Yes, this is a fantastic undergraduate mechanics physics text book written by someone who cares about teaching. 90% of Amazon readers have given it a rating of at least 4* out of 5* which is incredible.
I think that overall, it is a great textbook with great exercises I used this book in my university course. Some things I like: 1. Mostly Great Exercises & enough Problems with solutions. The problems were enjoyable modulo some which might've almost made me cry. I think most 1/2-star problems are good for checking your understanding of the subject, and for what it's worth most are not too hard. Some three-star problems were really hard but gave some good insights into understanding the material better. 2. I like the "Mathematical Structure" this book has. What I mean by that is that after the basic ideas for the sections have been laid out, following arguments are treated as Theorems with Proofs wherever possible. This becomes more noticeable after chapter 6 where the material is treated more mathematically. 3. Solutions to most problems can be derived from basic principles (Chapter 2 - 5, 8, most of 9, & 11-13) 4. The section on Special Relativity. Though I would have liked to see this done more mathematically by starting with 4-vectors and giving motivation and then building on the relativity, but I can see the argument on why the mathematical tricks (inner product-invariance) should be kept for later. But I do also have some opinions about it which might be reflected more for someone who will use it for self-learning and to people who would want to learn mechanics. 1. At times in the solutions to the problems there are very specific statements which are just stated with no motivation, or explanation about why such an assumption can be made. 3. The Lagrangian formalism is introduced and then not much is done with it. It shows up occasionally in different contexts to derive certain equations, but the theory is never fully developed though treated pretty well. (Hamiltonian mechanics is never touched on in the textbook. There is a chapter 15 PDF on the internet which I haven't looked at which might be the solution to this problem.) 2. Hate the latter half of Chapter 9 which deals with precession. It always feels like you are just hunting for equations that they have derived rather than building towards a solution from just analyzing the problem and building towards a solution with basic principles. - Which is not necessarily bad & also probably because the derivations are at times contrived, but this section just did not feel as rewarding to work through.
Great insight! I agree with what you say, this book really shouldn't be used as a stand alone for multiple reasons. Taylor's book has much better development and motivation concerning the variational principle and Lagrangian mechanics. And the section on top procession was a very annoying section to work through, I found the notation quite annoying as well. This is why using multiple books is best when studying most subjects.
My friend read this book and I read Kleppner and Kalenkow for classical mechanics during my U.G. course in Physics, we used to discuss problems that we couldn't solve during our reading that way we both solved every difficult problem of these 2 books, these are pretty good books along with good problems. I want to know what are your thoughts on Electrodynamics by D.J. Griffiths because I love that one.
I love this book, it’s one of my favorite to study classical mechanics. The only books I prefer are maybe Taylor, and those focused more on variational principles
I love this book too but for first time learners of physics i think even 2* problems can make the learners grind for an hour. It is the most intriguing that one being unable to write down the first equation. 😅
This is an excellent piece of content and really inspirational! I'm particularly interested in learning physics through self-study during high school. Would it be possible for you to create a video on this topic? I have a strong passion for the subject and would love to advance my knowledge, but I'm finding that most advanced stuff, like the book you mentioned, just go over my head. I'm starting from scratch and would appreciate any guidance on effective learning strategies. Right now, I'm studying physics and math from many books I find, but I'm not sure if they are the best resources for my needs. Thank you for any help you can provide!
Thanks for your comment! I'm really happy to hear how passionate you are about studying physics. I intend to create videos discussing extactly what you are talking about in the near future. Wishing you all the best in your learning journey :)
There are many great introductory texts to help you begin your journey into physics. Two books come to mind: Basic Physics by Karl Kuhn and How to Solve Physics Problems by Oman and Oman.
Excellent review. This is arguably the best source of upper level physics problems aside from the text Exercises for the Feynman Lectures on Physics. With regard to your comment at 1:22 you may find interest in the opening chapter in the text How to Solve Physics Problems by Oman and Oman, an introductory level text for a first course in physics.
Hi, Could you recommend a specific book that prepares us before studying this book that you recommend? I have bought this book, I understand a lot of things but I have very forgotten the concepts and I would need to start at a level prior to what awaits me in this book. Thanks!
hey, love your vids. if possible could you make a video on things like a roadmap, textbooks and lectures to follow for someone wanting to self learn pysics from a first year undergrad level onwards? thanks
i am a rising senior in high school and just completed AP Physics 1 and AP Calculus BC, and I want to get a head start for AP Physics C (both of them are combined into a single course at my school). should i get this book?
Sure, some of the content is beyond the AP Physics C level but the more elementary sections should be useful, the problems are quite difficult but really fun to work on.
@@sahirs100 The only ones that I'm aware of are Barrons and The Princeton Review. They cover the AP ciriculum, and to my knowledge, are are updated every year. I own The Princeton Review books for AP Physics C and AP Calculus BC and they are both great, they contain plenty of end-of-chapter review questions which consist of multiple choice and free-response, while also containing several practice tests that mimic the actual AP tests. Good luck!
@@Self-TaughtPhysicist Thank you! Yes I will definitely be using those books. I have heard though that those books are more for review towards the end of the course, or is there any review material per unit/per topic or something like that?
