Book Description

The fourth edition contains seven new sections with chapters on General Relativity, Gravitational Waves and Relativistic Cosmology. The text has been thoroughly revised and additional problems inserted.


The Complete course of Theoretical Physics by Landau and Lifshitz, recognized as two of the world's outstanding physicists, is published in full by Butterworth-Heinemann. It comprises nine volumes, covering all branches of the subject; translations from the Russian are by leading scientists. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

An Essential Classic Reference Work
This is a magnificent book carefully crafted by two of the leading theorists of the twentieth century. If you have a basic grounding in mechanics, vector analysis and tensor analysis then much of this book will be accessible. The early parts of the book are concerned with Special Relativity and the classical electromagnetic field using the action principle and tensor form of Maxwell's Equations. Later in the book there is in depth presentation of the General Theory of Relativity. This is very much a reference book rather than one to approach these subjects for the first time. There are no exercises or problems but it is a truly masterly work and well worth the money spent upon it and time invested studying it.

The ultimate treatise on classical field theory
This book is simply the best treatment of the subject that can be found. Period. Having been written by Landau it comes with the guarantee that the material is presented in the most elegant, yet logically consistent manner possible. And this book delivers all of that and more. Similar to the approach in "Mechanics" the principle of least action plays a prominent role in all the theories: relativistic mechanics, electromagnetic theory and Einstein GR. As a result Landau develops the whole material through very plausible and very physical arguments, thus providing a very deep understanding for the material.

To put it simply, the derivation of Maxwell's equations are stunning. I have never seen a clearer, more convincing treatment. And as we have come to expect from this series, it is almost impossible to find any flaws(except for some typos which unfortunately still exist even in the most recent reprint.) The sections on radiation of electromagnetic waves and

The treatment of relativity is very consice and it is rather unfortunate that we could not get a more detailed exposition on the subject from Landau. It would have been extremely interesting to see what Landau would have had to say had he written this section after the "Golden Area for Black Holes Rsearch" As it is the discussion of Relativity from, as is to be expected, a principle of least action(Hilbert Action) is very cleverly done. Every section of the book is very physically motivated rather than purely geometric arguments. Reading this book gives you a fairly good intuitive understanding for the actual physics involved rather than simply an ability to write and solve field equations.

It might be a very good idea to read some sections of their Vol1. on Mechanics before attemting this book, with special attention to Chapters 1,2 and the last chapter on the Hamiltonian treatment.

But all in all, this is probably one of my favorite books both in terms of contect as well as sheer elegance of presentation. A geneuine masterpiece.

A cult classic.
Seriously, a cult classic. And one should beware of cults. It's a very elegant, pristine presentation. However, this is often at the expense of sweeping some messier issues under the rug. Landau's reasoning has a very fluid intuitive quality, and it is easy to float along with as long as you don't stop an notice that sometimes it doesn't really make sense. I once heard a prominent physicist say of Landau's papers "everything's wrong except the answers". An exaggeration but some truth to it.

One of the best !
This is, in my opinion, still the best book on Relativistic Electrodynamics and General Relativity. The way the energy-momentum tensor and the E-M pseudotensor, in GR, are discussed, including the part on how to define the 4-momentum Pi in GR, is among the best you can find on the subject. Moreover the discussion on syncronous frames is also very instructive. This is a must have reference for theoretical physicists.
Even the last part about basic aspects of cosmology is still a solid base one can start on. I love this book.

About the way of material presentation
I believe the book was much better if authors avoided their short-cut introduction to the tensor calculus. The worse such an introduction I never saw. Unfortunately this leaved a mark on a following material.

The other weakness is rationalization. For example about the fact that maximum speed exists (almost on the first page). It looks like the speed limit is mathematically necessary, however it's not correct and logic of authors is flawed there. The phisical experiment only convince about existance of such a limit. ... Read more

Book Description

For over two decades, physics education research has been transforming physics teaching and learning. Now in this new algebra-based introductory physics text, Jerry Touger taps this work to support new teaching methodologies in physics.  Introductory Physics: Building Understanding recognizes that students learn better in guided active learning environments, engages students in a conceptual exploration of the physical phenomena before mathematical formalisms, and offers explicit guidance in using qualitative thinking to inform quantitative problem solving. ... Read more

Book Description

Going beyond the conventional mathematics of probability theory, this study views the subject in a wider context. It discusses new results, along with applications of probability theory to a variety of problems. The book contains many exercises and is suitable for use as a textbook on graduate-level courses involving data analysis. Aimed at readers already familiar with applied mathematics at an advanced undergraduate level or higher, it is of interest to scientists concerned with inference from incomplete information. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Ontological and Epistomological Probability
I read this book before it was published; I downloaded it from a WU website. It has been of immense use to me in my career, it is a very practical book. Other reviews that say Dr. Jaynes' ideas are at odds with traditional measure theoretic probability are mistaken. Dr. Jaynes is a true Baysian. A Baysian is one who believes that probabilities do not model serendipity in nature, but do model subjective certainty. The Bayesian concept of probability is epistomological, i.e. the uncertainty is in our minds, not in objective reality. Traditional probability takes the reverse view: probabilities model unpredictable events, they are a model of objective reality like any science, i.e. probabilities are ontological. The trick is to realize the two are not mutually exclusive! There can be true ontological randomness in nature, and our minds can have uncertainty from incomplete knowledge as well. Probability theory as a branch of mathematics makes no claim what it models. The beauty is that probabiltity distributions integrate the two seamlessly. Thus, it is perfectly valid to put a distribution on an unknown parameter, epistomologically unknown, and derive that distribution from an experiment with, presumably, ontological randomness. Dr. Jaynes' book is well worth reading for the many case studies he presents. His background as a physicist is key to understanding some of the esoteric philisophical points.

