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 (1)

Excellent
This book is well organized, fairly rigorous, and contains lots of useful examples and problems. This text requires, at very least, a semester of calculus for an excellent understanding. 3 semesters of calculus will allow the reader to have a truly complete understanding of the text. The organization is mainly by color/font and is self-explanitory. The text is calc-based and the level of this material is the hardest that is actually covered in any freshman physics course in the country. (This is based off the info that that this text is used at MIT, which has one of the most difficult and best physics programs in the U.S.) The examples in this text really top it off; they lead the reader through the text and make all the problems at the end of the chapter feasible.

The main difference between this book and Serway's calc-based text (Serway's larger set ISBN: 0030317169) is that Serway's is slightly harder. (One review believed the Serway text to be easier, but I am guessing this was one of Serway's non-calc texts. Serway's calc-based text covers more than what is needed for the AP Phys-C Exam.)

Topics covered: Classical Mechanics, Oscillations/Waves, Fluids, and Thermodynamics.

THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT FOR SELF-STUDY. ... Read more

Book Description

The Feynman Lectures on Physics: Commemorative Issue, Three Volume Set.

• Feynman's effective classroom style remains intact in these volumes, a valuable work by a remarkable educator.
• The volumes are an edited version of Richard Feynman's lectures, taped and transcribed specifically for the books.
• The three volume commemorative issue is either available hardbound and packaged in a specially designed slipcase, or in a paperbound edition.

Reviews (77)

The best freshman physics text for grad students
My title is both facetious and accurate. Richard Feynman was, as many people know, a wonderfully colorful guy even during lectures and he was good at explaining things. Though lacking the entertainment value of his autobiographies, some of Feynman's personality comes through even here.

As far as content goes, the Feynman Lectures on Physics covers most aspects of physics as was known in the early sixties and taught during that time (don't expect laser physics here). His coverage was comprehensive and understandable. He made a serious and successful effort to explain the material. But even Feynman himself admitted that when he delivered these lectures during his teaching of the introductory college physics classes at Cal Tech, only about a half dozen students really understood everything. Cal Tech is not exactly known for mediocrity among the student body, so keep this in mind.

I must admit that I've read only the third volume cover to cover, but I periodically referenced the other volumes during my grad school years. Even though the level of the equations was usually suitable more for undergraduates, the descriptions and physical ideas presented were always helpful. Had there been more worked examples, these volumes would have been a truly exceptional work. But even so, they are still very good and highly recommended for advanced students.

a wonderful introduction to physics
I love these books. I read them when I was a graduate student in mathematics as part of my transition from pure to applied mathematics. I had no background in physics at all, and these books were a very good way to get introduced to the subject. Feynman is one of those people that sees things in a way that is almost magical to everyone else, and he was a masterful teacher.

That said, these are real physics books, so don't bother if you are looking for a superficial understanding. If you already know physics you can probably breeze through the books pretty easily getting a lot of nice insights, but otherwise you need to be prepared to work hard. Also, as a self-teaching tool, these books are incomplete, since they contain no problems, and actually don't prepare you very well to do problems (unless, perhaps, you are as smart as Feynman). For that you probably need a more conventional physics text. I used Jannerstan's book "Mathematical Physics", which I recommend if you can find it because it has lots of problems with complete solutions in the back of the book, but there are many other good, more pedestrian, physics texts to supplement FLP.

If what you want is something lighter, I highly recommend "The Character of Physical Law". You'll learn something and it won't hurt so much. (I also recommend that you see the movies if you possibly can. He was amazing in front of an audience.)

A classic-- but not really for everyone
The Feynman lectures on physics is a transcript of some of the lectures Feynman gave at the California Institute of Technology to freshman and sophomore students. It was somewhat of an "experiment"; feynman had never done this before. He purposed to adress these lectures to the most "intelligent" of the class. It should be no surprise that these lectures are difficult. Caltech students are among the highest scoring on the math college boards of the country; they can handle the math, so often used in these lectures. Feynman often assumes knowledge of certain subjects. These are some things that are helpfull to understanding the content the first volume: equation of oscilliating spring, Newton's equation of gravitation, fundamental algebra, trigonometry, a couple theorems of geometry... Calculus is definately helpfull to know, as Feynman's lecture on its principles is just a reminder to the students he was adressing, most of which were already proficient in the matter. These things aside, this texbook is one of the best college texbooks you can get; lucid, interesting, and very challenging. Feynman at his best; he can be quite humourous at times: i personally love it when he makes fun of the philosphers. So buy the book, but don't get discouraged if it's hard.

Confusing but decent
I spoke to soon earlier. This is a fairly good book. I'm going to get an"0 of # people foudn this review helpful" but what do I care. If You want me to druel over this book then why even bother looking at reviews?

Not perfect, but certainly the best.
I am an undergraduate student,working on a double major in math & physics. Having found classroom teaching unmotivated, I ventured out to teach myself.

This is the best I've found. Feynman was a very smart man and I can only wish that I could have had him as a teacher. The concepts are clear (for the most part) and he makes it interesting.

Some things are not explained as well as they could, which is why I give it 4 stars instead of 5, but I think that's a shortcoming of the medium and not the author or the text. Some things just have to be learned hands-on, or with a teacher next to you. Reading a book brings you close but it's not the actual thing.

Overall, excellent learning experience. Makes me look forward to the bizarre world of physics. ... Read more

Book Description

This reader-friendly book presents the fundamental principles of physics in a clear and concise manner. Emphasizing conceptual understanding as the basis for mastering a variety of problem-solving tools, it provides a wide range of relevant applications and illustrative examples.This book discusses mechanics, thermodynamics, oscillations and wave motion, electricity and magnetism, optics, and modern physics.For anyone wishing to learn more about the fundamentals of physics and how physical principles apply to a variety of real-world situations, devices, and topics. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best Algebra Based Physics Text
Physics is a difficult subject. This text does an admirable job of making a difficult subject easier.

