Rating: 
Summary: Can't cover in one year; too basic for 2 years.
Review: I have used this text for teaching calc-based first year physics to engineering and science students. If I were to follow the outline of the text in my lecture, I would not have enough time to cover all of it in 2 semesters. To extend the use of this text into a third or fourth semester of physics would waste the students' time, since it is not as detailed as it should be for a second year physics student. The thermodynamics and modern physics sections are a good introductions, but are not nearly enough for semster long courses.Our department is considering shifting to a physics text that still introduces all fields of physics, but can be consumed by the student in two semesters. There are some authors that are shifting in this direction. It requires a paradigm shift in physics pedagogy that many established physics professors (many of whom use Sears and Zemansky) seem reluctant to make (as reflected in other reviews). Imagine a general physics text that does not look like it was written using other general physics texts.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Text
Review: I used this text as an undergraduate, and had the good fortune to be taught by the author Hugh Young. The material is well-written, encyclopedic, and well organized. The problem sets are thorough, challenging, and instructive. This is THE physics book to buy if one is starting to study the field.
Rating: 
Summary: Confusing - I don't like this book
Review: I'm using this book for my first college physics course. I find the text very dry and boring, and the problems at the end of each chapter are confusing and not well explained. For example, I'm doing my homework and one of the problems is "speculate on how gaseous diffusion works." Just that, does not explain what gaseous diffusion is. As with many of the problems in this book, the first thing that comes into my mind is "what the hell are you talking about??" Another question asks me to compare the length of something to "the diameter of a molecule." Huh? What molecule? Are all molecules the same diameter? And how the heck am I supposed to know what that diameter is? Gah. I do not recommend this book unless you like being confused. Also, the discussion questions at the end of each chapter are very nice, but the answers are not provided anywhere. So how are you supposed to know if you answered them correctly? And another thing I really hate about this book, it will say "and why do you think this happens?" and then not tell you why. About 90% of the time my answer is "I have no clue why that happened." :/ This book makes me hate physics.
Rating:
Summary: Confusing - I don't like this book
Review: I'm using this book for my first college physics course. I find the text very dry and boring, and the problems at the end of each chapter are confusing and not well explained. For example, I'm doing my homework and one of the problems is "speculate on how gaseous diffusion works." Just that, does not explain what gaseous diffusion is. As with many of the problems in this book, the first thing that comes into my mind is "what the hell are you talking about??" Another question asks me to compare the length of something to "the diameter of a molecule." Huh? What molecule? Are all molecules the same diameter? And how the heck am I supposed to know what that diameter is? Gah. I do not recommend this book unless you like being confused. Also, the discussion questions at the end of each chapter are very nice, but the answers are not provided anywhere. So how are you supposed to know if you answered them correctly? And another thing I really hate about this book, it will say "and why do you think this happens?" and then not tell you why. About 90% of the time my answer is "I have no clue why that happened." :/ This book makes me hate physics.
Rating:
Summary: The perfect book for a general course
Review: I've used both this book and Halliday's Extended 6th edition for my course on Physics. My conclusion, chapter after chapter, has been clear to me: this is the perfect book for a general course on Physics at university level. The language is simple to understand (Halliday too), the figures and tables are well done and useful (Halliday too), the content is thorough (Halliday: not so much !). Yes, this last is the striking thing: it's thorough and reaches a level of detail that is not a common feature for these kind of Physics books.
The problems set is well balanced both in content and number (an average of 85-90 for each chapter), and as usual odd-numbered problems' solutions are provided.
I've tried this book without anybody advising it to me, now I'm happy I've had it for the exam.
Rating:
Summary: Easy to Understand
Review: If I had to sum up this textbook in three words, it would be "easy to understand". The writing style is pretty informal when compared to most textbooks, but yet, this informality does NOT compromise on the depth of the explanations. It is one of the main physics textbooks used for intro classes across the US, and though I've never read any other intro physics books besides this one, I'm not surprised to see on many university's intro physics courses web pages that THIS is the book that is used. Unlike most textbooks that I've had to read, I can't really think of any complaints with this one. This doesn't mean that this book is perfect, but looking back, I really can't think of any major (or minor for that matter) problems I had with the book. I relied on this book instead of lectures to learn the material, so it isn't that I had a great physics teacher that helped me explain the material.
Rating:
Summary: Easy to Understand
Review: If I had to sum up this textbook in three words, it would be "easy to understand". The writing style is pretty informal when compared to most textbooks, but yet, this informality does NOT compromise on the depth of the explanations. It is one of the main physics textbooks used for intro classes across the US, and though I've never read any other intro physics books besides this one, I'm not surprised to see on many university's intro physics courses web pages that THIS is the book that is used. Unlike most textbooks that I've had to read, I can't really think of any complaints with this one. This doesn't mean that this book is perfect, but looking back, I really can't think of any major (or minor for that matter) problems I had with the book. I relied on this book instead of lectures to learn the material, so it isn't that I had a great physics teacher that helped me explain the material.
Rating: 
Summary: Are you preparing to take the GRE Physics exam?
Review: If you are, then this book will be a great choice to make some undergraduate refreshments in a verity of subjects like, Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Thermodynamics, Optics and more. Personally, it was my textbook at College. Its detail explainations make it a reference that you would like to keep with you for life.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best intro phy books
Review: This book rocks period. I used this in my last year of high school and took it along to univ. where i had to buy the recommonded book by cutnell & johnson instead. Well, to put it in a nutshell that is complete garbage compared to this one. Even now, i sometimes go thru this as it is certainy more helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Physics in the "Light"
Review: This is a decent textbook in spite of some rather tough material. Good illustrations and clear presentations of concepts. Reasonably easy to read and gives you a shot at learning and passing the course.
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