The most important book on probability theory in decades
Reading this book is an exhilarating intellectual adventure. I found that it shed light on many mysteries and answered questions that had long troubled me. It contains the clearest exposition of the fundamentals of probability theory that I have ever encountered, and its chatty style is a pleasure to read. Jaynes the teacher collaborates fully with Jaynes the scientist in this book, and at times you feel as if the author is standing before you at the blackboard, chalk in hand, giving you a private lesson. Jaynes's advice on avoiding errors in the application of probability theory -- reinforced in many examples throughout the book -- is by itself well worth the price of the book.

If you deal at all with probability theory, statistics, data analysis, pattern recognition, automated diagnosis -- in short, any form of reasoning from inconclusive or uncertain information -- you need to read this book. It will give you new perspectives on these problems.

The downside to the book is that Jaynes died before he had a chance to finish it, and the editor, although capable and qualified to fill in the missing pieces, was understandably unwilling to inject himself into Jaynes's book. One result is that the quality of exposition suffers in some of the later chapters; furthermore, the author is not in a position to issue errata to correct various minor errors. Volunteer efforts are underway to remedy these problems -- those who buy the book may want to visit the "Unofficial Errata and Commentary" website for it, or check out the etjaynesstudy mailing list at Yahoo groups.

Truthful
it offers a mathematical discussion of probability
from the point of view of information theory. It argues
against the frequentist approach. The author is absolutely
right: probability has meaning only as incomplete
knowledge (but still objective). Any frequentist approach
is problematic. A real diamond.

Invaluable
This book has been on the web in unfinished form for a number of years and has shaped my scientific thinking more than any other book. I believe it constitutes one of the most important scientific texts of the last hundred years. It convincingly shows that "statistics", "statistical inference", "Bayesian inference", "probability theory", "maximum entropy methods" , and "statistical mechanics" are all parts of a large coherent theory that is the unique consistent extension of logic to propositions that have degrees of plausibility attached to them. This is already a theoretical accomplishment of epic proportions. But in addition, the book shows how one actually solves real world problems within this frame work, and in doing so shows what a vastly wider array of problems is addressable within this frame work than in any of the forementioned particular fields.
If you work in any field where on needs to "reason with incomplete information" this book is invaluable.

As others have already mentioned, Jaynes never finished this book. The editor decided to "fill in" the missing parts by putting excercises that, when finished by the reader, provide what (so the editor guesses) Jaynes left out. I find this solution a bit disappointing. The excercises don't take away the impression that holes are left in the text. It would have been better if the editor had written the missing parts and then printed those in different font so as to indicate that these parts were not written by Jaynes. Better still would have been if the editor had invited researchers that are intimately familiar with Jaynes' work and the topic of each of the missing pieces to submit text for the missing pieces. The editor could then have chosen from these to provide a "best guess" for what Jaynes might have written.

Finally, there is the issue of Jaynes' writing style. This is of course largely a matter of taste. I personally like his writing style very much because it is clear, and not as stifly formal as most science texts. However, some readers may find his style too belligerent and polemic.

Brilliant but attended by many misunderstandings
To "pure" mathematicians, probability theory is measure theory in spaces of measure 1. To the extent to which you remain a "pure" mathematician, this book will be incomprehensible to you.

To frequentist statisticians, probability theory is the study of relative frequencies or of proportions of a population; those are "probabilities".

To Bayesian statisticians, probability theory is the study of degrees of belief. Bayesians may assign probability 1/2 to the proposition that there was life on Mars a billion years ago; frequentists will not do that because they cannot say that there was life on Mars a billion years ago in precisely half of all cases -- there are no such "cases".

To _subjective_ Bayesians, probability theory is about subjective degrees of belief. A subjective degree of belief is merely how sure you happen to be.

"Noninformative" _objective_ Bayesians assign "noninformative" probability distributions when they deal with uncertain propositions or uncertain quantities, and replace them with "informative" distributions only when they update them because of "data". "Data", in this sense, consists of the outcomes of random experiments.

"Informative" _objective_ Bayesians -- a rare species -- ask what degree of belief in an uncertain proposition is logically necessitated by whatever information one has, and they don't necessarily require that information to consist of outcomes of random experiments.

Jaynes is an "informative" objective Bayesian. This book is his defense of that position and his account of how it is to be used.

"Pure" mathematicians will not find that this book resembles that branch of "pure" mathematics that they call probability theory.

Jaynes rails against those he disagrees with at great length. Often he is right. But often he simply misunderstands them. For example, writing in the 1990s, he said that pure mathematicians reject the use of Dirac's delta function and its derivatives, and related topics. That is nonsense; the delta function has long been considered highly respectable, and required material in the graduate curriculum. Unfortunately Jaynes's misunderstandings may cause some others to misunderstand him when he is right. Statisticians are more informed than "pure" mathematicians and will disagree with Jaynes for better reasons. _Some_ statisticians will agree with him.

Jaynes has many flaws, made all the more annoying by the fact that we need to overlook them in order to understand him. His message is important. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first quantitative treatment of elementary particle theory that is accessible to undergraduates. Using a lively, informal writing style, the author strikes a balance between quantitative rigor and intuitive understanding. The first chapter provides a detailed historical introduction to the subject. Subsequent chapters offer a consistent and modern presentation, covering the quark model, Feynman diagrams, quantum electrodynamics, and gauge theories. A clear introduction to the Feynman rules, using a simple model, helps readers learn the calculational techniques without the complications of spin. And an accessible treatment of QED shows how to evaluate tree-level diagrams. Contains an abundance of worked examples and many end-of-chapter problems. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Griffiths defines "Introductory Course"
David Griffiths' texts are indispensable for any beginner, and are used to "translate" more advanced texts. I used his "Quantum Mechanics" to fill in the gaps at the advanced graduate level, and his "Electrodynamics" was essential to understanding Jackson. I'm sorry that I waited so long to purchase his "Elementary Particles".

