Science & Physics

Astronomy- A Beginner-s Guide to the Universe- Fourth Edition

5 stars (good condition and speedy delivery) - item arrived in 2 days and was in perfect condition. completely satisfied. would recommend to others! 2 stars (Way too expensive for a paperback) - Attractive book but not a good value. All the information is available for free on the internet where it is periodically updated and can be referenced for free without wearing out. 5 stars (Astronomy Text Book) - Text book arrived in excellent condition (brand spankin' new) and in a timely manner (about 3 business days). I got a great deal too! No problems whatsoever. Thanks a bunch! ...
Prentice Hall :: Science & Physics :: Astronomy :: Space & Time :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Astronomy - General :: Astronomy (General) :: Astronomy :: Steve McMillan :: Eric Ch :: Astronomy- A Beginner-s Guide to the Universe- Fourth Edition

Physics for Scientists and Engineers 3rd Edition

5 stars (Physics Student) - This is a great book for Calculus base physics. It offer in-depth explaintion of the theory and how it derive a theory. The problem at the end of each chapter are challenging and encourge the student to work at it in able to solve it. Also, after doing these problem, it a guarantee that you will at least learn something. 2 stars (blehhh) - Like the other reviewer from UCB, I had to use Giancoli for two semesters of physics, and this book did not help me one bit. All it did was make me feel completely helpless. The explanations of most concepts are pretty clear and concise. The problem is when you get to the problems. Most of the practice problems at the end of the chapters are much harder than the level at which the actual text covers the physics. As another reviewer said, this book may be good if you've taken a rigorous Honors Physics or AP Physics class in high school, but not everyone has. If your high school only offered a regular college-prep physics class (non-calculus based at that), you will suffer from all the knowledge that it is assumed you can automatically derive or figure out (as if it were common sense) on your own. I highly regret not looking for other, better, physics textbooks at the time I took my introductory physics classes. I urge anyone who doesn't feel like they already have a good solid background in calculus-based physics, and is assigned this book, to go and find one that explains things in a more in-depth way. Physics is all about the problems, if you can't do the problems then you're screwed in the class. This book does not help you figure out how to solve problems. 5 stars (well written) - Great book, well written, great organization, one of the best books for classroom. Very good and practical examples. You'll actually see how knowing a little bit of physics can help you understand your usage of daily appliances, and you can participate in intelligent converstaions without sounding silly! ...
Prentice Hall :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics (General) :: Physics :: Douglas C Giancoli :: :: Physics for Scientists and Engineers (3rd Edition)

Physics for Scientists and Engineers with PhysicsNow and InfoTrac

2 stars (Mixed Reception) - This book has its ups and downs. Like another reviewer mentioned, this book is very verbose and unnecessarily full of pictures that are not helpful. Concepts are often very poorly worded. Just because I'm an EE undergrad doesn't mean I like to decipher sentences that appear to be paragraphs at first glance. After 4 commas, two dashes, and a colon, I no longer have any interest in net-torque on a cylinder. A subtitle of "for scientists and engineers" is not an excuse to write in indecipherable technical terms. There are easier ways to explain things. Ultimately, I think this book fails for the same reason most physics books and professors fail: it is written by and for people with a natural gift for physics. For the other 98% of the world, it might as well be greek. While a thorough reference and good guide for physically-inclined folk, this is a very difficult book for first year undergrads to use. I would opt for a different textbook if I had the chance. 3 stars (Verbose and not precise writing) - When Serway and Jewett confuse me, I read an older Physics book that I have. For an expensive scientific textbook, I would expect less ambiguous writing. Perhaps I am too critical when reading. A quick example in chapter 20: " . . .we explore more details about heat as a means of energy transfer and consider two other transfer methods that are often related to temperature changes - convection ( a form of matter transfer) and electromagnetic radiation." At first, I thought convection and radiation might be another form of energy transfer that is not heat nor work. I really don't know what they are trying to say. Latter in the section they say radiation is the transfer of energy. I waste hours in each chapter trying to decipher the ambiguity. Also, The mixture of text with resolving equations is tedious. I would rather have the concepts explained and then have the equations derived. I would rather spend less money and receive less col...
Brooks Cole :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics :: John W Jewett :: Raymond A Serway :: :: Physics for Scientists and Engineers (with PhysicsNow and InfoTrac)

Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics- Third Edition

5 stars (Good deal) - I got a quick response to my email. Happy to do business with an organization doing some good in the community. 4 stars (Outstanding) - I had to use this book during my two semesters of non-calculus college physics, and my first reaction to this 1000+ page monster was mathematical FEAR. However, as I kept reading the book I realized that it explained the majority of concepts clearly even for a person with limited calculus knowledge. The book does an excellent job early on with the 3 Laws of motion, but it gets a little confusing on statics. The last half of the book was covered in my second semester, and it was also excellent in explaining the topics of thermodynamics, DC and AC circuits, Magnetisms and Optics among others. Nevertheless, there were times when the explanation and examples of the book were not enough to answer some of the problems at the end of each chapter. Furthermore, my only complain about the book is that sometimes it uses what my instructor called "Shortcuts" in the sample problems without explaining how the author arrived to a given equation or derivation of a formula. Physics is by no means an easy subject and to do well at it you will need a great instructor and a great book - I was lucky enough to have both. There are very few books that I keep after I take a class, but I have to say that this book is an invaluable reference that will be in my professional bookshelf for many years. 5 stars (excellent book) - This book is very easy to understand and fun to study from. Very helpful for beginners. ...
Prentice Hall :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics (General) :: Physics :: Applied Physics :: Douglas C Giancoli :: :: Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics- Third Edition

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics 2nd Edition

1 stars (Typical Griffiths Drivel) - As usual, Griffiths replaces formalism and math with hand waving nonsense. While that may work to some extent in E&M, it fails miserably with a topic such as quantum mechanics. Also, as others have mentioned, Griffiths leaves a good chunk of the actual learning to exercises, which would be fine if there were answers in the back to select important problems or *gasp* a solutions manual, but Griffiths lacks both. Save yourself the grief and buy someone else's book. Griffiths, as usual, just doesn't cut it. 5 stars (Book Review) - excellent book for studying QM with a very comprehensive set of highly instructive problems. 1 stars (Terrible book to learn from QM) - I decided to refresh my QM skills and decided to buy Griffith....bad idea. At the university I used Messiah, B.H. Bransden - C.J. Joachain and Cohen - Tannoudj. All these manuals are much more better than Griffith. If you are not following a course don't buy this book, everything is an exercise, it is interesting to prove your skills and awarness on the matter, but every real stuff is left as an exercise then no explanation at all: for example Ehrenfest theorem and all the mathematics used in Schrodinger equation...these as a starter.... I really don't understand the love for this book, probably as the author tells you QM with an hippy style...if you don't believe me go to the author site.... If you want to learn QM start with Feynman and Greeinstein then read Bransden or Liboff if you are at an undergraduated level otherwise go to Cohen or Sakurai. ...
Prentice Hall :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Quantum Theory :: Quantum Mechanics :: Physics :: David J Griffiths :: :: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (2nd Edition)

Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems

1 stars (Classical Mechanics is a Foundation) - After using this book(or better trying to use this book) I've observed, after complementing the theory that is just trying to resemble Goldstein obviusly omiting most of the theory and proposing to fill those gaps with little examples. Exercises are poorly described maybe asuming you memorize examples, very few derivations are included most is tenth grade algebra. If you are trying to learn classical mechanics try Goldstein or Landau 5 stars (A Road to Higher Realms) - Whether knowingly or unknowingly, most of the physics text reviews that I have read may be divided into two categories: - those who loved or hated the book because it was not written to teach physics through a conceptual framework. - those who loved or hated the book because it was not written to teach physics through the development of skills. Then the reviews may be divided again into two categories: - those who loved or hated the book because it conveyed an exclusively classic and/or historical treatment of physics. - those who loved or hated the book because it conveyed a modern treatments of physics. Therefore, I will write my review within the same framework that everyone else seems to... I loved this book because it was written to teach physics through the development of SKILLS; I loved this book because it did so through a CLASSIC TREATMENT of physics. Now I will explain why... The study of physics is FAR MORE than an extraction of information from a book, the way that, say, reading an encyclopedia entry is. The study of physics, rather, is a MENTAL DISCIPLINE, that takes 10,000 hours of intensive mental effort just to become a 'fairly skilled beginner', and at least half a lifetime of intensive mental effort to become an expert in just one, very small, sub-sub-field. It is a journey in which one must tavel the same mental footsteps that the great physicists of the past did before one is ready to travel the new and original mental footsteps of...
Brooks Cole :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Quantum Theory :: Physics :: Mechanics - Dynamics - General :: Dynamics :: Jerry B Marion :: Stephen T Thornt :: Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems

Physics- Second Edition

3 stars (Didn't think that much of it ) - Of course, that may be because I didn't like the course all that much. I thought that the text was too wordy and did not present concepts well enough. The example problems are good to have and so are the chapter summaries. All in all, I thought the concepts could have been explained much better and with less words. 3 stars (I've neven seen a book used less by students that this book.) - The better book lets you get ahead of the class by simply devoting your time on it, in some cases, you don't even need to attend lecture. This book, doesn't allow you that--your pace is limited to the pace of the class. (Students in my class don't rely on this book--only on the lecture--our prof doesn't even refer to the book!) The worked out examples are too simple. I know what you're thinking...you just need to synthesize key concepts from simplier problems to solve the complicated ones...but imagine solving complicated assignments and the book doesn't even explain --at all-- how to approach that kind of problem? The book should deal more with larger number of exercises with varying difficulty. The book should extend key examples in like "what if scenarios," (i.e. if this variable is missing this is how to approach it; if that is missing, this is how you aproach that . . .) The publisher should think about cutting more of the introductory section to each chapter and devote that to added worked out problems. For $150 each, shouldn't the book at least come with a multimedia cd with more worked out problems? Come on! 3 stars (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 r...
Prentice Hall :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics (General) :: Physics :: James S Walker :: :: Physics- Second Edition

Physics

4 stars (Thoughts from both sides...) - Because this book is paperback, and only the first half of the entire book it is awesome. As far as the information goes inside, it is helpful. The only thing that bothers me about this book is that some of the problems at the end of the chapters make NO sense what so ever, and there is no help in sight of figuring out HOW to do the ridiculous problem they present. I have heard, though, that this is true of any physics book and that you can still make a good grade without ever getting the book's answer for homework problems. Another unfortunate thing is that unless you are a professor you really have no say in whether you get this book or not. =) 2 stars (Newton betrayed) - At a first glance I was attracted by this book and reccommendd it to the library. But later I realized tha the too many figures are close to be junk stuff...but later on I discovered a very band thing: Calculus is completely absent, i.e., the powerful instrument devised by Netwon and Leibniz is completely avoided and I think deliberately. A book for ignorants of mathematics and a betrayal of Newton and Leibniz, that what it is. In my country it would not even be adopted for High Schools. 4 stars (solid textbook) - this comment only refers to volume one of the text, as i bought the two separately and just finished physics I. i hated physics in high school and almost failed it too. i got an A this time around, by studying the book. my professor in college wasnt of much help, so the class had to learn from the text. for the most part, the concepts are very well explained, with sample problems throughout the text. there is also a very helpful website which has concept understanding questions, chapter tests and interactive solutions. there are more than enough review questions at the end of the chapter, with answers to odd problems at the back of the book. the book is especially good for explaining kinematics in 1 and 2D, if that's a problem for ...
Wiley :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics (General) :: Physics :: Kenneth W Johnson :: John D Cutnell :: :: Physics

Fundamentals of Physics

5 stars (How I learned physics) - This book saved me in my first physics class. Working through the example problems really helped me when the teacher was obtuse. Most of basic physics that I know now I learned from this text. I found it slow reading, but what engineering/physics text is not? If you're looking to be spoon-fed the Understanding of Physics, then this book is not it. If you're looking to do well in class, then this book is worth the time and effort. My high regard for this book is biased by my abysmally low regard for the "teacher" who taught me less physics ideas than I can count with one hand of fingers. But when it's 1 am in the morning, you have a physics test in 9 hours, and you can only have one text, this is definitely it. 2 stars (Overrated) - The book is very overrated. It is obtuse and most of the problems are completely unsolvable based on the information and examples given. It is grossly overpriced. This book is worth maybe $50, and that is pushing it. I get good grades in physics, but not because of this book. If it wasn't for my fantastic instructor, this series of courses would be a total nightmare. The chapters dealing with force, energy, torque, momentum, and angular momentum are among the worst that I have gone through. The optics section is also pretty weak. I did like the chapter on gravitational force(13). There are too many textbooks out there that assume that the reader already knows the subject, as hard as it is too believe, math books are notorious for it. This book is yet another one. 1 stars (Irritating) - I am not an idiot. Far from it. However, I can't understand the glowing praise I see this book receiving. As I am currently working through this text, I may be a bit closer to home than those who have completed the task. I am seriously less than fond of this book. There doesn't seem to be enough background in the material to handle the problems. This is most noticeable in the middle chapters. Ther...
Wiley :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics (General) :: Physics :: Jearl Walker :: Robert Resnick :: David Halliday :: :: Fundamentals of Physics

