engineers uses a detailed, methodical approach that sequentially builds skills and confidence for tackling more complex problems. Knight combines rigorous quantitative coverage with a descriptive, inductive approach that leads to a deeper student understanding of the core concepts. Pictorial, graphical, algebraic, and descriptive representations for each concept are skillfully combined to provide a resource that students with different learning styles can readily grasp. A comprehensive, integrated approach introducing key topics of physics, including Newton's Laws, Conservation Laws, Newtonian Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Wave and Optics, Electricity and Magnetism, and Modern Physics. For college instructors, students, or anyone with an interest in physics.

Reviews (2)

Preferable to other physics texts
I purchased this book after becoming extremely disappointed with Giancoli's treatment of electromagnetism. In kind words, Giancoli is less than clear. However, Knight's treatment of the subject is remarkably clear, with an emphasis on understanding the physical concepts that describe natural phenomena. He then progresses onto describing the mathematical models that help quantify the physical concepts. Giancoli, in contrast, focuses almost entirely on the mathematical models with little discussion on why they are important. The end result is exposure to a jumble of equations without fully grasping how to apply them. Knight's book does not suffer from this ailment and offers a deeper understanding of both the qualitative and quantitative models of natural phenomena. To professors: please choose this text for next year's course; your students will thank you.

BacktoschoolDad
I am currently in a second semester calculus-based general physics class, using Halliday's extended 6th ed., which I find to be a good text. My professor uses Knight's text as a reference and teaching tool to amplify and explain some concepts. I bought the text as a supplemental reference. This is a new text based on the principles of physics education research. Perhaps an example of the difference between the two texts might help your evaluation. Knight, in Ch. 25, uses 13 pages to cover the principles of charge, insulators, and conductors before he gets to Coulomb's Law. Halliday uses 3 pages. This chapter is introductory and foundational. Knight takes more time with the basics. I also prefer Knight's analogies, diagrams, and visualizations of concepts and mathematical explanantions. A student workbook is included. I recommend the book for the serious beginning physics student, and anyone who desires a great reference for general physics. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling classical mechanics text, written for the advanced undergraduate one- or two-semester course, provides a complete account of the classical mechanics of particles, systems of particles, and rigid bodies. Vector calculus is used extensively to explore topics.The Lagrangian formulation of mechanics is introduced early to show its powerful problem solving ability.. Modern notation and terminology are used throughout in support of the text's objective: to facilitate students' transition to advanced physics and the mathematical formalism needed for the quantum theory of physics. CLASSICAL DYNAMICS OF PARTICLES AND SYSTEMS can easily be used for a one- or two-semester course, depending on the instructor's choice of topics. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

No fuss over mathematical formalism here!
Why is everyone complaining about the mathematical formalism in this text? While perhaps such formalism requires a certain level of mathematical maturity on the part of the reader, it does *not* detract from pedagogy. In my opinion, it is better to become used to such formalism in the context of classical dynamics, where intuition can be of great help, than later on, and please, calculus and linear algebra is all that's required! It's not *that* formal!

I'd also like to say that the Hamiltonian and Lagrangian sections present one of the more lucid explanations that I have seen.

Finally, no, the author does not give you an example problem and then ask you to do the same problem with different numbers at the end of the chapter--he assumes you could do that. If you can't read a book that doesn't have such trivial problems for you to work, perhaps you should go elsewhere. The problems in this book are often challenging, and require you to extrapolate from the previous chapters. I find such problems more interesting than ones that require you to only look back in the chapter, grab two equations, eliminate one variable, and then plug in numbers. I'm not sure why everyone has jumped on the "the problems aren't worded well" bandwagon either, as I have encountered very little ambiguity throughout this book. If you want to master classical dynamics, this isn't the only book you'll want to work through, but it certainly should be on your list.

Solid Understandable Book in Mechanics
I took a mechanics course 9 years ago with an earlier edition, finished undergrad and left the study of physics. Recently I bought a new edition and I have just finished self studying this book and I felt that it's quite excellent. The problems are challenging but that is precisely what I expected. I think it really deserves 4 stars but I gave it 5 because the average ratings given by other reviewers is too low. I would like to go through the positives and negatives of this text. However keep in mind that the negatives of this text are apparent pretty much in every physics text.

Positives: 1) The text is easy to understand, the problems follow from the text 2) Answers to even numbers excercises in the back of text. This is absolutely crucial if you are self studying without an instructor. 3) Problems are random in their difficulty and individually comprehensive in their review of the chapter.
4) The Mathematics is pretty elementary, with a solid understanding of Calculus and differential equations you should be properly equipped to handle the entire text.

Negatives: 1) There are little to no difficult problems involving Newtonian formalism (Forces). Energy and momentum is predominantly used, for good reason, but it does not hurt to go back to the more rigorous approach of Forces for some difficult problems.

2) It would be nice to have a chapter dedicated to cyclic coordinates, Poisson Brackets and Canonical Transformations.

3)Impulses(chap 9) are dealt with in Integral form as opposed to differential form of the time change in momenta. The latter is much more intuitive and useful for solving problems.

4)Wider use in problems and examples of Poisson's equation for gravity.

