<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Best Modern Physics Text
Review: All those reviewers who gave this text a low grade don't know a thing about Physics or teaching or pedagogy. This is, by far, the very best Modern Physics text for the level it is intended, i.e., Physics or other Science/Engineering majors who have just completed the first General Physics sequence normally taken in the Freshman/Sophomore years. I have examined virtually all other texts for this course and Tipler's wins hands down. In fact, I have the sneaky feeling many of the other books (except for Beiser's) are just copycats from instructors who just wanted to have their own twist. Most of these botched the job royally. Not Tipler. The author clearly started back in the 1960's with the first edition based on his lecture notes, and improved the text continuously since then. This fourth edition shines. The supporting material of extra web-articles, student solution manual, and, if you're an instructor, full solution manual and Powerpoint presentations are simply superb. The text is well written with logical flow of the topics and a clear connection to known principles. There is no "fudging" and when approximations are made they are clearly stated. The problems are organized into groups reflecting their difficulty level. Don't hesitate if you're looking for a text to use or to adopt for your course. This is IT.For future editions, I hope a key of answers to the questions in and at the end of the chapters is provided as I think the authors' style will further illuminate many concepts in their way of answering them. If you're looking for a lighter, more conceptual text, then Beiser's Modern Physics should be your choice. That's also an excellent text, but stresses concepts much more than details to my taste. However, it does have an appropriate audience as evidenced by its own success (now at sixth edition, and the author also started with a first edition in the 1960's). Good luck. Modern Physics is one of the most wonderful courses to teach and/or take ---- provided you have the right text and a good instructor. The text is Tipler's. Period. EKT
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for those interested in motivated self-study
Review: I am currently in the process of taking a modern physics course, and thus far this book has been excellent in its explanation and method. I especially appreciate the fact that the equations are not all derived, but instead they are sometimes used as advanced homework problems. If a person is truly interested in understanding physics and being capable of deriving physical relationships, these advanced problems are the key to learning.
Aside from the advanced derivation problems, the basic problems begin with approaches seen in the thoroughly explained examples contained within the chapters. So far, my understanding of the subject matter is excellent, just by reading the book alone. This is the first physics book that I can actually go through the symbolic manipulation in my head and follow the process of scientific discovery.
A note: I am also currently enrolled in a theoretical physics course. This is a high level math course that has greatly aided my understanding of physical math. Those with a strong math background should be able to handle this book alone without a problem. Others will most likely be able to look up the more advanced problems online to aid in their quest.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Modern Physics Book I've seen yet.
Review: I own several modern physics books,and over all this book is the best. It presents information in a direct, concise, and clear manner. I often used this book instead of my text book to help me understand the concepts necessary to excell in my class. Sometimes the information is a bit much, and a little overwhelming if not intimidating, but over all this introductory to modern physics text is the best one currently in print.
Rating: 
Summary: I wanted to use this book.
Review: I really wanted to use this book to teach my Modern Physics class this semester. But the fact that whole sections are omitted from the text and placed online ruined the book. Figure numbers jump in sequence, references are made to equations that are not in the text, and the whole experience of sitting down with a book to learn is defeated. I don't know why the authors or publishers insisted on doing this this way. I would have adoped the book if they hadn't.
Rating:
Summary: I wanted to use this book.
Review: I really wanted to use this book to teach my Modern Physics class this semester. But the fact that whole sections are omitted from the text and placed online ruined the book. Figure numbers jump in sequence, references are made to equations that are not in the text, and the whole experience of sitting down with a book to learn is defeated. I don't know why the authors or publishers insisted on doing this this way. I would have adoped the book if they hadn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre at best
Review: I think I am one of the few reviewers to give this book a middle of the road rating. At first I really hated the book, it was difficult to read, and the illustrations were monotone and sometimes superfluous. But what really bugged me, and this is still my number one complaint, the derivation of equations is done in a very haphazard manner, it is very difficult to see where the authors were getting fundamental equations and how they were applying them to create specific expressions. Sometimes it would take me a good five minutes working and thinking very hard just to understand how the authors took a step in the derivation of an equation. While it believe such thinking is beneficial when doing homework, it is very hard to follow when trying to learn a subject. Many times, with their piecemeal derivations, I even felt like the authors were just waving their hands and saying "you don't need to know where this equation comes from, just how to apply it." I think perhaps such a mentality is better left to an introductory course, but it has no place in a course which only physics majors would likely be taking. The book, even with its failings, is not bad, I particularly like the history and background the authors give, I did not think it was obtrusive and I think it helped to put a lot of stuff into context. The problem sets at the end are very good, and I only found a single mistake in the selected answers, which my professor was kind enough to confirm. The online "extra" section was superb. And the quantum mechanics section was very clear without being mathematically obtuse. Though, a more rigorous derivation of some equations would be beneficial. I gave the book 3 stars because overall it was good; however, like I said, the derivations are pretty poor and I also fear the binding will not stand up to a lifetime of use and reference, the paper quality is also not very good.
Rating:
Summary: Bad authors from a non-academic publisher
Review: TERRIBLE book! I have no respect for the authors. Even in 3rd edition, there is a mistake on about every other page and some of the formulas are even printed wrong! They keep a known error page on the web (bad) but there are many more (even worse).
The book is incredibly difficult to use because there are very few examples and of the few examples many steps are dropped and does not explain clearly where the formulas came from. As for the problems in the book, besides the fact that the answers in the back are often wrong, the authors often require formulas not mentioned in that particular section and sometimes not even in the chapter or the book itself! As for the text of the book, every chapter includes too much chatter on the background of the discovery and not enough words explaining the concepts themselves.
The worst book I have used and several students agree. Physics is hard but these guys make it harder. My advice: get a book from a good publisher with authors from good universities.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre at best
Review: This book's explanations vary from poor to excellent. The derivations, while they are given, are not well done. They often skip steps that leaving the reader wondering just how they got from point A to point B. The answers in the back of the book and in the instructor's solutions manual are also often incorrect. The publisher of this book also elected to put large sections of this book online instead of in the book. An entire chapter, the astrophysics section, is online, which is absolutely ludicrous for such an expensive book. Overall, this book just doesn't cut it.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT Book on Modern Physics!
Review: This is very well written and easy to follow. My required text was from Eisberg/Resnick and I hated it. This book is much better to read from. The problems are not quite as hard, but if you're learning modern physics and have any trouble then read the corresponding chapters or sections from this book and then go back to your required text. It will help make physics fun to learn again.
Rating:
Summary: Too confusing
Review: This textbook is extremely difficult to follow and doesn't flow very well. I had a difficult time trying to understand the concepts the author was trying to make without having to read it several times.
<< 1 >>
| 