Conceptual Physical Science- Third Edition

5 stars (concept Physical Science) - I can't seem to find the area to post recommendations for the company I bought this book form. Mindspring.com. They were very prompt in mailing this book to me. My child has started using it yet, but the promptness of the delivery was very important to me. Thanks 5 stars (A good book) - hello i love the book because it explains you alot of things and it helps you to understand.it is a good book because with the pictures you understand better the lesson an this book has a lot of pictures 5 stars (A good book) - hello i love the book because it explains you alot of things and it helps you to understand.it is a good book because with the pictures you understand better the lesson an this book has a lot of pictures ...
Addison Wesley :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science (General) :: Science :: Physics :: Physical sciences :: General :: Leslie Hewitt :: John Suchocki :: Paul G Hewitt :: :: Conceptual Physical Science- Third Edition

Essential Cosmic Perspective- The 3rd Edition

5 stars (Everything you want to know, plus a great CDRom!) - This book is really good, especially for those interested in the universe and its formation. It also comes with a CDRom with video clips and a study guide for students. A useful, and interesting book! ...
Addison Wesley :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics :: Astronomy - General :: Mark Voit :: Nicholas Schneider :: Megan Donahue :: Jeffrey O Bennett :: :: Essential Cosmic Perspective- The (3rd Edition)

Introduction to Electrodynamics 3rd Edition

5 stars (The Best I've Seen) - This book is probably the most used one I own. I refer to it for just about everything. You need all the vector calculus equations? There they are on the front cover. Need more info on them? First chapter covers vec. calc. pretty well. As a beginning grad student in physics this book was invaluable. I lacked the EM background many around me had, but this book saved me. For instance, mutual induction...what the heck is it? I never learned that in undergrad and if I did, I sure don't remember. Well, I could scour my grad text Jackson for a couple hours and still never find a decent explanation or find it used in a much to technical context. Or I can look it up in Griffiths and find it explained with clarity and simplicity. Of course, if you've mastered undergrad EM, Griffiths may be baby food. But I can't imagine living without it. Jackson does go way more into detail but often when looking something up, that is more of a hindrance. The problems in Griffiths are good because they range from trivial to very difficult. But as far as I know there are no Jackson type problems where you also don't learn anything valuable from them after the first time. Griffiths problems tend to actually teach you and not just drive you to suicide. In fact, I would recommend do many problems from the text that are not assigned because you will learn a lot from his problems. I think that is a sign of a good text book where every aspect of it lends to the learning process. 2 stars (Lack of practical insight) - It's been years since I've been in school when I took a course using this book. Years in the real world, I came back to this book to clear up an issue I had when designing an electronics device that required knowledge of magnetization and, magnetic field density, susceptability, etc. What I came to realize from consulting the book was there are basically no real-life practical problems that have real-life results with real computed values. All t...
Prentice Hall :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics :: Electromagnetism :: Electrodynamics :: David J Griffiths :: :: Introduction to Electrodynamics (3rd Edition)

College Physics- Volume 1 with PhysicsNow

1 stars (Not in my worst nightmares...) - I have hated textbooks before, but this one takes the cake. It is quite possibly the worst one that my professor could have chosen. The authors use such a wild mixture of mind-numbingly simple content and obscure, abstract concepts that the picture that they paint is, to put it bluntly, incoherent. They dance around the definition of vocabulary words, always coming close to defining stuff (but never actually coming out and *saying it*), contradict themselves repeatedly, and assume that the reader understands half the concepts before they are even introduced. Perhaps the most irritating thing about this text is the fact that there is *no* glossary to speak of--if the reader doesn't understand the sketchy definition in the chapter or chapter summary, too bad, because that's all you get! Steer clear of this book, if at all possible. 3 stars (Decent book in combination with class) - I'm currently using this book in a high school physics course, and have found it to be fairly non-technical. The exercises at the end of each chapter vary in difficulty, from the very straight forward to the very difficult. While this book has many strengths, it should not be used by its self. This book requires equations to be derived in class, as they are simply presented at the beginning of the chapter in the book... Overall, this is a great textbook if you have the mind to be able to derive equations and properties yourself. ...
Brooks Cole :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics :: Jerry S Faughn :: Raymond A Serway :: :: College Physics- Volume 1 (with PhysicsNow)

