Physics for Scientists and Engineers (3rd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Recommended Textbook
Review: Hey, this book helped me learn physics and get an A+ for the first quarter... but the main thing is what I have learned (not greade, of course) ), and as far as learning goes I found this text to be very helpful. It contains all the most needed equations, lots of examples, the text is easy to read and understand. Even though physics may not be your favourite subject, this book will not add to your suffering. I would recommend the study guide and solutions manual to it if you are the kind of person who does not like to read the chapters but only grasp the most relevant material.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended Textbook
Review: I found this book to be a wonderful guide to freshmen physics. I have only the second volume on E&M and modern physics. I particularly like the little things such as the reminder that phenomena like reflection and refraction can be explained using Maxwell's equations. I believe that this gives the student a preview of things to come in later classes. Perhaps there are not as many examples as in Halliday & Resnick, but there are plenty of applications to the real world. It gives just a taste of quantum mechanics but that may be enough for freshmen. The color layout is an optical feast. I like the "Got it" sections which periodically test the reader's physical knowledge at the completion of each concept. I do think that the questions should have an answer key though. All in all a great book!

Rating:
Summary: A great book!
Review: I found this book to be a wonderful guide to freshmen physics. I have only the second volume on E&M and modern physics. I particularly like the little things such as the reminder that phenomena like reflection and refraction can be explained using Maxwell's equations. I believe that this gives the student a preview of things to come in later classes. Perhaps there are not as many examples as in Halliday & Resnick, but there are plenty of applications to the real world. It gives just a taste of quantum mechanics but that may be enough for freshmen. The color layout is an optical feast. I like the "Got it" sections which periodically test the reader's physical knowledge at the completion of each concept. I do think that the questions should have an answer key though. All in all a great book!

Rating:
Summary: Not too bad, but not real good either...
Review: This is a pretty good book for showing the derivation of formulas, but it doesn't spend enough time explaining the concepts. Also, it has good examples for simple problems, but needs examples for the more complex problems. Also the "questions" section at the end does not provide answers, which makes them totally useless as a learning tool.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Introduction
Review: Wolfson and Pasachoff's "Physics" is a great book, either for a class (in which case you really don't have much choice of which book you buy) or for self-study. I found the book to be a very good way to learn the basics of calculus-based physics, even without much outside instruction. It is clear and self-contained, with enough examples and problems to work on. It covers a broad range of topic in limited depth, making it great for an independent enthusiast or a student, including not only simple mechanics and electormagnetism, but also introductions to thermodynamics, waves and optics, and moden physics and relativity. Also, there are plenty of examples of real-world applications, showing industrial and everyday uses of the content covered and effectivly relating abstract material to real life. All in all an effective text and an interesting read.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Introduction
Review: Wolfson and Pasachoff's "Physics" is a great book, either for a class (in which case you really don't have much choice of which book you buy) or for self-study. I found the book to be a very good way to learn the basics of calculus-based physics, even without much outside instruction. It is clear and self-contained, with enough examples and problems to work on. It covers a broad range of topic in limited depth, making it great for an independent enthusiast or a student, including not only simple mechanics and electormagnetism, but also introductions to thermodynamics, waves and optics, and moden physics and relativity. Also, there are plenty of examples of real-world applications, showing industrial and everyday uses of the content covered and effectivly relating abstract material to real life. All in all an effective text and an interesting read.