Lots of smoke and no fire: when you ask the following simple question there is no one left!: leave a petanque ball (a steel ball) from 1 kilogram of 1 meter high on a simple scale (in kg) covered with a steel plate, until the needle will rise to the maximum of the impact force,indicate how many kilograms you see or measure at 10% (not in Joules but in Kg)You are entitled to 10% error.
I guess you haven't picked up Spivak's Calculus 3rd edition by Cambridge Press. This book is the absolute champion when it comes to shitty gluing, because the cheapskates at Cambridge didn't even bother with binding it, no matter how gently you try to open it, the boards will be torn.
@@Self-TaughtPhysicist can i ask you what a good balanced introductory calculus book for a physics enthusiast (not a formal student) would be? Not as pure maths leaning as Spivak, but not as plug and chug as Stewart either
@@symptomesdelau-dela5442 The book I used was Thomas’s Calculus. I hadn’t even taken high school level calculus and was able to get through 5 chapters (in half a summers time) with a fairly good understanding of the mathematics and was able to solve a lot of the practice problems without needing additional help (and there are a lot of practice problems, almost 100 per chapter not including all the practice problems for the subchapters). It includes all kinds of calculus from simple derivatives and integrals, to first order differential equations, and multi variable calculus.
Very good book, with slightly odd "name", introduction for who? For me, very nice book, but I have slightly higher IQ than "ordinary" people. And, I don't think about myself like I am special, my career & "successes", at least for now, are way bellow some middle level.
@@Self-TaughtPhysicist Really? do I have spell it out. To learn physics by yourself you must have a lot of self-discipline, intelligence and perseverance. I don't know man those are the qualities Giga chads have.
Yes, this is a fantastic undergraduate mechanics physics text book written by someone who cares about teaching. 90% of Amazon readers have given it a rating of at least 4* out of 5* which is incredible.
I think that overall, it is a great textbook with great exercises I used this book in my university course.
Some things I like:
1. Mostly Great Exercises & enough Problems with solutions. The problems were enjoyable modulo some which might've almost made me cry. I think most 1/2-star problems are good for checking your understanding of the subject, and for what it's worth most are not too hard. Some three-star problems were really hard but gave some good insights into understanding the material better.
2. I like the "Mathematical Structure" this book has. What I mean by that is that after the basic ideas for the sections have been laid out, following arguments are treated as Theorems with Proofs wherever possible. This becomes more noticeable after chapter 6 where the material is treated more mathematically.
3. Solutions to most problems can be derived from basic principles (Chapter 2 - 5, 8, most of 9, & 11-13)
4. The section on Special Relativity. Though I would have liked to see this done more mathematically by starting with 4-vectors and giving motivation and then building on the relativity, but I can see the argument on why the mathematical tricks (inner product-invariance) should be kept for later.
But I do also have some opinions about it which might be reflected more for someone who will use it for self-learning and to people who would want to learn mechanics.
1. At times in the solutions to the problems there are very specific statements which are just stated with no motivation, or explanation about why such an assumption can be made.
3. The Lagrangian formalism is introduced and then not much is done with it. It shows up occasionally in different contexts to derive certain equations, but the theory is never fully developed though treated pretty well. (Hamiltonian mechanics is never touched on in the textbook. There is a chapter 15 PDF on the internet which I haven't looked at which might be the solution to this problem.)
2. Hate the latter half of Chapter 9 which deals with precession. It always feels like you are just hunting for equations that they have derived rather than building towards a solution from just analyzing the problem and building towards a solution with basic principles. - Which is not necessarily bad & also probably because the derivations are at times contrived, but this section just did not feel as rewarding to work through.
Great insight! I agree with what you say, this book really shouldn't be used as a stand alone for multiple reasons. Taylor's book has much better development and motivation concerning the variational principle and Lagrangian mechanics. And the section on top procession was a very annoying section to work through, I found the notation quite annoying as well. This is why using multiple books is best when studying most subjects.
Can I study it for Olympiads after introductory mechanics
This is invaluable to know about. Really hard problems sounds super helpful to learn from a book on your own.
My friend read this book and I read Kleppner and Kalenkow for classical mechanics during my U.G. course in Physics, we used to discuss problems that we couldn't solve during our reading that way we both solved every difficult problem of these 2 books, these are pretty good books along with good problems. I want to know what are your thoughts on Electrodynamics by D.J. Griffiths because I love that one.
This book saved my life with the problems in section 9 (rigid body dynamics)
Very interesting, please do more book reviews, thanks !
Will do.
Is this book only problem or does it teach you as well?
I love this book, it’s one of my favorite to study classical mechanics. The only books I prefer are maybe Taylor, and those focused more on variational principles
I feel the same.
@@Self-TaughtPhysicist have you ever read the Douglas Cline book?
I love this book too but for first time learners of physics i think even 2* problems can make the learners grind for an hour. It is the most intriguing that one being unable to write down the first equation. 😅
This is an excellent piece of content and really inspirational! I'm particularly interested in learning physics through self-study during high school. Would it be possible for you to create a video on this topic?