There are advantages and disadvantages to disallowing the writer to use calculus in writing the material. Some formulas require calculus to derive and so must be either taken on faith as true, or the derivations looked up in a calculus based test. Fortunately the times when this issue comes up are few enough to not seriously hamper the flow of the book.

This book may be read as a first book on Physics. I strongly recommend the book Conceptual Physics by Hewitt for a running start at the subject.

Members of the lay public interested in physics may read both of these texts, as they are at introductory level and contains material on classical as well as modern physics.

The units are in SI ( metric ) which simplifies the math.

The Wilson and Buffa text has Color photos of natural phenomenon and situations that illustrate the physics under discussion. There examples are intermixed throughout showing how to work problems involving the principles involved.

I believe this book is an important part of a well rounded education. Physics is NOT an easy topic. If it were, then Newton would have developed theories on relativity and gravity waves. This book does what it was designed to do, that is assist beginners in starting their journey.

I read the book. I found it to be fun.

Katherine Rogers
Yes, Real girls do physics.

Not Bad, Not Great
While I haven't had the pleasure of having Buffa for a professor (and by all accounts I'm planning on avoiding it), the book really isn't that bad. The sample problems are helpful and the escalating difficulty is appreaciated.

The downside is that he tends to get bogged down in little details that aren't really as important as he makes them out to be--especially considering that the book is for people who don't need calc-based Physics (read life science majors, and all non-science related majors who need a GE), and occasionally the problems seem totally unrelated to what has been presented in the text.

Still, as far as text books go, this one isn't bad and if you have a good teacher to go along, it'll serve you just fine.

Pretty Easy to Understand
One of this book's authors is a professor at my university. While he himself did not teach my physics class, he definitely conveyed our school's philosophy of "learn by doing" through the use of numerous pictures, diagrams, and straightforward exercises at the end of each chapter. I thought the book explains the general ideas and concepts of physics very well, without requiring a calculus background to understand the material.

Good start for studying physics
For someone looking to get an overview of basic physics, this book is great. The problems in the back of each chapter start out easy then become more and more challenging. In several chapters there are photos of some physics instructors doing experiments we all want to do; one of the best is an experiment where someone is sitting in a chair holding a very large CO2 fire extinguisher and... rockets off! It does a very good job of explaining Newton's laws. (every action has an equal and opposite reaction) If you purchase this text, make sure to get the associated study guide. It not only provides a review of each chapter, it goes through step by step problem solving on slected odd numbered problems. The only caveat is that some of the wording is vague; there was an attempt to explain physics without calculus. As a result, some subjects must be taken on faith. If life sciences is your major then this text does a great job of explaining physics. ... Read more

Book Description

This book contains 1001 fully annotated physics questions in the MCAT format organized by topic. The range of difficulty is from easy to very difficult. There are questions on every physics topic that might appear on the MCAT. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Physics Practice
I really found this book very, very helpful. I thought it covered every topic on the MCAT. Some of the questions were a little easier than McAT, and some seemed a little more difficult than MCAT, but they all seemed like McAT questions to me. You can't beat the online help offered with this book. THe author himself answers your science questions. Two enthusiastic thumbs up from me.

Don't buy this book!
I was extremely disappointed in this book. I bought it used online and regret wasting my money. This book does not resemble the MCAT at all, and there are blocks of questions which are virtually identical to one another, except for some of the numbers being changed. I also noticed a bunch of errors which was another frustration. I am now using my textbook, College Physics for practice questions.

Good way to prep for Physics
I used the 1001 physics book and a national prep course to prepare for my MCAT. I scored a 12 on the physical sciences. I found the 1001 physics book to be accurate in the science and a strong pedagogic tool for learning the concepts. There were some (but really very few) typos in the book, and I didn't find them myself, but they were posted on the examkrackers website and appear to be updated regularly. Additionally, Examkrackers provides a bulletin board where Jon Orsay himself actually responds quickly to science questions that relate to the book. Mr. Orsay explains on this site that the 1001 books are designed to teach MCAT science and that passages allow you to answer questions without knowing the science. That's why these questions are not passage based. He actually suggests using a different book if you are already scoring 10s in the science section and he says that you should definitely supplement this book with a review book and full length exams. Anyway, I thought the book was pretty good, and I don't think I would have done so well without it.

Fair review questions.
This book contains many questions in basic physics for the MCAT. All relevant topics are covered; however, I feel that this is not the best book for review. The main objection I have is that the question format is NOT what appears on the MCAT. Most MCAT questions are based on a reading passage and very few of the Examcracker's questions are in that form. Those that are based on a passage are very simple when compared to the real MCAT questions. I scored well on the physics section but it was because I worked through real MCAT practice exams. Do not use this book as your sole source for physics preparation. I've said this dozens of times to friends, "If you purchase a 'comprehensive' review book make sure you also use old college books, old college notes, and work through old MCAT exams."