Physics - Principles with Applications 6th Edition

Physics : Principles with Applications (6th Edition)...
Prentice Hall :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics :: Applied Sciences :: Douglas C Giancoli :: :: Physics - Principles with Applications (6th Edition)

University Physics with Modern Physics- 11th Edition

5 stars (Fast Service, Great Service!!) - This is too awesome! I already received my book and it has only been 3 days! Thank you for such a fast response, I really appreciate the attention you gave my order! With some texts from other sellers I haven't even received any order notification yet! Thanks again! 5 stars (Superb book for the beginning Physics student) - This book is the best book out there that I have seen for the beginning Physics student. It is a bit wordy as some of the reviews have said, but I think the authors have done their best to bend over backwards to explain each Physics topic in a simple, clear, and unassuming way for the neophyte. Even as reference, this textbook is invaluable, because it explains concepts down to the nitty gritty detail; unlike a book like Physics by Halliday, Resnick, and Krane which just drops you onto your head expecting you to have some understanding of the subject already. This book is unpresumptious, unpretentious, and yes for some; unsophisticated, but when you're just starting out in Physics, no one expects you to be an Einstein or Feynman right from the start. 2 stars (This book is one of the worst texts I've read.) - It starts off confusing from Chapter One and continues in that manner. Multiple times I was unable to work homework problems from the sections using only the text in this book, relying instead on the internet or a friend's old physics book to help me figure out the matieral that was either glossed over or not covered in this book. The wording is often imprecise, misleading, or generally obfuscated. Useful tables were few and far between, and the math was a confusing mix of Pre-Calc through Complex Analysis (though they never seem to quite spell out exactly what they are getting at, so I feel sorry for anyone using this book before at least Calc II). The book is paced so that it can be taught to students currently enroled in Calc 1, so if you know more advanced math you should skim it at least...
Addison Wesley :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics (General) :: Physics :: Roger A Freedman :: Hugh D Young :: :: University Physics with Modern Physics- 11th Edition

College Physics with PhysicsNow

1 stars (Incredibly useless) - I feel sorry for anybody who relies on this book to get a good handle on physics. I am an A student, but I am spending obscene amounts of time trying to comprehend the material. This book (and the accompanying solutions manual) do a lousy job of walking you through the steps to solve many of the problems. The one I am particularly frustrated with is Interactive Example 3.7 (page 66), which tells you at one point to solve for time by using the quadratic formula. They do not bother to show you how they got the answer! The appendix to which it refers you for this particular example, is seriously not helpful. I am spending upwards of 25 hours per WEEKEND studying for physics, and this text does NOTHING to elucidate any of the concepts. I cannot wait to give my input to the department at the end of the semester. 1 stars (Warning) - Do not purchase. The company advertises that the price includes free website access. Once you purchase the book, the company responds by asking a list of personal questions when you attempt to access their site. The book includes an access code but no password. They refuse to give a passcode until you have answered personal questions.What if you dont want your personal info in someones database? Thats too bad. Apparently the web site / software isn't quite free once you have purchased the book. Boycott this book until they stop asking personal questions that are none of their business. Their excuse is that they need this info to list a student in their database. Do you really think college students should be bullied into giving up personal data? If sales falls off, perhaps they can figure out how to create a unique number in each book so that account numbers are unique. This would mean all a student would need to do would be to choose a unique password and sign on the web site. Do Not Purchase 5 stars (excellent) - great quality, pretty quick shipping for a standard option, within less than 12 weeks, good pack...
Brooks Cole :: Science & Physics :: Science&Mathematics :: Science :: Physics :: Charles A Bennett :: Chris Vuille :: Jerry S Faughn :: Raymond A Serway :: :: College Physics (with PhysicsNow)