This book contains all the background that professors expect you to have already been exposed to: particle classification schemes, the November Revolution, relativistic kinematics, and fundamental force overviews. Griffiths then goes on to discuss Feynman rules, QED, QCD, electroweak and gauge theories. Griffiths also works out some essential problems, like muon decay, that you will want to see done, but I think it is done better by Lahiri and Pal (that, however, is a field theory book, which might be more advanced than is necessary to some people in particle physics).

This is a great text for anyone starting out in particle physics and for anyone who needs to review the fundamentals. My only bone with Griffiths is that sometimes more of the work is left to the reader than is appropriate (those problems worked out in gory detail are a godsend when you genuinely aren't getting the point).

Great Intro to Particle Physics
Griffiths' book provides an ideal introduction to particle physics for the undergraduate who is desperate to find a comprehensive treatment that is truly understandable. I was greatly disappointed by Griffiths' books on electrodynamics and quantum mechanics, but he really hit the mark on this one. There is the usual introductory material on the Standard Model, relativistic kinematics, symmetries and bound states, but his presentations of QED, Feynman calculus, decays and interactions are clearly written and geared for the student who has been frustrated by the obtuseness of other so-called introductory texts. His exposition on gauge theories, the Yang-Mills field and the Higgs mechanism is elementary but enlightening and even entertaining.

Griffiths' sly wit is in great evidence in this text, and this is one of the reasons why it is so enjoyable. Although he displays a similar witty vein in his other texts, it just doesn't succeed as it does for this book. If you want to be able to calculate particle decay rates and interaction cross sections and have fun doing it, Griffiths' book is an excellent investment.

A grain of salt...
OK. It seems that I am the one who criticizes all the books that everyone else loves.
The book is very good as far as didactics is concerned. But have you really read it? Let me ask you a few questions:

How many typos can you find in chapter 9?
What do you think - had ANYONE proofread Chapter 11 before the book was published?
What about the exercises -can you do 9.2 without Halzen and Martin at hand (so that you may look up what, say, |7'> really means? (Griffiths mixes notation from the two books and you can never solve the exercise without intoroducing some corrections).

There are many more questions like these to be asked about the Introduction to Elementary Particles.
So, do you like the content or the lively style?

But, of course, five stars!

An outstanding intro to the subject
This textbook makes the somewhat esotoeric subject of particle physics totally accessible to an undergraduate. Griffiths style of writing naturally and using personal pronouns should be adopted by more physics text book authors. This book takes you from having only a vague understanding of the subject to getting into some really hairy calculations that are fundamental to the standard model.

Another masterpiece
Griffiths just can't write a bad book. This book give a very clear introduction to particle physics. It covers the material very well, runs through numerous useful examples, and has problem sets with very good problems at the end of each chapter. This is one of the best physics books I've ever used (his e+m and quantum books are praiseworthy also). This is the place to start if you want to learn particle physics. ... Read more

Book Description

With an emphasis on computer techniques of analysis, this book presents the theory, computational aspects, and applications of vibrations in as simple a manner as possible.This text gives expanded explanations of the fundamentals of vibration including history of vibration, degree of freedom systems, vibration control, vibration measurement, and more.For engineers and other professionals who want a clear introduction to vibration engineering. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not a good text
This book in my opinion is not the one to enjoy the beauty of the subject and mechanics in general. There is a vast amount of material amassed but the structure of the book is poor.
It seems being overburden with details and particulars and lacking unified clear consistent approach. In addition some mistakes are just plain annoying. If one wants to be serious about vibrations - do not sweat over this book. It can be just another somewhat usefull reference book to find some particular solution to for some particular problem.
Instead one can study mechanics with beautifully written classical L.Meirovitch, "Fundamentals of Vibrations" which is much more original, rigorous, clear, usefull and serious book to have.

Poor Book
I used this textbook for my Mechanical Vibrations course and was very displeased with it. My biggest gripe is the lack of examples in each chapter. There are an abundance of homework problems at the end of each chapter, but the vast majority of them are not illustrated at all in example problems. I noticed this immediately in Chapter 1 when attempting to solve several of the problems. The text also develops equations and formulas without detail and explanation. Luckily my teacher developed the eqations in class lecture and provided the majority of information for the course. While working out homework and test problems that were assigned, the book was of little use for me. I think the clarity of writing could be better, as well. By the way, I got an A in the course and still found the book to be poor.

Not Happy Teaching From This Text
I recently used this as a text to teach Vibrations to Mechanical Engineering seniors after Vibration Analysis by Vierck went out of print. I was attracted to Rao's book because much of the presentation is similar to Vierck. After using this text for one semester, I was not satisfied. I was particularly concerned by Chapter 2 where the fundamentals of damped single degree of freedom systems are covered. This Chapter is critical to building the foundation of Vibration Theory and I was disturbed to find that two critical plots, the time history comparison of responses with various damping levels and the phase plane plot for the same cases were seriously incorrect. While errors always can be found in texts, these plots were so obviously wrong at first glance that I wondered how a book with 29 reviewers (as listed in the Acknowledgements) has such glaring errors. As I progressed through the text I found a number of other errors including incorrect equations in some places. I also found that some material, emphasized in Vierck, that I consider important was buried in the worked examples rather than being emphasized as part of the book's text. While the book does present a lot of material and gives some interesting problems, I found that I was not comfortable with the text at the end of the course. I have since decided to drop this book from consideration as our text.

Very happy with the book.
This text was used during my senior year for two consecutive mechanical engineering courses I had at Penn State. I found the presentation of the material very thorough and logically ordered. My only issue with the book was when we dug into the first chapter. I was a bit overwhelmed because, although the first chapter is just an overview of vibration, it is very broad, yet detailed. All subsequent chapters were very well focused, easy to follow, and illustrative of important concepts.

I put the book away after graduation, but soon got it out again, finding that it is a wonderful tool in the field... definitely worth it.

Very good for majoring in vobration engineering
This book is very useful for me.

So, helpful my research topic.

It is containing basic of mechanical vibration.