Hard ones, Easy ones.
The style of the questions get you thinking conceptually. For each topic the difficulty ranges from easy to extremely difficult. The difficult ones can be intimidating if you don't realize that they won't likely be that hard on the real thing. The explanations are concise, and often reveal when an overly difficult question is out of the MCAT league. ... Read more

Book Description

For thirty years this has been the acknowledged standard in advanced classical mechanics courses. This classic book enables readers to make connections between classical and modern physics - an indispensable part of a physicist's education. In this new edition, Beams Medal winner Charles Poole and John Safko have updated the book to include the latest topics, applications, and notation, to reflect today's physics curriculum. They introduce readers to the increasingly important role that nonlinearities play in contemporary applications of classical mechanics. New numerical exercises help readers to develop skills in how to use computer techniques to solve problems in physics. Mathematical techniques are presented in detail so that the book remains fully accessible to readers who have not had an intermediate course in classical mechanics.For college instructors and students. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

A solid book
This is probably the best treatment of Classical Mechanics I've ever read, though, as with anything, it could use some improvement. My only gripe is the usual one with texts like this: There are few if any specific physical instances of formulations that so often serve as a watershed of understanding in physics. For example, in the derivation of the Langrangian, and finally the Hamiltonian, no point for point physical example (say, with a central force like gravity) is offered. It would be nice to see a step by step description of how the Riemann sum over time of the difference in kinetic and potential energies changes as different paths are chosen. I did this and it was beautiful and incredibly enlightening. Once you can _see_ that kind of behavior, you're powerful! It is then easy to generalize to any abstract system. But all else was excellent. If you really want to learn Mechanics, you must start with Goldstein. Recommended preliminaries: Stewart's Calculus; Schaum's Linear Algebra; Halliday, Resnick and Walker's Fundamentals of Physics and Symon's Mechanics.

Still the standard for mechanics
Even more then 30 years later, this book is still the standard in mechanics for graduate courses. Working through it will give an excellent understanding of mechanics. However, due to its age it falls a little short on some areas such as relativity. It woudl need an overhaul here. Yet, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, so it should not be misunderstood here. What is needed here is an update on more recent developments in relativity and this is the primary reason why I couldn't give it a five star. Also, if one studies Goldstein first, then working on Jackson's Electrodynamics poses relatively little problems since the mathematical level is effectively the same as required in both books. Nevertheless, starting with Goldstein will be easier then with Jackson.

A Good book
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Mechanics
This is a superb book for graduate level mechanics. It is complete and rigorous. It is a bit pricy, so look for used copies. The second edition is more standard since there is a lot of new notation in the third. There are a handful of minor typos that a careful read will weed out.

Excellent
The book was in good condition, delivered fast..everything was way better than I expected. thank you. ... Read more

Book Description

Like having a private coach at their elbows, this introduction to algebra-based physics involves readers actively in a guided learn-by-doing process—sensing when they need a very patient exposition and when they need only minimal reinforcement, when they need to focus on concepts and when they need an opportunity to practice their quantitative skills. At the heart of the volume are worked examples in a unique, two-column format that focuses on the basic strategies and step-by-step thought processes involved in problem solving—with an emphasis on the relationship between the physical concepts and their mathematical expression. Color-coded drawings help readers visualize physics problems, and companion photographs show the same principle at work in different physical contexts, or juxtapose situations in which contrasting principles are at work. Real-world physics applications abound. Covers the full spectrum of topics in Mechanics, Thermal Physics, Electromagnetism, Light and Optics, and Modern Physics. For anyone needing an introduction to, or refresher of, algebra-based physics.

Reviews (6)

Decent but not great
I used this book for my first class in college physics. The book is a decent text for learning physics, but I think that several improvements could be made.

This book is Volume 1 of a two volume set. It includes topics about kinematics, Newton's Laws, Energy, Waves and Sound, Fluids, and Thermodynamics, among other topics. To tell the truth, I don't really see the point of splitting the book up into two volumes since most people will take both classes anyway.

First, the good aspects of the book. This text is intended for an algebra-based (no calculus) college physics course. I does do a good job of limiting the mathematical details and instead presenting the underlying physical concept that is to be understood. There are also numerous illustrated examples and practice problems that are very helpful.

Next, the bad aspects of the book. If you are like me and go to a large state university, then it is quite likely that your professor will be a physicist that may be more interested in his or her research than your class. Since real physics majors do not take this class, your professor may not enjoy teaching it. But even if you have the best professor in the world, it is likely that many of the problems in this book are a bit more simplistic than ones that your professor will give on an exam. The book does include simple problems, but does not illustrate how to work out more difficult ones. If you are considering buying the study guide/answer book, don't. It is terrible. It only shows how to do about ten out of the fifty+ questions per chapter. I've had biology answer key books that included more problems.

Basically, this book is not bad for the basic principles but not very good for more advanced ones. How well the course goes depends on the instructor. I'd recommend taking physics first in high school if you are planning on taking it in college because this book is intended for one semester and it covers 18 chapters. It wouldn't hurt to have some prior knowledge of the subject.

A good first course...
I first had physics in college twenty years ago. I was studying (at that time) astronomy and mathematics, so the first college-level physics class I took fully incorporated calculus and advanced mathematics. It was not until recently, as I took a position as tutor at a local community college, that I discovered a rigourous introductory physics text that did not involve calculus (only one semester of calculus is offered at the college, and usually taken concurrently with or after physics).

Walker's text, second edition, is the text we currently use. We offer one semester of physics, so we only get half-way through the text, which seems designed for a two-semester sequence. As the main focus of the college is technical, so the sections on mechanics, thermal physics and electromagnetism are the most essential sections for our degree programmes.

While this text does not assume calculus, it does assume basic trigonometry and analytic geometry. Dealing with angles and graphing are important skills to know here; dealing with vectors is introduced very early in the text, and continues to be very important throughout.

The book is well organised, with chapter summaries, problem-solving techniques summarised at the end of chapter, high concept questions, drawings, photographs, and real-world applications that relate the theory back to actual experience. From the light refraction in raindrops to the workings of the Global Positioning System, students will learn more about the interactions of the world from this text.

