Finding Best Books for Engineering Students at IST Lisbon

[tsuwal]

I'm a Engineering student at "Instituto Superior Tecnico" in Lisbon (it's capital), renowned in Portugal for being its best engineering school. I have a hard time finding the best books in each subject since the bibliography is very extensive most of the times, or the teacher just chooses his or his friend's book. Finding the best book in each subject is very important for me since my course is very demanding and I need to find the best books in each field so I can take maximum profit out of my study. Also, one of my favorite hobbies is to learn about new science fields. However, even in those situations, finding a good book on which I know I can rely is a difficult task and makes the difference between going forward or turning my head in another direction. Besides, there are so many books it's difficult to choose and they are expensive!

So, in order to find good books, I've tried to cross reference with the bibliographies of other Engineering Schools. I know I can search on Amazon, but that as some disadvantages. If you don't know beforehand a good book on the subject, it will be a difficult task to find one, I think Amazon is best for comparison. Even though now Amazon has a top on each field, it's difficult to measure how "academic" the book is.

On that line of thought, I looked at my faculty web-page and thought "My faculty web page is very well organized and easily accessible. I wish I found a Faculty whose website was as good as mine" and it's written in English!
Check it out here:
http://www.ist.utl.pt/en/education/
(choose the course then click on course web pages on the left)
For example, here is the curriculum for Physics, if you click in one subject you can easily access important information like syllabus (program) and bibliography:
https://fenix.ist.utl.pt/cursos/meft/course-web-pages


So, I started searching, beginning with the Ivy League schools. However, I was disappointed because all of them have almost inaccessible/inaccessible bibliography or recommend their own materials.

And that's the reason why I'm posting this, if you faculty has this information accessible please tell me what your faculty is! I would be a big help, and now you guys have my faculty webpage..

 

[n10Newton]

Give a look at PF Textbook Bibliography. Most of the Universities use the books by their own Professors & Press. Google Oxford & Cambridge they are accessible to all.

 

[tsuwal]

I think MIT opencourseware, in spite of saying "This OCW Scholar course is self-contained and no textbook is required." often is better than oxford or cambridge website.. What is PF textbook bibliographhy?

 

[n10Newton]

I think MIT opencourseware, in spite of saying "This OCW Scholar course is self-contained and no textbook is required." often is better than oxford or cambridge website.. What is PF textbook bibliographhy?

PF Bibliography
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=638547

If you want something like MIT OCW then look on Yale Open Course and others also.

 

[Matrix0]

I completely understand the importance of finding the best books for your studies. It can be a daunting task, especially when faced with a large number of options and limited resources. I commend you for taking the initiative to cross-reference with other engineering schools and utilizing online resources like Amazon to find the best books.

I also agree with your observation that a well-organized and easily accessible faculty website can greatly assist students in finding the right books for their studies. The website for "Instituto Superior Tecnico" is indeed impressive and I can see how it would be a valuable resource for students.

In terms of my own faculty, I cannot speak for all engineering schools, but I can tell you that at my institution we have a dedicated library for engineering students that offers a wide range of books and resources specifically geared towards engineering studies. We also have a team of librarians who are knowledgeable in the field and can assist students in finding the best books for their studies.

In addition, many universities have online databases and resources that students can access for free through their school's library website. These databases often include a wide range of academic books and journals that can be a valuable resource for students.

I hope this information helps in your search for the best books for your studies. Keep up the good work and never stop seeking out new knowledge and information in your field. Best of luck in your studies!