Just, good~ ... Read more

Book Description

The only comprehensive treatment of nanophotonics currently available
Photonics is an all-encompassing optical science and technology which has impacted a diverse range of fields, from information technology to health care. Nanophotonics is photonic science and technology that utilizes light-matter interactions on the nanoscale, where researchers are discovering new phenomena and developing technologies that go well beyond what is possible with conventional photonics and electronics. These new technologies could include efficient solar power generation, high-bandwidth and high-speed communications, high-capacity data storage, and flexible- and high-contrast displays. In addition, nanophotonics will continue to impact biomedical technologies by providing new and powerful diagnostic techniques, as well as light-guided and activated therapies.
Nanophotonics provides the only available comprehensive treatment of this exciting, multidisciplinary field, offering a wide range of topics covering:
* Foundations
* Materials
* Applications
* Theory
* Fabrication
Nanophotonics introduces students to important and timely concepts and provides scientists and engineers with a cutting-edge reference. The book is intended for anyone who wishes to learn about light-matter interactions on the nanoscale, as well as applications of photonics for nanotechnology and nanobiotechnology. Written by an acknowledged leader in the field, this text provides an essential resource for those interested in the future of materials science and engineering, nanotechnology, and photonics. ... Read more

Book Description

The most complete and lucid nonmathematical study of light available. Chapters are self-contained, making the book flexible and easy to read. Coverage includes such non-traditional topics as processes of vision and the eye, atmospherical optical phenomena, color perception and illusions, color in nature and in art, Kirilian photography, and holography. Includes experiments that can be carried out with simple equipment. Chapters contain optional advanced sections, and appendixes review the mathematics for quantitative aspects. Illustrated, including a four-color insert. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Seeing the Light
Book arrived in great shape. Like new!!

most missed book
This is the best textbook I ever had, and I sold it for some ($$$) at the end of a semester to buy a bus ticket. Very mad; I miss the book, but it's so expensive. It's amazing the way the author incorporates all sorts of literary allusions in this physics book, such as offering an interesting hypothesis on the optical illusion of the egyptians getting swallowed by the red sea while chasing the jews. Every chapter, light becomes a metaphor for so many things, the way we see, the obstacles, etc.

Physics of light for everyone else
I first discovered this book when I asked a physics professor down the hall for an explanation of diffraction and refraction in relation to some daytime sky phenomenon. He handed me Seeing the Light, and before long I coveted the volume. The authors dress down optical physics into explanations that anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of physics can understand, relating optical phenomenon to everyday events and objects. The diagrams and photos help clarify the explanation. And practical, hands-on suggested activities help drive the point home. This book would be great for physics teachers -- or teachers at any level. How about pinhole cameras or illusion drawings for class projects? ... Read more

Amazon.com

At an Esalen Institute meeting in 1976, tai chi master Al Huang said that the Chinese word for physics is Wu Li, "patterns of organic energy." Journalist Gary Zukav and the others present developed the idea of physics as the dance of the Wu Li Masters--the teachers of physical essence. Zukav explains the concept further:

The Wu Li Master dances with his student. The Wu Li Master does not teach, but the student learns. The Wu Li Master always begins at the center, the heart of the matter.... This book deals not with knowledge, which is always past tense anyway, but with imagination, which is physics come alive, which is Wu Li.... Most people believe that physicists are explaining the world. Some physicists even believe that, but the Wu Li Masters know that they are only dancing with it.

The "new physics" of Zukav's 1979 book comprises quantum theory, particle physics, and relativity. Even as these theories age they haven't percolated all that far into the collective consciousness; they're too far removed from mundane human experience not to need introduction. The Dancing Wu Li Masters remains an engaging, accessible way to meet the most profound and mind-altering insights of 20th-century science. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Taught me what a Prof. couldn't...
Let me start simply, by saying this book is no Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, even though a title-reviewer mentions ZMM in passing. It is, however, a discussion of quantum physics that you could have with a knowledgeable friend who lacks a pen and paper (well, perhaps an envelope and a pencil for some sketches).

This book isn't the "definitive" discussion of QPhysics in simplistic terms, but it does do a nice job of introducing how QPhysics came to be from Plank to Einstein through Feynman... [Others have mentioned Feynman's "QED", which I haven't read but plan to.]

What this book did for me was to solidify QM/Qphys after being taught by 3 Physics professors at one of the top universities in the country, as well as an electronics-materials prof. who couldn't seem to explain a single thing about Schrodinger's equation. And, for a book that's kept me reading it, that's quite a bit to say about it.

I kept saying, "Ah! Well, why didn't those sillies [Prof's] ever tell us that?!"

Agreeing with others here, I will admit at times it's slightly difficult to keep the whole particle/wave thing separate. If one stops to think about the book while reading it, it's not difficult in the least.

It also helped me to solidify a thought that's begun for me in past readings... that on the edge of knowledge, all of us are putting faith in our ideas. Science is closer to philosophy than most will admit.

This book, I agree, does not touch much on Eastern philosophies in the least. For that, I suggest reading Alan Watt's "Way of Zen", or perhaps the somewhat silly at times Benjamin Hoff's "Tao of Pooh" and "Te of Piglet", 3 classics for starters. [While you're at it, pick up Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig if you haven't yet - it's not really only about motorcycles.]

Another liberal arts convert
Until last fall, I wasn't a science person at all. At college, I majored in English Lit, minored in Music and Philosophy and did my best to avoid anything slightly scientific.

But then one night last October when I couldn't sleep, I stayed up flipping channels and came across Brian Greene's Nova program THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE. I saw it was about Physics, and almost hit the clicker, but something about the presentation made me curious to watch a little more.

Within an hour, I was a new Physics convert. If you interested in language, art, and the disciplines of beauty, you can't help but be mesmerized by Quantum mechanics, string theory, and all of the cutting edge theories of physical world represented in Brian Greene's program.