The examples follow a format that shows not only the worked solutions, but also the strategies employed to get to the solutions. Problems are pictured (after all, physics deals with real, substantial things), and conceptual considerations are explained (physics is largely story problems that need to be set up properly, after all). The insights and further considerations from the solutions are explored, and other practice problems are suggested (physics is always about going on to the next problem). The examples follow different categories - there are active examples, conceptual checkpoints, and real-world physics exercises.

The book is divided into five primary sections: Mechanics; Thermal Physics; Electromagnetism; Light and Optics; and Modern Physics. Mechanics largely deals with motion, introducing near the end ideas of gravity, sound, fluids and energy. This leads into Thermal Physics, the study of heat, temperature, and the laws of thermodynamics. Electromagnetism looks at electric force, charge, current, potential/potential energy, magnetism and flux. Light and Optics continues this with electromagnetic waves, proceeding to optical instruments and issues of interference and diffraction. The final section on Modern Physics deals with 'fun stuff' like relativity, quantum physics, atomic and nuclear physics and radiation.

Like most texts, it comes with various supplements for students and teachers, computer-based and web-based. There are pocket companions and workbooks with solutions that can also be obtained, related to the text.

This is a good text for classroom study, and also a text for independent study. Some of the exercises are difficult to work through, but there are literally dozens (sometimes hundreds) after each chapter, so there is plenty on which to practice, and all the odd-numbered exercises have answers supplied.

Too many conceptual leaps
Walker often takes leaps in conceptual explanations that leave the students wondering where the heck they lost track of what he was saying. I find Cutnell&Johnson's textbook to be much more concept friendly.

A readable book with rigor
I used this book after becoming disgusted with couple of other textbooks.

In my view, the level of rigor is about the same as that of Sears, Zemansky and Young but much more readable than Sears.

This is probably the best trig based book in the market to have come out in last ten years.

Just Right for Many Students
As a self-taught student of physics (age 53), I find this book extremely clear, nicely illustrated, and easy to work with. The carefully explained and graded sample problems are exceedingly helpful for students who need to see how the pros solve problems before tackling any on their own. The level is reasonably sophisticated without getting into calculus--perfect for many students. Of the physics textbooks I have encountered, this is the best. ... Read more

Book Description

This set of five volumes, four volumes edited by Edward D. Palik and a volume by Gorachand Ghosh, is a unique resource for any science and technology library. It provides materials researchers and optical device designers with reference facts in a context not available anywhere else. The singular functionality of the set derives from the unique format for the three core volumes that comprise the Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids. The Handbook satisfies several essential needs: first, it affords the most comprehensive database of the refractive index and extinction (or loss) coefficient of technically important and scientifically interesting dielectrics. This data has been critically selected and evaluated by authorities on each material. Second, the dielectric constant database is supplemented by tutorial chapters covering the basics of dielectric theory and reviews of experimental techniques for each wavelength region and material characteristic. As an additional resource, two of the tutorial chapters summarize the relevant characteristics of each of the materials in the database.
The data in the core volumes have been collected and analyzed over a period of twelve years, with the most recent completed in 1997. The volumes systematically define the dielectric properties of 143 of the most engaging materials, including metals, semiconductors, and insulators. Together, the three Palik books contain nearly 3,000 pages, with about 2/3 devoted to the dielectric constant data. The tutorial chapters in the remaining 1/3 of the pages contain a wealth of information, including some dielectric data. Hence, the separate volume, Index to Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids, which is included as part of the set, substantially enhances the utility of the Handbook and in essence, joins all the Palik volumes into one unit. It isthen of great importance to users of the set. A final volume rounds out the set. The Handbook of Thermo-Optic Coefficients of Optical Materials with Applications collects refractive index measurements and their temperature dependence for a large number of crystals and glasses. Mathematical models represent these data, and in turn are used in the design of nonlinear optical devices.

* Unique source of extremely useful optical data for a very broad community of scientists, researchers, and practitioners
* Will be of great practical applicability to both industry and research
* Presents optical constants for a broadest spectral range, for a very large number of materials: Paliks three volumes include 143 materials including 43 elements; Ghoshs volume includes some 70 technologically interesting crystals and many commercial glasses
* Includes a special index volume that enables the user to search for the information in the three Palik volumes easily and quickly
* Critique chapters in the Palik volumes discuss the data and give reference to most of the literature available for each material
* Presents various techniques for measuring the optical constants and mathematical models for analytical calculations of some data ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Erudite and encyclopedic but extremely expensive
I've used Palik & Ghosh as an occasional reference work for years, because it's very good, and has chapters on most of the materials I've needed to work with--metals, silicon, and oxide dielectrics of one sort or another. Obviously a lot of work went into it, and it's a pretty specialized business, measuring and tabulating optical properties. I'd give it 5 stars for content, no doubt about it--an orchid for the editors: for their part of the deal they deserve our praise and thanks.

The set gets about one star for value, because it's priced like a last-minute airline ticket--those who need it sufficiently badly will pay. The publishers want something getting on for a grand for 5 books, and *two and a half grand* for the same thing in software, which costs nothing to reproduce! For most people, the abbreviated tables in recent editions of the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics are better than good enough, though it would be great to be able to afford Palik and Ghosh.

If the price ever comes down by a factor of three, I'd probably buy the books, but it would take a factor of 10 before I'd consider the software. ... Read more

Book Description

No other book on the market today can match the 30-year success of Halliday, Resnick and Walker's Fundamentals of Physics!