I have a strong passion for the subject and would love to advance my knowledge, but I'm finding that most advanced stuff, like the book you mentioned, just go over my head. I'm starting from scratch and would appreciate any guidance on effective learning strategies. Right now, I'm studying physics and math from many books I find, but I'm not sure if they are the best resources for my needs. Thank you for any help you can provide!
Thanks for your comment! I'm really happy to hear how passionate you are about studying physics. I intend to create videos discussing extactly what you are talking about in the near future. Wishing you all the best in your learning journey :)
There are many great introductory texts to help you begin your journey into physics. Two books come to mind: Basic Physics by Karl Kuhn and How to Solve Physics Problems by Oman and Oman.
Excellent review. This is arguably the best source of upper level physics problems aside from the text Exercises for the Feynman Lectures on Physics. With regard to your comment at 1:22 you may find interest in the opening chapter in the text How to Solve Physics Problems by Oman and Oman, an introductory level text for a first course in physics.
Hi,
Could you recommend a specific book that prepares us before studying this book that you recommend? I have bought this book, I understand a lot of things but I have very forgotten the concepts and I would need to start at a level prior to what awaits me in this book.
Thanks!
Can you do self study Quantum Mechanics book for undergrads.
hey, love your vids. if possible could you make a video on things like a roadmap, textbooks and lectures to follow for someone wanting to self learn pysics from a first year undergrad level onwards? thanks
Yes.
Is this better than An Introduction to Mechanics by Daniel Keppler? For self studying? how would you say they are different?
Hey Self-Taught Physicist can i get a pdf of this book?
thank you!
nice! i hope someday you recommend something for quantum mechanics
I do intend to do such.
Hey 👋
Please upload more videos 😊
I wish I bought more textbooks
such a nice book
i am a rising senior in high school and just completed AP Physics 1 and AP Calculus BC, and I want to get a head start for AP Physics C (both of them are combined into a single course at my school). should i get this book?
Sure, some of the content is beyond the AP Physics C level but the more elementary sections should be useful, the problems are quite difficult but really fun to work on.
@@Self-TaughtPhysicist thank you! do you have any specific textbooks that do follow the ap curriculum
@@sahirs100 The only ones that I'm aware of are Barrons and The Princeton Review. They cover the AP ciriculum, and to my knowledge, are are updated every year. I own The Princeton Review books for AP Physics C and AP Calculus BC and they are both great, they contain plenty of end-of-chapter review questions which consist of multiple choice and free-response, while also containing several practice tests that mimic the actual AP tests. Good luck!
@@Self-TaughtPhysicist Thank you! Yes I will definitely be using those books. I have heard though that those books are more for review towards the end of the course, or is there any review material per unit/per topic or something like that?
Lots of smoke and no fire: when you ask the following simple question there is no one left!:
leave a petanque ball (a steel ball) from 1 kilogram of 1 meter high on a simple scale (in kg) covered with a steel plate, until the needle will rise to the maximum of the impact force,indicate how many kilograms you see or measure at 10% (not in Joules but in Kg)You are entitled to 10% error.
Is this not for post-graduation?
Nice
best part of this book are all the limericks!
True that.
Chapter 1. "Welcome to the Gator Pond"
I guess you haven't picked up Spivak's Calculus 3rd edition by Cambridge Press. This book is the absolute champion when it comes to shitty gluing, because the cheapskates at Cambridge didn't even bother with binding it, no matter how gently you try to open it, the boards will be torn.
I have 11 books from Cambridge press and they are all pretty solid.
Huge w 🎉🎉🎉
This doesn't have hamiltonian mechanics. You have to download a pdf of an additional chapter on the topic, released separately by Morin.
Yes that is true.
What are the math prerequisites?
Mostly just calculus (single and multivariable). Some knowledge of basic differential equations can also be helpful.
@@Self-TaughtPhysicist linear algebra?
@@symptomesdelau-dela5442 Some very basic knowledge could be helpful.
@@Self-TaughtPhysicist can i ask you what a good balanced introductory calculus book for a physics enthusiast (not a formal student) would be? Not as pure maths leaning as Spivak, but not as plug and chug as Stewart either
@@symptomesdelau-dela5442 The book I used was Thomas’s Calculus. I hadn’t even taken high school level calculus and was able to get through 5 chapters (in half a summers time) with a fairly good understanding of the mathematics and was able to solve a lot of the practice problems without needing additional help (and there are a lot of practice problems, almost 100 per chapter not including all the practice problems for the subchapters).
It includes all kinds of calculus from simple derivatives and integrals, to first order differential equations, and multi variable calculus.
Very good book, with slightly odd "name", introduction for who?
For me, very nice book, but I have slightly higher IQ than "ordinary" people. And, I don't think about myself like I am special, my career & "successes", at least for now, are way bellow some middle level.
Self-Taught Physicist is such a Chad and Bold Username to have.
How so?
@@Self-TaughtPhysicist Really? do I have spell it out. To learn physics by yourself you must have a lot of self-discipline, intelligence and perseverance. I don't know man those are the qualities Giga chads have.