The next time I was at a bookstore, I tried to pick up a copy of the book the NOVA show was based on, but they were sold out, so I scoured the Physics section and found a copy of Gary Zukav's THE DANCING WU-LI MASTERS, instead.

Written back in the late seventies, Zukav's book is one of the first popular mainstream explications of modern theoretical physics for the lay, non-science person, like myself. I found it fascinating, and for the most part very easy to follow.

Zukav writes in a clear and compelling manner about the wonderful mysteries of the universe. He covers the history of how theoretical Physics got to where it is today (or at least was in the late seventies). He explains Einstein's major contributions to science in a few easy to follow chapters, and then goes on to skillfully explain the inexplicable conundrums of quantum theory.

As Zukav describes probability theory, he makes a convincing case that modern Physics isn't that different from Zen Buddhism. He shows how the steel-and-concrete building blocks that make up our universe are actually a lot more fluid and suggetable than common sense would dictate.

This books really helps you recover any amazement and wonder you might have lost in the everyday world around you.

Check this book out if you think you're not a science person, and if you like it, also get Brian Greene's THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE. Theoretical Physics is pretty literally the stuff dreams are made of.

One of the best books I have read
There are not too many books that can satisfy everybody. This book is for the whole family- scientists, lay-men, the religious aunt and the rebel teenager can enjoy this book equally.

Danger Ahead
I read this book when it was new, and found it entertaining. I didn't think much more about it after that. Then I came upon a reference to it in one of Gardner's books concerning bad science. Looking back at it knowing so much more now, I agree, it's borderline nonsence. E.g. electrons don't "think" about making a choice about which way to go; they enter into superposition.

Flow Like a River, Understand Relativity Like an Physicist
Do you want to understand all the mysteries of the universe? Hoping to discover the essence of existence? Well, if you desire to do anything along these lines, there are certainly worse ways to start than through reading The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics by Gary Zukav.

This information-packed book represents the pinnacle of popular science achievement, as it provides a gentle guide for the average reader through the intellectual minefield of modern physics from quantum mechanics to relativity. Rather than bogging down the reader with dozens of equations and complicated graphs, Zukav chooses to demonstrate the concepts of new-age physics through metaphors, diagrams, and an explanation of the thought processes that led to such startling theories as the Theory of General Relativity and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. Sure, Zukav may explain the experiments that confirm the viability of a theory, but he doesn't force you to sift through the data; instead, writes in plain English while including lots of easily-followed, pretty pictures. Particularly for a high school student without too much exposure to physics, this style provides an excellent overview of the most interesting, cutting-edge ideas in science.
Zukav's subject-matter couldn't be more interesting: using the backdrop of Eastern philosophies to better link physical concepts to ideas more compatible to the human mindset, he breezes through Newtonian physics, quantum mechanics, and both theories of relativity in just a little over 300 pages. Zukav also admirably presents the problem of the irreconcilability of quantum mechanics with relativity, which bothered Einstein to his dying days. While none of these concepts is dealt with entirely thoroughly (it is a short book), the book is an enjoyable and easily understandable introduction to one of the most difficult fields mankind has to offer

At the same time, Zukav's book is not perfect. For one thing, the book is rather dated; he doesn't even deal with String Theory, which was by and large developed after the publication of this book. At the same time, the absence of String Theory may be advantageous to the reader who knows little about physics, since the five separate String Theories are both difficult to understand and incredibly theoretical (that is, no physicist has been able to design an experiment that actually produces data to prove String Theory, which means that the concept is rather ephemeral and hard to describe in a concrete way; for more on this, see http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0311047). Further, the whole Zen thing seems a little excessive. Sure, Eastern philosophies are generally conducive to modern physics in that Eastern philosophers have always realized that sometimes the human mind can't comprehend everything at once, but the fact is that people reading this book probably aren't doing so to learn about "Wu Li" ("The Way"); they're reading it to learn about "New Physics."

Despite these minor deficiencies, though, this book does a good job of explaining very difficult concepts to a "normal" reader. There was a time when only the very top physicists in the world understood Einstein's theories of relativity, but books like The Dancing Wu Li Masters have helped rectify this problem by making complicated physics accessible to the general public. ... Read more

Book Description

The principles of quantum mechanics are the basis of everything in the physical world--from atoms to stars, from nuclei to lasers. Quantum paradoxes and the eventful life of Schroedinger's Cat are explained, along with the Many Universe explanation of quantum measurement in this newly revised edition. Updated throughout, the book also looks ahead to the nanotechnology revolution and describes quantum cryptography, computing and teleportation.Including an account of quantum mechanics and science fiction, this accessible book is geared to the general reader. Anthony Hey teaches at the University of Southampton, UK, and is the co-author of several books, including two with Patrick Walters, The Quantum Universe (Cambridge, 1987), and Einstein's Mirror (Cambridge , 1997).Patrick Walters is a Lecturer in Continuing Education at the University of Wales at Swansea.He co-ordinates the Physical Science Programme in DACE which includes the Astronomy Programme.His research interests include science education, and he also writes non-technical books on science for the general reader and beginning undergraduates.First Edition Pb (1987): 0-521-31845-9 ... Read more

Reviews (6)

my idea of fun!
I'm a novice in this area and this is the first book I read on the subject. On my first reading, I was only able to fully comprehend about 80% of this introduction to a most facinating subject matter. I must say that I enjoyed reading about all of it including the 20% I couldn't fully comprehend. The authors claim that no advanced math is necessary, but knowledge of differential calculus would help with the Shrodinger Equation. Perhaps my weakness in math (which I will soon address) accounts for the 20% I don't really understand at this point.