Fundamentals of Physics, 7th Edition and the Extended Version, 7th Edition offer a solid understanding of fundamental physics concepts, helping readers apply this conceptual understanding to quantitative problem solving, in a breezy, easy-to-understand style. A unique combination of authoritative content and stimulating applications.
* Numerous improvements in the text, based on feedback from the many users of the sixth edition (both instructors and students)
* Several thousand end-of-chapter problems have been rewritten to streamline both the presentations and answers
* 'Chapter Puzzlers' open each chapter with an intriguing application or question that is explained or answered in the chapter
* Problem-solving tactics are provided to help beginning Physics students solve problems and avoid common error
* The first section in every chapter introduces the subject of the chapter by asking and answering, "What is Physics?" as the question pertains to the chapter
* Numerous supplements available to aid teachers and students

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. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Fundamentals of Physics
Great service. Book arrived when stated. Book condition exactly as described. Would purchase again from this person. Great transaction

The Classic Text
This is the classic text for fundamentals of physics. It has been translated to many different languages and is absolutely proven to be the best. However if you get the earlier editions you will find some more challenging problems that have been omitted in this edition. The students who want to gain a solid foundation in fundamental of physics or want to prepare for physics contests must work through this book carefully in an earlier stage of their physics education (end of high school or freshman year).

I read this book (the two volume series) when I was in grades 11 and 12 and through college even, I am getting benefits from the intuitions and core concepts that I gained from this book. Try to get the solution manual but try not to use it unless you really don't know what to do (some problems are a bit of a challenge :)

The CD ROM will not work
Obviously this is one of the best texts in physics and I was enjoying the text and the CD ROM that goes with it - - it costs extra to get it that way. Soft key takes about $40 and gives you a password so CD ROM access is possible. That is fine until you switch computers or have to go through a reformatting of the hard drive. And guess what? Soft key is no longer in business and the old password, obviously, does not work.

As for Wiley (great name for them, come to think of it) try getting them to help the poor customer who needs support. They ignore all requests for help with this problem. My emails to Wiley showed the principle of the black hole. The emails went in and nother ever emerged.

My recommendation? Stay away from this one unless the CD ROM is not an issue. Other than that the book is splendid as always. A classic, relatively speaking.

Excellent Text and Companion CD
I'm sure you can read a ton of reviews on here that will tell you the same thing. The examples are great, the text is straightforward and clear, and the exercises are adequately elaborated, so no problem really leaves you thinking "well, this just can't be right...". And in case you get stuck, you've got easily the best software companion available for any textbook ever. The CD-Physics companion can guide you through solutions for many of the exercises, either by presenting a nicely worked out solution as you would write it on a paper, by giving you hints, or by helping you solve the problem yourself with the interactive LearningWare feature. It becomes obvious that this book spends a lot of time making sure the reader can achieve an adequate understanding of the material, rather than forcing the student to memorize vague formulas which seem to have no unity. The chapters are presented in a (somewhat) reasonable order, building on concepts learned in the previous chapter in most cases. You get the full introductory college physics stuff in this book, from Newtonian mechanics to thermodynamics to electricity and electromagnetic waves. This is perfect for the student who shies from asking others for help, as either the book or the CD Physics companion will have the answers they seek. I was never particularly fond of physics and have always thought of it as the bare essentials for a computer engineer, but this book gave me a new appreciation for the physical aspects of my engineering field, especially with the very complete (from a general overview) chapters on electricity, capacitance, and inductance.

Good foundation in classical physics
The 'Halliday/Resnick' physics textbook has been used at the university introductory level for decades. This latest edition is colorful, interesting, filled with solved problems, and suitable for the interested general reader. Only a limited knowledge of calculus is assumed. The 'Extended Edition' contains chapters on quantum physics and cosmology not present in the 'Regular Edition'. The chapter on gravitation includes a brief, nonmathematical description of Einstein's general theory of relativity, including its inspiration by the principle of equivalence. Towards the end of the textbook, an entire, easy-to-read chapter on special relativity is included. This is followed by similar introductory chapters on matter waves, nuclear physics and particle physics. This reference provides the motivated general reader with a suitable background to be able then to read most books on modern physics. ... Read more

Book Description

A revision of the defining book covering the physics and classical mathematics necessary to understand electromagnetic fields in materials and at surfaces and interfaces. The third edition has been revised to address the changes in emphasis and applications that have occurred in the past twenty years. ... Read more

Reviews (60)

The Classical text for E & M
Jackson's text still remains as the classic text for E & M. The problems are challenging and difficult I do admit. I found that having the mathematics background helped when it came to solving some of Jackson's problems. From the other reviews that I saw that gave this book low ratings probably didn't have the mathematical background to tackle this text. Before attempting to read and solve the problems of Jackson, you should have an excellent working knowledge of Multivariable calculus including vector calculus, differential equations (including partial differential equations),complex variables, Legendre and Bessel functions. If you don't have this background, you will have a very difficult time with this book.

What's the purpose?
I fail to understand the purpose of writing such a book as Jacksons'. The physics is many times neglected in favor of mathematics, and yet the mathematics itself is poorly explained. It feels like studying E&M while being drunk: "you take the div of the curl, then the curl of the curl and the div of the div of the . . . " Also, Jackson takes the rather uninspiring view of teaching E&M from the unrelativistic point of view, a real shame, considering the conceptual simplification such an approach offers. Classical Electrodynamics by Julian Schwinger outrivals Jackson's book from the mathematical point of view, and is more comprehensive. Schwartz's "Principles of Electrodynamics" and Ohanian's text (forgot the name) explain the physics much better (Ohanian's book is also at a nice mathematical level). So what's the purpose of using this text?