5) Relativity should be introduced much earlier in the text. This is one of the formalisms of every undergraduate textbook in physics which I do not understand. Relativity always gets pushed back towards the end of textbooks. There is nothing particularly difficult about the subject that demands that it get treated in such a fashion. As opposed to the three chapters prior (dynamics of rigid bodies, coupled oscillations and waves) which are much more demanding. Furthermore it would be useful for students taking E&M at the same time as Mechanics to have had some experience with 4 vectors before dealing with Maxwell's equations.

A Road to Higher Realms
Whether knowingly or unknowingly, most of the physics text reviews that I have read may be divided into two categories:

- those who loved or hated the book because it was not written to teach physics through a conceptual framework.

- those who loved or hated the book because it was not written to teach physics through the development of skills.

Then the reviews may be divided again into two categories:

- those who loved or hated the book because it conveyed an exclusively classic and/or historical treatment of physics.

- those who loved or hated the book because it conveyed a modern treatments of physics.

Therefore, I will write my review within the same framework that everyone else seems to...

I loved this book because it was written to teach physics through the development of SKILLS; I loved this book because it did so through a CLASSIC TREATMENT of physics.

Now I will explain why...

The study of physics is FAR MORE than an extraction of information from a book, the way that, say, reading an encyclopedia entry is. The study of physics, rather, is a MENTAL DISCIPLINE, that takes 10,000 hours of intensive mental effort just to become a 'fairly skilled beginner', and at least half a lifetime of intensive mental effort to become an expert in just one, very small, sub-sub-field. It is a journey in which one must tavel the same mental footsteps that the great physicists of the past did before one is ready to travel the new and original mental footsteps of their own research activity. Along the way, one must start with easy treatments, must progress through the intermediate treatments, and must one day tackle the tremendously difficult advanced treatments, of every sub-field of study. Early in the study of a new stage of such a sub-field, one must obtain a solid understanding of every concept, and after this, they must move on from mere concepts, and must develop an exceptional skill set. And one day, if one has been utterly dedicated and unwavering, and if one has worked harder than they ever thought would be necessary when they stood at the beginning of the road... one WILL find that they have reached a higher realm.

I am utterly convinced that this book is the ideal written work that one should study at the time and place in the journey that it is usually encountered on this road.

Ad tedium
I came to this course after taking honors freshman physics at Yale with An Intro to Mechanics by Kleppner and Kolenkow. And, unfortunately, this book just is not as good. The mathematical derivations are often tedious and uninsightful, a good description as well for many of the problems. In addition, many of the problems, particularly the tougher ones, are already worked out in the text. For me, the text is a combination of mediocre treatment of material with exceptionally poor problems. The problems in this text are, in general, easier than those in K&K, but they often take three times as long to write out. Many of them are exercises in 10th grade algebra, or 12th grade calculus (read: horrible integrals and looong expressions to simplify). What is required is not insight, but exceptional care at not making simple errors and patience for long derivations of often obvious results. For a physics major, this book just seems like a colossal waste of time and money. If you want reinforcement of concepts, turn to Feynman in his lectures. For insightful and challenging mechanics (though Hamiltonian and Lagrangian dynamics are missing), Kleppner and Kolenkow is a far better text.

Utterly disgraceful! May be the worst in the physics canon.
(Disclaimer: All my criticisms are directed against Stephen Thornton, who prepared this edition when Marion died. I haven't seriously examined the earlier editions.)

Let it not be said that this book is utterly without virtue. It does have a good store of challenging, interesting problems. Also, the introductory chapter includes a unique (for this level) discussion of the Levi-Civita notation, which is great for managing complicated expressions in vector and tensor analysis (if you're currently taking junior or senior E&M, use this if your teacher asks you to verify all those crazy vector identities on the inside cover of your book!). But beyond this, I can see no redeeming virtues. In a genre which is littered with astoundingly bad books, this book is a standout, and is among the "hated classics" like Reif's statistical mechanics book or J.D. Jackson's E&M book. But even those books, which are admittedly overly-difficult and often obtuse, do contain a lot of quality thought and valuable knowledge. A good book, when re-read, will reveal greater and greater depths of insight and knowledge.

But rereading this book only revealed greater levels of sloppy thought. Only the more elementary derivations are comprehensible; the rest are befuddling, and I found that I had to write my own derivations and look up alternatives because the examples were either unconvincing, incomprehensible, or seemed to be based on incorrect physical reasoning. Ironically, I found that this book improved my confidence in mechanics because I had to spend so much time trying to compensate for the enormous failings logic, calculation, and pedagogy. But I'd still give it zero stars if I could.

This book is just plain bad (a judgement I very rarely make), and I am very curious as to whether the reviewers who defend the book really thought about its contents or tried to follow all of its logic step by step, as one should do during any serious examination of a science text. Now some reviewers had good teachers, in which case they probably paid more attention to their lecture notes than the book. An individual skilled with mathematical manipulation can do surprisingly difficult problems without thinking very much about the underlying physical concepts or looking at any part of a derivation other than the part in the box. Finally, a very bright person may simply think through matters for themselves during and after a class, not taking time to examine the book. So I am not insulting the readers who gave it good reviews; I'm sure they did well in class, since students who get good grades don't write vitriol-filled reviews about the required text on Amazon.com. But I know they didn't really read it carefully.

Instructors often choose this book because they were taught from previous editions (which may be superior), and may be too lazy or recalcitrant to change their ways. Although I often got cross looks from my professors for complaining about it, they generally agreed with my criticisms when I pushed the i