This book has plenty of beautiful pictures and illustrations of the technologies and experiements discussed. Each chapter is well written and a joy to read. Chapters include the following:

1) Waves Versus Particles
2) Heisenberg and Uncertaintity
3) Shrodinger and Matter Waves
4) Atoms and Neuclei
5) Quantum Tunneling
6) Pauli and the Elements
7) Quantum Co-Operation and Superfluids
8) Quantum Jumps
9) Quantum Engineering

10) Death of a Star
11) Feynman Rules
12) Weak Photons and Strong Glue
13) Afterward - Quantum Physics and Science Fiction

For a beginner, such as myself, it's the kind of book that's challenging in a good way. I found myself constantly wanting to pick this book up to read as much as I could. I was always looking forward to what was comming next. I highly recommend it for anyone curious about the subject matter.

The New Quantum Universe
The Quantum Universe was very good. The New Quantum Universe is excellent. Its authors write with a clarity and dash rarely achieved for what can be (and is) a daunting subject.

Quantum effects are all around us
When you think about quantum physics, you may be inclined to think small. Many people naturally think that quantum effects happen only on a scale that, for most of us, isn't relevant. Hey and Walters, though, help us think again. Quantum effects are in the world all around us. Indeed, the universe would be very different if the rules of quantum mechanics were not what they are.

The stated purpose of this book is to "present the essential ideas of quantum physics as simply as possible and demonstrate how quantum physics affects us all." After reading the book, I have to agree that Hey and Walters have succeeded on both accounts. They've achieved their goal by laying the book out in a careful and logical manner, including filling it with lots of informative and nicely made illustrates (on average, more than one for each page).

The book begins by discussing the classical differences between waves and particles. Most of us have been introduced to quantum mechanics this way. First learning how quantum-mechanical objects act like "particles" some of the time, and "waves" part of the time. An important point made by the authors is that particles and waves are idealizations. In reality, quantum-mechanical objects cannot be described by any simple picture. Overcoming this conceptual obstacle is one of the first challenges for someone who is first becoming acquainted with QM. This is a point made by their careful discussion about the results and implications of double-slit experiments.

This book has equations. Not many, and not too difficult (mostly just algebra). It's really written at a High School or Freshman College level. The ideas introduced are mostly qualitative. I think this makes the book an excellent introduction. I certainly wish I'd had something like this before taking my first QM class. Having a qualitative and conceptual understanding before diving into the mathematics is a more productive approach.

Leaving the chapter on waves and uncertainty, the authors introduce the reader to the weird world of the uncertainty principle, which is the strange characteristic of quantum-mechanical objects that they don't actually have an exact position/velocity until it's measured. There's an excellent series of photographs that illustrate the uncertainty principle in a macroscopic object by using a sequence showing the probabilistic formation of a camera image over time. The book quotes often from Richard Feynman, and this chapter has an introductory description of Feynman's diagrams/quantum paths.

These discussions lead naturally to the Schrodinger equation and matter probability waves. Again, there's a little mathematics here (the differential equation for a particle moving in one dimension, in a potential). The authors illustrate the tie-in with the macroscopic world by illustrating a photograph of some dust mites, made by using the quantum-mechanical nature of electrons.

Chapter 4 is one of the best, in my opinion. It's about the structure of atoms. When this subject was first introduced to me over 35 years ago, the explanation faltered and it took several more years before I felt comfortable in my understanding. How I wish I'd had this book then. The explanation here is crisp and clear, and does a nice job of explaining the notation used for the different quantum-energy levels and how they relate to things like the angular momentum.

How atoms are made affects our everyday lives. The fact that bosons and fermions have different statistical distributions makes a huge difference in how macroscopic objects behave. In fact, we would probably not be alive to notice how different the universe would be without these specific characteristics at the quantum level. One of the best examples is found in the life sequence of stars, where the quantum-mechanical structure of stars is inherently related to their evolution. There's an excellent chapter in this book that describes how stars work, how they are born, what makes them shine, and how they die. In each step, the laws of quantum mechanics govern the evolutionary process.

Other topics covered include superconductivity, superfluidity, Feynman diagrams, Hawking radiation and black holes, the weak and strong forces, the Higgs vacuum, particle accelerators, lasers, monopoles, and quark confinement. The book also has several informative appendixes in the back, that supply additional mathematical information, including a simple solution to the Schrodinger equation.

This book is a little like Chandrasekhar's book "Why Things Are the Way They Are," with a touch of the flavor found in Sam Trieman's book "The Odd Quantum." Both of these other books are among my favorite introductory texts, and "The Quantum Universe" sits on my bookshelf next to them.

This is a well-written book that makes an excellent introduction for students, and enjoyable leisure reading by scientists and engineers who've already had a college class in quantum mechanics. The illustrations and photographs add to the expressive and clear writing style to make this a book I can heartily recommend

an extremely good book about modern physics
this is an excellent book, from the beginning to the end. it introduces all the modern physics concepts with very clean explanations and beautiful colorful pictures. i just love it.

A Very Entertaining Book
An extremely interesting book on physics for an average readerr.If you're a guy who has forgotten most of what you learned in college physics courses and want to pick it up a little bit, and have a little fun in the mean while, this book is for you. ... Read more

Book Description

Providing the first self-contained introduction to the physical concepts, techniques and applications of nanotechnology, this is of interest to readers grounded in college chemistry and physics. As such, it is suitable for students and professionals of engineering, science, and materials science and to research workers of varied backgrounds in the interdisciplinary areas that make up nanotechnology.
The author covers the spectrum from the latest examples of nanoscale systems, quantum concepts and effects, self-assembled nanosystems, manufacturing, scanning probe methods of observation and fabrication, to single-electron and molecular electronics. In so doing, he not only comprehensively presents the scientific background, but also concludes with a look at the long-term outcomes. ... Read more

Product Description

This book covers all aspects of designing and using systems for public address and musical performance. The book features information on both the audio theory involved and the practical applications of that theory, explaining everything from microphones to loudspeakers. Written by Gary Davis and Ralph Jones. 2nd edition. 416 pages. Copyright: 1996. Net weight: 2-1/4 lbs. Price WAS $34.95! ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A SR Student Must-Have
This book is a must have for all students in the sound reinforcement industry. As a high school theatre sound tech, this book has saved me from disaster hundreds of times and allowed my performances to sound great. The discussed topics are clear, complete, and through. The information is very useful to a beginner or a seasoned pro. I see this book as the "bible" of the sound reinforcement industry. A must have!

