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Excoriate
Aug18-09, 07:08 PM
I am looking for some textbooks in order to teach myself physics. My background in this area is rather limited. Many moons ago I did take a Physics C class as a junior in high school but beyond that I haven't really delved much into the subject.

The topics I am interested in are classical mechanics, electrodynamics, statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. I am the kind of person who is comfortable reading graduate level mathematical texts (with limited prerequisites) who however isn't too comfortable physics.

Thanks in advance,

Excor.

Daverz
Aug19-09, 02:55 AM
You'll find threads on all those subjects in the "Science Book Discussion" section. My own recs would be:

Feynman, Lectures on Physics

Mechanics: French, Newtonian Mechanics (and also Vibrations and Waves); Fowles, Analytical Mechanics; Landau & Lifschitz, Mechanics

E&M: Scwhartz, Principles of Electrodynamics. Why not start there I think, but at a slightly lower level and with many worked examples: Nayfeh & Brussel, Electricity and Magnetism.

Stat Mech: I have a block. I like Fermi's thermodynamics book.

QM: The clever little book by PCW Davies (http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Mechanics-Student-Physics-Davies/dp/0710099622) (not the expanded 2nd edition); Shankar; Sakurai.

Excoriate
Aug19-09, 10:39 AM
Thanks I will check a few of those out from the library and see how I do with them. Would something like statistic physics I & II by Kubo be good for stat. mech?