Physics for Scientists and Engineers : A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics (chs. 1-42) with Mastering Physics(TM)

Rating:
Summary: A solid performer
Review: After taking 3 semesters in college physics, I found this book to be straight to the point. Although I was not lucky enough to have this book through my education, I was able to review it for future classes. After using Woflson's book, this was a pleasant surprise. The book is upfront and get's right into it. There are no cute stories, whimsical comparisons or the like. It's a book for the professional. After each subject, there are ample examples that fully explain how they got there and what the steps are. At the end of each chapter are a full review, the concepts, the formulas and the applications. The graphics are fantastic. None of them look like something out of Dr Seuss. All of the pictures are professional and to the point with more then ample descriptions. I found the book to be slightly dimensioned in how they derived some of the equations, but overall, it's better then any I've looked at thus far. All formulas and terms are highlighted throughout the chapter. The questions at the end of each chapter are the best I've ever seen. Clear, concise, to the point and highly graphic. They leave no room for misunderstanding. This book is NOT for high schoolers, or non-majors. But, if you really want to learn physics, this is it. ( I would have given a five star if I had more to compare it by)

Rating:
Summary: This book is a piece of $%**@&#
Review: I am an "A/B" student working towards a Biochemistry degree. This is the most horribly written textbook I've had to use! The examples don't seem to have much to do with the chapter objectives and the concepts are not well explained. To be fair, this was my first try at physics in over 7 years - but if your professor is not great with lecture, you will have an extremely difficult time trying to learn everything you need to know out of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Supplemental Text Overall
Review: I am currently a bioengineering major at Rice University and we use this textbook in our calculus-based physics course. Overall, I have been pretty pleased with the way this book arranges everything. The flow is logical and easy to follow if you read this to prepare for lecture.

When doing assigned problem sets, the placement of problem solving strategies helps out a lot. Furthermore, the presence of all of the worked problems show you step by step how to approach a problem, how to think about it, and what concepts to apply. Therefore, not only is this book very sound conceptually, but also quantitatively.

Now I say that this is a very good supplemental text. This is because there are lots of things inside the book, such as certain mathematical ideas, that do not belong in a physics course but yet are explained, but not very well. For example, on Chapter 27 on Gauss's Law, Dr. Knight roughly talks about surface integrals. The explanation is not very clear, and I understand, because this is a physics text to begin with. But then these are ideas that a professor may need to go over in lecture. Other than this example, I can still cite several times where there was a basic physics equation written in the book, but our professor took a couple of them, applied them to a problem, and by some mathematical method, comes up with other equations that apply to a similar situation as in the book (e.g., force on a charge due to multiple charges nearby; by applying basic definitions of charges and electrical forces due to charge).

Overall, though, I am happy with this book and how it has helped me in this course.

Rating:
Summary: BacktoschoolDad
Review: I am currently in a second semester calculus-based general physics class, using Halliday's extended 6th ed., which I find to be a good text. My professor uses Knight's text as a reference and teaching tool to amplify and explain some concepts. I bought the text as a supplemental reference. This is a new text based on the principles of physics education research. Perhaps an example of the difference between the two texts might help your evaluation. Knight, in Ch. 25, uses 13 pages to cover the principles of charge, insulators, and conductors before he gets to Coulomb's Law. Halliday uses 3 pages. This chapter is introductory and foundational. Knight takes more time with the basics. I also prefer Knight's analogies, diagrams, and visualizations of concepts and mathematical explanantions. A student workbook is included. I recommend the book for the serious beginning physics student, and anyone who desires a great reference for general physics.

Rating:
Summary: Preferable to other physics texts
Review: I purchased this book after becoming extremely disappointed with Giancoli's treatment of electromagnetism. In kind words, Giancoli is less than clear. However, Knight's treatment of the subject is remarkably clear, with an emphasis on understanding the physical concepts that describe natural phenomena. He then progresses onto describing the mathematical models that help quantify the physical concepts. Giancoli, in contrast, focuses almost entirely on the mathematical models with little discussion on why they are important. The end result is exposure to a jumble of equations without fully grasping how to apply them. Knight's book does not suffer from this ailment and offers a deeper understanding of both the qualitative and quantitative models of natural phenomena. To professors: please choose this text for next year's course; your students will thank you.

Rating:
Summary: great book for engineering physics
Review: I'm taking physics for engineering at a university level, and I this book was required for the course. I found this book to be great for learning. Chapters are small and broken into easily digested chunks. The examples within the chapters can be attemped using what has been taught previously in the chapter - the examples don't try to teach new things, they just show how a particular concept can be applied (this is very useful). I found this book way better than Giancoli's physics book. This one covers theory as well as problem solving strategies.

Rating:
Summary: Best introductory physics book I've encountered
Review: The book does a wonderful job of explaining how concepts taught in previous chapters are used to derive new concepts. The book sometimes over-explains concepts, however that's a much better fault than not explaining enough.