EECCCHHHH!!!!!
This book (I use the term loosely) stinks. Some reviewers suggest that you can only appreciate this book if you already have a solid foundation in math and Electromagnetics. Baloney! Truth is, Jackson should never have been allowed to even think of writing such a textbook. From what I have seen so far, painful is not a strong enough word to describe the act of sifting through this mess. I feel for the students who had this assigned as their classroom text. As one reviewer put it, the students had to take other books out of the library to get through the course or to determine what the hell Jackson is talking about. There is a difference between a well presented, intelligent style of writing and a pretentious "Look how smart I appear to be, try try try to figure out what I am saying; I'm not going to tell you, that's for sure" style of writing, where Jackson adopts the latter, exclusively. There are far better books out there. Go look for them.

Excellence in Physics
First off, this is either a graduate book or a senior undergraduate book in Physics. The book assumes at least 2 years of college math, preferably for engineering or physics folks.

What sets this book apart is the focus on physics is perfect as we understand E&M theory at this point. Unlike other imperfect college texts like Lorraine and Courson, this book contains no errors. While some may no like "and the proof is left to the reader", the book is meant to teach people who are focused on physics but can describe the process mathematically as well as in regular language.

The assumption is that there has already been a rigorous introduction of both physics and mathematics so this book is NOT a casual read.

The beauty of this book is that it's not just teaching knowledge but it teaches one how to think. To those who can rise to the occasion and draw upon their education, professors and peers, there is the satisfaction of really understanding E&M clearly and concisely.

To those who only seek rote knowledge, this book will be too challenging.

Good old Jackson
I like Jackson, but I think that most people don't.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing this is to tell the
Reviewer from July 12, 2000 that Jackson DID write
another book. It's called
"The Physics of Elementary Particles." ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A great text for the motivated student
I am a junior in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell and used this textbook for a Thermodynamics course third semester. I thought it was organized well, written clearly and at an appropriate level, and enjoyable overall (though demanding at times). I think the reason some people have given this book such poor reviews is that it makes you think and really requires you to put time into solving problems. So, chances are you can handle the technical aspects, but the nature of thermo seems to make it difficult the first time around for some (myself included). If you know calculus, basic physics, and are willing to actually try to understand the text/reasoning/formulas/examples and do the problems though, you will probably agree that this book is incredible.

A College level book
Warning, this book is a college level Thermodynamics book written for students who are pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering. As one reviewer pointed out, this book, unfortunately, will force you to think and will not simply provide you with the formulas necessary to solve all the problems in the back. I purchased this book as a supplement to the required text for the thermo course I was taking. I found it extremely helpful in filling in the gaps left by my text with many thorough example problems. I have recommended this book to our faculty as a replacement to our current text.

Cengel4 or MoranShapiro5? A matter of taste only!
To all eng thermo learners: i did an intensive comparison of Cengel4 and MoranShapiro5 whenever on the john. Sonntag6 was out-of-race: book really bad (in comparison to the two in question), so let's not talk about it any further. So the remaining top-sellers, they are *the* most widely-used most popular intro texts (the very first two semesters on thermo for engineering students) available; very comprehensive (~800pages) and extremely modern in didactics, layout, and content presentation. No wonder that they are the two best-sold intro texts. Question: which is better?
Results: Both are 100% equally top choices (and 95% equal in teaching text) and in the end it s only a matter of taste and peripheral preferences. My personal peripheral preference would be the "Which one s the better deal (US $)?". Well, MoranShapiro5 is a little harder to read (it uses one colour only: pics, drawings, and images all in GREEN, aarrgh!) and not as nicely layout as Cengel4. But text is a little more detailed and the examples are much longer, and a bit harder and thus more detailed too! Number of examples seems to be higher too (!?) ("So, if you re not a dummie (=total beginner), go for S/M as text and ref!"). Furthermore, the WileyInternationalEdition comes in HARDCOVER whereas the McGraw-HillInternationEdtion comes in PAPERBACK. Both books feature a student book companion site or online learning center. The Wiley book site has the fantastic "ThermoNet"-website, and instructors will find digitized solutions to all text problems. The McGraw-Hill book site does not offer much neither to the student nor to the instructor. Textwise, Cengel *is* better. Easier to read, grasp, learn, and understand. And apply ("So, the best thermo book for dummies is Cengel!"). VERY VERY nice layout, VERY attractive and fun to work with. An enjoyable reading. A bit more fun than Moran's. But as explained, all in all the better deal would be MoranShapiro5. Moran's text is the more serious one: useful as text *and* reference. Cengel's book-for-dummies is very useful for total beginners and poor learners. Well, if you *now* begin to complain that neither Cengel's nor Moran's book pleases you, then you wont find any other good intro tome ('picture book'). These two intro tomes *are* the best, there are no better on the market. Choose one of the two, or dont buy any intro text on eng thermo! If you dont like these two books because eng thermo is too hard for you, then please have a close look at Octave Levenspiel's intro text "Understanding Engineering Thermo". This might be the best to start with then. For you.

An Excellent Thermodynamics book
I highly recommend this text. I have used it for many years now and it is as complete and concise as can be. Moran and Shapiro have done an excellent job in developing this text. The concept explanations are concise and technical. The theory is extremely well developed and clearly presented. This book is similar to Incropera's Heat Transfer texts with respect with the theory development and explanations. If you want a book that does more than show you how to do a problem this book is for you. Not only does it show you how, but it tells you WHY. An excellent book!

