Your Physics Library: Books Listed More Clearly
TLDRIn this video, the speaker reviews essential physics books, emphasizing that while not necessary due to online resources, they can be valuable. They clarify book titles and authors, focusing on introductory texts like 'Survey and Jude' and '30 Years that Shook Physics' by George Gamow. They also recommend advanced books like 'Classical Mechanics' by Landau and Lifshitz, and 'Quantum Mechanics' by Steven Gasiorowicz. The speaker critiques some books for being overpriced or outdated, while praising others for their clarity and affordability, providing a comprehensive guide for students seeking to build a physics book collection.
Takeaways
- 📚 The speaker emphasizes that while books are not essential due to the abundance of information online, he will list essential books for those who prefer physical copies.
- 🔍 The speaker rectifies the issue of unclear book and author names from previous reviews by displaying them clearly in the video.
- 📘 The introductory book mentioned is 'Survey and Jude Principles of Physics', with lecture notes available that are much thinner than the book itself.
- 🌟 Two essential books highlighted are '30 Years That Shook Physics' by George Gamow and 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' by Richard Feynman.
- 📈 For classical mechanics, ' Schaum's Outline Series: Theoretical Mechanics' by Murray Spiegel is recommended at the undergraduate level, and Landau and Lifshitz's 'Mechanics' for graduate level.
- 🌐 'Quantum Physics' by Steven Gasiorowicz is the best introduction to quantum mechanics at the undergraduate level, while Enrico Fermi's books are praised for their affordability and quality.
- 📊 'Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences' by Mary Boas is a standard work regardless of edition, and 'Classical Electrodynamics' by JD Jackson is recommended for graduate students.
- 📚 The speaker does not recommend 'The Large-Scale Structure of Space-Time' by Hawking and Ellis for its abstract nature and difficulty in finding relativity concepts.
- 📚 'Gravitation' by Thorne and Wheeler is considered a showpiece for shelves rather than a practical book on relativity.
- 📘 'Cosmology' by Steven Weinberg is a standard work but is very expensive and only necessary for practicing cosmologists.
- 📚 The speaker mentions several books for historical interest, such as 'Atomic Physics' by Max Born, and biographies like 'The Philosopher's Tree' about Michael Faraday.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of the video?
-The main purpose of the video is to clarify the list of essential books for physics students, rectify the issue of unclear book and author names from previous reviews, and to provide a more organized presentation of the titles and authors.
What does the speaker stress about the necessity of the listed books?
-The speaker stresses that these books are not absolutely necessary because much of the information is available on the web, but they are considered essential for those who prefer to have physical books.
Which book does the speaker consider the best introductory book for physics?
-The speaker considers 'Survey and Jude' as the best introductory book for physics.
What are the two essential books for classical mechanics at the undergraduate level according to the speaker?
-The two essential books for classical mechanics at the undergraduate level are '30 Years That Shook Physics' by George Gamow and 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' by Richard Feynman.
Which book does the speaker recommend for quantum physics at the undergraduate level?
-The speaker recommends 'Quantum Physics' by Steven Gasiorowicz for the undergraduate level.
What is the speaker's opinion on 'Thermodynamics and Statistics' by Enrico Fermi?
-The speaker highly recommends 'Thermodynamics and Statistics' by Enrico Fermi, stating that it is an inexpensive and excellent book that cannot be beaten.
Which book does the speaker suggest for mathematical methods in the physical sciences?
-The speaker suggests 'Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences' by Mary L. Boas.
What is the speaker's view on 'Classical Electrodynamics' by JD Jackson?
-The speaker considers 'Classical Electrodynamics' by JD Jackson a standard work at the graduate level but advises that it should be approached after studying the Schaum's Outline series and only the first five to six chapters are necessary.
Which book does the speaker recommend for relativity?
-The speaker recommends 'General Relativity' by Robert Wald for those interested in the subject, although he mentions it is a bit too long for his preference.
What does the speaker think about 'Gravitation' by Thorne and Wheeler?
-The speaker does not recommend 'Gravitation' by Thorne and Wheeler for its difficulty and abstractness, suggesting it is often kept for show rather than practical use.
What advice does the speaker give regarding the selection of books for physics studies?
-The speaker advises that while the listed books are essential, students should not feel obligated to purchase all of them, and that many introductory books are affordable and just as good.
Outlines
📚 Essential Books for Physics Students
The speaker begins by addressing previous feedback about unclear book references and commits to rectifying this in the video. They then present a refined list of essential books for physics students, emphasizing that while these books are not strictly necessary due to available online resources, they are considered foundational. The list includes introductory texts such as 'Survey and Jude' and 'Principles of Physics' by Serway and Jude, as well as more advanced works like '30 Years That Shook Physics' by George Gamow and 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' by Richard Feynman. The speaker also mentions lecture notes from their own teachings, suggesting that students can learn from these condensed materials instead of bulky textbooks.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Book Reviews
💡Essential Books
💡Classical Mechanics
💡Quantum Mechanics
💡Thermodynamics
💡Statistical Physics
💡Mathematical Methods
💡Electrodynamics
💡Relativity
💡Cosmology
💡Quantum Field Theory
Highlights
The speaker emphasizes the importance of listing book titles and authors clearly for better reference.
Introduction to the list of essential books with a focus on clarity and reduced number for the audience.
Recommendation of 'Survey and Jude Principles of Physics' with a mention of lecture notes being more accessible.
Highlighting '30 Years That Shook Physics' by George Gamow and 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman' as essential reads.
Murray Spiegel's 'Schaum's Outline Series Theoretical Mechanics' suggested for undergraduates in classical mechanics.
Landau and Lipschitz's 'Mechanics' recommended for graduate students, with a note on affordability.
Introduction of Steven Gacic's 'Quantum Physics' as an affordable and comprehensive undergraduate textbook.
Praise for Enrico Fermi's lecture notes on thermodynamics, statistics, and quantum mechanics for their affordability and quality.
Mary Boas' 'Mathematical Methods in Physical Sciences' noted for its comprehensiveness across editions.
JD Jackson's 'Classical Electrodynamics' highlighted as a standard graduate-level text with a focus on specific chapters.
Critique of Hawking and Ellis' 'Large-Scale Structure of Space-Time' for its abstract nature.
Recommendation of Robert Wald's 'General Relativity' and
Transcripts
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