Best reference book for sound engineering
I used to work on small set of equipment for a local church (1500 people). I currently record at home.
I'm just an amature.
Anyway this book seems to be the best reference out there for beginners.
It has lot of details and some theory that will help you understand how a sound system works.
This book is a must for any one serious about doing there job. Amateur or Pro wanna be.

Complete reference book for live band equipment
I've needed this book for a long time and wish I had it long ago. It has the answers I need explained clearly and in detail. One example is its comprehensive explanation of audio equipment system grounding techniques. The information in this book is needed to put together a system of band equipment for best results.

good for beginner
this book is very good for beginners and people who do live sound, but it is not detail enough for people who do recording

Must Have
Great book for anyboy interested in the field. Must Have! ... Read more

Book Description

Filing an important gap in the literature, this comprehensive text develops conformal field theory from first principles. The treatment is self-contained, pedagogical, and exhaustive, and includes a great deal of background material on quantum field theory, statistical mechanics, Lie algebras and affine Lie algebras. The many exercises, with a wide spectrum of difficulty and subjects, complement and in many cases extend the text. The text is thus not only an excellent tool for classroom teaching but also for individual study.

Intended primarily for graduate students and researchers in theoretical high-energy physics, mathematical physics, condensed matter theory, statistical physics, the book will also be of interest in other areas of theoretical physics and mathematics.It will prepare the reader for original research in this very active field of theoretical and mathematical Physics. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This is a great book for beginners to learn CFT.
This book is really well done. It introduce the theory of conformal fields in a really pedagogical way so that any person not familiar at all with the subject can enjoy it. The review of quantum field theory and statistical mechanics at the begining is excellent and it is of great help if you haven't work with these subjects recently. The book is also filled with many basic applications that make the theory closer to real life.

Congratulations for this nice book!

A definite "must have" for those interested in CFT.
This book is a fine contribution to the literature on conformal field theory and will no doubt become one of the standard references on the subject. It is well worth the price as it gives a comprehensive introduction to the subject. Chapter 5 is a good discussion of local conformal invariance and clears up some of my own misunderstandings of this invariance. The later chapters discuss affine Lie algebras and algebraic considerations in detail.

Very complete, the reference in the field
Probably the best book to introduce you to conformal field theory. It starts from basics and go up to coset constrcutions, WZW models. More than a textbook, it is a necessary reference! ... Read more

Book Description

One or two-semester introductory science course for non-scientists. May be a requirement for education majors. Covers physics, chemistry, astronomy, and earth science. Integrated science course also covers biology. ... Read more

Book Description

Look to this authoritative, new resource for a comprehensive introduction to the emerging field of microfluidics. The book shows you how to take advantage of the performance benefits of microfluidics and serves as your instant reference for state-of-the-art technology and applications in this cutting-edge area. It offers you practical guidance in choosing the best fabrication and enabling technology for a specific microfluidic application, and shows you how to design a microfluidic device.

This forward-looking resource identifies and discusses the broad range of microfluidic applications including, fluid control devices, gas and fluid measurement devices, medical testing equipment, and implantable drug pumps. You get simple calculations, ready-to-use data tables, and rules of thumb that help you make design decisions and determine device characteristics quickly. Moreover, the book offers you sound, time-saving advice on how to start a new project. ... Read more

Book Description

No other text on the market today can match the success of Halliday, Resnick and Walker’s Fundamentals of Physics. This text continues to outperform the competition year after year, and the new edition will be no exception.  Intended for Calculus-based Physics courses, the 6th edition of this extraordinary text is a major redesign of the best-selling 5th edition, which still maintains many of the elements that led to its enormous success.  Jearl Walker adds his unique style to this edition with the addition of new problems designed to capture, and keep, students’ attention.  Nearly all changes are based on suggestions from instructors and students using the 5th edition, from reviewer comments, and from research done on the process of learning.  The primary goal of this text is to provide students with a solid understanding of fundamental physics concepts, and to help them apply this conceptual understanding to quantitative problem solving.

The principal goal of Halliday-Resnick-Walker is to provide instructors with a tool by which they can teach students how to effectively read scientific material and successfully reason through scientific questions. To sharpen this tool, the Enhanced Problems Version of the sixth edition of Fundamentals of Physics contains over 1000 new, high-quality problems that require thought and reasoning rather than simplistic plugging of data into formulas. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent Book for first sem in college
Excellent book for the first year in college although it doesn't have a hell lot of information on quantum physics and practically none on general relativity. plus the solutions to half the problems are available only to instructors.

A very interested book
I have strongly recomended this book especially the sixth edition. The book contains many chapters which collect and deal with roughly all directions of the nature (life) and illustrate each subject and element with very good sequencely steps and support it with sample problems arranged from lower to a higher level. There are many and many problems at the end of each chapter. The book is so great and the authers are cleavers. I hope the next edition be more funtastic and having a lot of extended materials. Good Luck

Worst introductory physics book ever written
I have been teaching introductory physics at a university for 10 years and this is the worst book I have ever used. It is full of misconceptions, terrible and incomplete explanations, and the worst writing style I have ever read. All my students intensely dislike this book. We used the textbook by Serway previously, which in my opinion is an infinitely better book. I have no idea why we changed to Halliday but I am trying to get our department to change back to Serway.