Read Reviews Carefully
I used this text in undergrad thermo and as a reference in grad school and thought that it was a satisfactory book. I don't think that it is a spectacular book, but I was surprised by the negative reviews posted about the book. Thermodynamics can be a frustrating undergraduate course and is often used as a "weed out" course by mechanical engineering departments. Some of the reiviews for this book seem to be written by bitter students who couldn't handle thermo. I encourage shoppers to weed through these reviews when considering buying this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Like having a private coach at their elbows, this introduction to algebra-based physics involves readers actively in a guided learn-by-doing process—sensing when they need a very patient exposition and when they need only minimal reinforcement, when they need to focus on concepts and when they need an opportunity to practice their quantitative skills. At the heart of the volume are worked examples in a unique, two-column format that focuses on the basic strategies and step-by-step thought processes involved in problem solving—with an emphasis on the relationship between the physical concepts and their mathematical expression. Color-coded drawings help readers visualize physics problems, and companion photographs show the same principle at work in different physical contexts, or juxtapose situations in which contrasting principles are at work. Real-world physics applications abound.Volume 1 contains Chs. 1-18 of the main volume: One-Dimensional Kinematics; Vectors in Physics; Two-Dimensional Kinematics; Newton's Laws of Motion; Applications of Newton's Laws; Work and Kinetic Energy; Potential Energy and Conservative Forces; Linear Momentum and Collisions; Rotational Kinematics and Energy; Rotational Dynamics and Static Equilibrium; Gravity; Oscillations about Equilibrium; Waves and Sound; Fluids; Temperature and Heat; Phases and Phase Changes; The Laws of Thermodynamics.For anyone needing an introduction to, or refresher of, algebra-based physics. ... Read more

Book Description

These practice workbooks and guides contain essential information for those preparing for GRE subject tests, including practice questions, full-length practice tests that were actually administered at international GRE subject test administrations, answer sheets, correct answers, score conversion tables, and performance data for students who took the tests. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A book you want to see before the test.
This book neither tells you how to solve the problems nor what knowledge you are expected to have before the test. This book contains only problems and answers. When you think you are ready for the test, this is the book you want to use. This book contains four actual tests and helps you time your exam and get used to the style of the exam. I found "Physics: The Easy Way by Robert L. Lehrman" a good book to review the kind of things asked in GRE physics test. In GRE physics test you are asked a hundred small questions which can be solved almost without calculation. You want to review the essentials and get used to the style of the exam for high score.

Just the tests
Sadly, this publication by ETS contains nothing but 3 old GRE physics exams of (presumably) retired questions. The correct answers and the scoring statistics are given, but there is nothing in the way of explanation or discussion or strategies for attacking the test. Still, you should probably get this because its the only place you can get your hands on ETS's actual problems. Other books that purport to train you for the GRE often disturbingly misunderstand what kind of things ETS expects you to know and do on the exam. This book is only helpful if you invest a lot of time in it, but I still reccommend it highly if you plan on taking the physics GRE.

comprehensive and practical
with detailed explaination and cogent coaching, this book provides a hand-on way to tackle GRE questions ... Read more

Book Description

The Handbook of Chemistry and Physics on CD-ROM, Version 2005 provides a thorough range of critically evaluated data in a convenient, electronic format. This CD-ROM edition contains all of the information found in the 85th print edition augmented by a range of special utilities.

New tables in this edition include: Index of Refraction of Inorganic Crystals, Upper and Lower Solution Temperatures of Binary Polymer Solutions, Miscibility of Organic Solvents, Density of Solvents as a Function of Temperature, and Coefficients of Friction.

The Fundamental Physical Constants section has been updated with the latest CODATA/NIST values, and the Mathematical Tables appendix now features several new sections covering topics that include orthogonal polynomials Clebsch-Gordan coefficients, and statistics. ... Read more

Book Description

This completely reorganized edition of the classic reference provides detailed information on the underlying physics and operational characteristics of all major bipolar, unipolar, special microwave, and optoelectronic devices. Integrates nearly 1,000 references to important original research papers and review articles, more than 650 high-quality technical illustrations, and 25 tables of material parameters for device analysis. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A classic work
If there should at all be one point against this book, then it is that it is a priced high (at least in my country). However I found that the text was worth the investment. This book is one of those must-haves for every electronics engineer.

The text is presented in a way that will appeal to any student as well as working professionals, and the least one can say is that it is extremely well-written. This text is an indispensable one.

A classic textbbok for semiconductor physics
As well known, this book is one of the classic books for semicoductor physics. It provides a lot of information in various devices, although some probably is outdated. However, as I know, the author was trying to tell the readers why and how semiconductor devices become what we see today. Because only we know about what the pioneers thinked, we can further modify or invite new semiconductor devices. I must agree that this book is not so easy to follow and read, but, don't froget, this book is devoted for advanced semiconductor physics course. It assumes the reader is already familiar with some foundamental semiconductor knowledge!

This is not a textbook!
I decided to write this review after reading the previous reviews to this book. Apparently, a couple of the reviewers think of this book as a text book, which it is not. Even though the first edition was published in 1968, and the second in 1981, this book is still a very useful reference to anyone who works in the field of semiconductor device physics. The author presupposes a good amount of knowledge, and does not try to lead the reader "by hand" through all the details in the derivation of the mathematical expressions. I recommend this book to all serious scholars at the senior level and beyond, -as a reference book-.

More patchwork than book!
This is not a good book to study semiconductor devices.In the reality it is a patchwork of uncorrelated articles about various devices lacking unity of vision and clearness in the exposition.Very often it happened to me to use other 2 or 3 other books only to understand Sze .And the author is extremely fond of making reference to final formulas without explaining the logical developement used.And now the book is dated too:so do not buy this book,try instead "Device eletronics for integrated circuits" by Muller and Kamins which is advanced and well conceived too!

