Simple Nature

content better than 90%

writing better than 99%

I am just a physics undergraduate, the kind this book is aimed at, though.

This book is, to put it in one word, beautiful. It really shows many of the ideas discussed in a very simple, easy-to-understand manner. Newtonian Mechanics is discussed using conservation laws, and I found the approach to be enlightening. The development of the concept of energy, in particular, is superb. The treatment of Special Relativity is consice and simple. Electromagnetism is treated in detail (atleast for this level) and the Quantum Mechanics is good too.

Some complaints I have are:

Optics is not discussed.

Thermodynamics and Waves are treated very consicely. A fuller treatment would be nice, since many points are just tuched upon.

There are not many solved problems.

Some classic Newton's Laws problems can be discussed (strings, masses, etc).

Maybe it's just me, but I found the EM chapters to be confusing at times.

Some complaints of a different nature:

A different chapter on Oscillations would be nice, since that is discussed at the end of the Conservation Laws chapters.

Still, I hugely recommend this book. It has great explanations and wide coverage. Reading this book greatly enhanced my understanding (and interest) in Physics.

The above review is copyrighted by its author, and is copylefted under the following license:
GFDL 1.1

The contents of this web page, except the parts contributed by members of The Assayer, are copyright (c) 2000 by Benjamin Crowell, and are copyleft licensed under the Open Publication License 1.0, without options A or B.