Good intro physics book
I used the previous edition but I looked at this edition and the only thing that has changed from editions is the cover, the formatting, and the reordering of the problems. It is a great book in retrospect. There were a few moments where I really disliked this book. The first half of the book was a breeze. My review of the second half (E&M) is a little mixed. I felt some of the concepts were not explained clearly enough and I spent way too much time and effor trying to figure out what was going on. Overall though the book explains things pretty thoroughly. The problems go from easy to hard. Do all the odd problems sequentially and you should be good. You don't need calculus really, but it is pretty hard to understand some of the E&M stuff without it. Optics section was rough and I spent way too much time on it. Special relativity and quantum mechanics is just a survey. The quantum and relativity part of the book doesn't really explain anything precisely and instead tries to convince the reader with qualitative arguments. The equations used are special cases with nice closed form solutions. I think the last few chapters of the book is just filler. ... Read more

Book Description

Deals with the topic of interference (electromagnetic compatibility) in electronic systems. It builds on basic undergraduate electrical engineering concepts and principles and applies them to the design of electronic systems that operate compatibly with other electronic systems and do not create interference phenomena. To facilitate classroom teaching it is divided in two parts. The first provides the basic principles and skills for review, while the second refers to applications and aspects of EMC design. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

I took Prof. Paul's class using this book as text.
As an engineering student at the University of Kentucky, I took Clayton Paul's EMC class using this book as a text. I took it as a senior elective, but the class was about 50/50 undergrad/grad students (just to give you an idea of the book's intended level).

Several years later as a working engineer in the telecom industry, I still keep and occasionally use Paul's book as reference. EMC isn't something I face that often, but this book is ideal for someone like me who only has to deal with it maybe three or four times a year. With a pretty good engineering and math background, you should have no trouble getting what you need from this book. I recommend it.

But, yes, it does contain quite a few errors. Most of them are just annoying grammatical mistakes, but there are also a handful of technical ones I've found as well. Still, most are obvious enough that they won't steer you in any wrong directions, so don't worry about that. They don't diminish the book's usefulness.

Great Book - Read it all.
Starting first with the negatives, of which they are four. First, do not be fooled by the title word "introduction." This is NOT a book for beginners, but rather senior engineers. If you are new to EMC this is not the book for you. Second, information relative to FCC/CE requirements is dated. Also, some tests relative to CE compliance are not covered. Third, though there are many diagrams, there are almost no pictures. In many cases I found a picture, as opposed to a diagram would have been far more explanatory. Lastly (though it does not bother me in the least, but I thought you would like to know), the book has numerous typos through out its 752 pages.

Ahhhhhh, but what the book is, IS ABSOLUTLY WONDERFUL! As an experienced design consultant, I found information in this book that I have not, and could not find anywhere else. The author has A COMMAND of the subject and it shows. Compared to my peers, I consider myself fairly well versed in the subject of EMC as it pertains to design and debug, but I took a back seat when reading. It was useful even re-reading the things I already knew. The author always offered a new insight. Funny, but after I finished (and it took a while to read) my first thought was "I would really like to meet this guy - to personally request a sequel." For what it is, THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT, well worth the asking price.

Best in its field
This book is excellent. The author has the unique ability to cover the subject in great detail including all the theory, but yet make the reading very easy and enjoyable. I was amazed that I could read 750 pages of advanced and new material in a few weeks. The book unfortunately has many errors and typos which prevents me from giving it 5 stars. ... Read more

Book Description

With plenty of illustrations and examples, this new edition engages students and makes learning the key concepts of thermodynamics both more accessible and enjoyable. Thermodynamicsalso promotes a clearer understanding of the basic principles with its focus on a physical, intuitive approach rather than a heavily mathematical one. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Strength and Weakness
Strength:
1)Introduces Thermodynamic in a understandable manner
2)All homework problems are engineering-related, allowing better grasp of knowledge
3)Helpful example problems with great illustrations and step-by-step explanation
4)There's a chapter summary of equations and conception throughout the book. This is great for test preparation.
5)Vivid analogies to convey abstract concepts such as entrophy, enthalpy, and exergy.
Weakness:
1)The book mainly covers Classical rather than statistical thermodynamics, which mean students in chem, physics, and chem engineering will not be fully prepared for future courses in thermodynamics

Overall, this is very good way to start thermodynamics, especially if this is the first time encountering thermo. However, if to continue to take more thermo, this book focuses main on engineering rather than other disciplines.

Good intro to engineering thermodynamics
I have used this textbook for my engineering thermodynamics class and have found it to be a very interesting and straightforward text. Cengel and Boles begin with the basics and build up to more advanced topics. The problems in this text are challenging and reinforce concepts learned in previous chapters. Answers are included with some of the problems so that you can compare your answers when you finish. Examples are numerous and generally very helpful. However, this text has its drawbacks. The notation in the examples can be confusing and sometimes don't make mathematical sense. In addition, Cengel and Boles have a number of mistakes in the answers they provide. Despite these detractors, I definitely recommend this text for anyone wanting a solid introduction to engineering thermodynamics.

Great Thermodynamics Book for Engineers
This text is a great resource for thermodynamics. It's presentation of thte material is the most straight-forward I have read.

stattarg
this tes ... Read more

Book Description

This wholly revised edition of a classic handbook reference, written by some of the most eminent practitioners in the field, is designed to be your all-in-one source book on heat transfer issues and problem-solving. It includes the latest advances in the field, as well as covering subjects from microscale heat transfer to thermophysical properties of new refrigerants. An invaluable guide to this most crucial factor in virtually every industrial and environmental process. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Reference book for engineers
This is not an introductory book on heat transfer! Instead it is a thorough treatment on heat transfer in a stringent an extensive manner. This book places greater emphasis on correctness than "easy-to-understand-ness". However, if you do read it, you gain a lot compared to most introductory heat transfer books. If you are interested in forced convection heat transfer, this book gives well documented equations and charts for a great number of shapes, though mostly internal flow. This is a very serious book for serious engineers!

A very useful reference
I found very useful the way thermal conductivity was approached. I was used to solve simple problems by means of "Temperature response charts". Now it is possible to use formulas instead of graphs.

Excellent source of information on heat transfer
A must read for all Chemical and Mechanical engineers. Exhaustice source of information and knowledge ... Read more