A complete and readable reference that could use updating.
The Physics of Semiconductor Devices is a classic in the field, containing all the necessary knowledge as of 1981. The classic devices (diodes, transistors, microwave devices) are covered clearly and exhaustively. The book is lacking in its treatment of semiconductor heterostructures, which are key to modern devices but were not nearly as central two decades ago. One hopes that a 3rd edition is in the works. ... Read more

Book Description

Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity provides a lucid and thoroughly modern introduction to general relativity. With an accessible and lively writing style, it introduces modern techniques to what can often be a formal and intimidating subject.Readers are led from the physics of flat spacetime (special relativity), through the intricacies of differential geometry and Einstein's equations, and on to exciting applications such as black holes, gravitational radiation, and cosmology.For advanced undergraduates and graduate students, or anyone interested in astronomy, cosmology, physics, or general relativity. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

To learn GR, read this one first...
I may be biased (as a student there), but the University of Chicago has the market for textbooks on GR cornered. Between Sean Carroll and Bob Wald, the student has everything he needs. I do have to reccomend reading this one first though, as the explanations are more physical (where Wald is more formal) and the style is more readable and easier to digest. In short it is probably the best book on the market from which to learn GR. Once you finish this book, add Wald's to your library for a more complete reference set (Wald's book is likely the best on the market once you already know GR).

Great GR Book!
This book has helped me long before it was ever published! It is based off of lecture notes that Carroll gave for a graduate level General Relativity course. These notes are still freely available at:

http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/gr-qc/9712019

But you miss out on extras like better diagrams, more examples and exercises, so this is still a great buy!

Stellar
This is a fantastic book on cosmology both to learn cosmology for the first time and to use later as a reference book. Most useful text I have bought in a long time.

Fabulous!
Fantastic introduction to the topic -- even for the non-physicist who likes to dabble in such subjects.

Buy This Book
if you want to learn GR and have fun learning it.

Of course this review is completely unhelpful, but I've never reviewed books on Amazon before, and I felt obliged to review this book for various reasons better kept to myself. (Edit : It turned out that a long time ago, I reviewed Nakahara. My memory is failing me...)

If you are looking for a real reason, then here it is :

Pages 281-286 on degrees of freedom in linearized GR.

Oh, again, don't forget to buy this book. ... Read more

Book Description

The Fifth Edition of INQUIRY INTO PHYSICS maintains the perfect balance of quantitative and conceptual content by carefully incorporating problem solving into a discernible conceptual framework. The text integrates simple mathematics so students can see the practicality of physics and have a means of testing scientific validity. Throughout the text, Ostdiek and Bord emphasize the relevance of physics in our daily lives. This text is committed to a concept- and inquiry-based style of learning, as evidenced in the ExploreItYourself boxes, concept-based flow-charts in the chapter openers, and Learning Checks. Students will also find applied examples throughout the text, such as metal detectors, Fresnel lenses, kaleidoscopes, and smoke detectors. The text also periodically reviews the historical development of physics, which is particularly relevant as context for non-science majors. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great as far as text books go...
Basic physics book packed with information, diagrams, photos, exercises and some answers at the back of the book to make sure you are on track. Interesting text because it touches on how physics relates to almost everything. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A first-class book on quantum mechanics
Sakurai was one of the smartest physicists of his generation, and it shows in this book. A characteristic of the physics writings of such greats as Einstein, Pauli, Heisenberg, and Dirac is that they make advanced physics theories seem so clear and transparent that one is always inclined to think, "of course, that's the way to do it." Sakurai's book comes across the same way, but there are plenty of good problems to bring you back down to Earth. Especially useful are the discussions of Feynman path integrals, the Aharonov-Bohm effect, the WKB approximation, Schwinger's treatment of angular momentum, and the Dyson series in perturbation theory.

Wonderful book for a second course. Newbies hands off.
This book is not for your virgin encounter with quantum mechanics. You will be devastated. I had seen other less prepared students struggle mightily with the book back in grad school days. However, quoting Schwinger, this book does go to "the heart of the quantum experience". To read this book at the right level, you need to already know QM well enough to free yourself from the confines of wave functions, and think in terms of the state of a quantum system, with wave functions being its spatial incarnation. The concept of states, not wave functions, IS the essence of quantum physics. For this level of readership, there are few books out there that does it better than Sakurai.

For newbies, I suggest that you get a solid grounding in linear algebra and vector spaces before diving in.

One of the best books on QM
Well, I've read all of this book some years ago and, at that time (while learning for my QM I and QM II exams) I used this book together with L.D.Landau (non relativistic QM), W.Greiner (vol. I, II and some of III), F. Schwabl (QM) and the everused R.Shankar (QM). In the following years I went on using J.Sakurai several times as a reference. Today, I think that J.Sakurai book is one of the best choices for learning QM: his treatment of spin theory in QM is still one of the best (probably the best!). Just the last 2 chapters seem to me a bit uneven compared to the rest of the book. I must also say: if you have to learn QM, then you'll have to use Sakurai together with another book that tells you something more about the introductory part of QM (ondulatory mechanics and so on: for example, a good choice would be M.Born, Gasiorowicz, Greiner vol. I, or Schwabl), but J.Sakurai and L.D.Landau are, in my opinion, probably still the best textbooks on the core part of QM.

One of the better QM books out there
Out of the books I have studied for QM, this is my favorite. Some of the details are missing and the perturbation theory and scattering sections do need additional details but overall I found his method of introducing the Dirac notation about the best for me personally. Others may differ. Make no mistake about it: this is not a book that you can just hand to a student and tell them to go on about it and be a responsible instructor. It does suffer from the same limitation as almost all other QM books: it just teaches QM but does not tell the student what theoretical physics is all about. They probably do this because the course is for such a wide range of people. But I still believe the communication of this information lends insight unavailable elsewhere and useful for all. That is what make Dirac's book on QM great even today (although I will not presume to maintain its relevance for the modern student).

An excellent book on QM
This is simply a wonderful book. It is well written and very clear. The introduction to the Dirac notation is nicely done and the rest of the book falls in place. QM is not an easy subject but I think this book makes more understandable. ... Read more

Book Description<