Essential List of Textbooks to Teach Myself Physics?

[ZeroZero2]

Essential List of Textbooks to Teach Myself Physics??

Not a *complete* list since there are tons of supplements.

However, I want to make a list of *essential* books I'd need to teach myself physics to the point where I may be able to pass the Physics GRE and have a reasonable head start in a decent grad school program.

This is what I have thus far:


[Math Books]

Calculus: An Intuitive and Physical Approach – Morris Kline
ISBN: 0486404536

Advanced Calculus - David V. Widder
ISBN: 9780486661032

Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations – John W. Dettman
ISBN: 0486651916

Ordinary Differential Equations – Morris Tenenbaum, Harry Pollard
ISBN: 9780486649405

Partial Differential Equations for Scientists and Engineers – Stanley J. Farlow
ISBN: 048667620X

Introductory Complex Analysis – Richard A. Silverman
ISBN: 9780486646862

Introduction to Vector and Tensor Analysis – Robert C. Wrede
ISBN: 048661879X

Differential Geometry – Erwin Kreyszig
ISBN: 0486667219

Tensors, Differential Forms, and Variational Principles – David Lovelock, Hanno Rund
ISBN: 9780486658407

Lie Groups, Lie Algebras, and Some of Their Applications – Robert Gilmore
ISBN: 9780486445298

=========================

[Physics: Undergraduate Level]

Fundamentals of Physics - David Halliday, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker
ISBN: 9780470044728

Classical Mechanics – John R. Taylor
ISBN: 9781891389221

Classical Mechanics – Herbert Goldstein, Charles P. Poole, John L. Safko
ISBN: 0201657023

An Introduction to Thermal Physics – David V. Schroeder
ISBN: 0201380277

A Student’s Guide to Maxwell’s Equations – Daniel Fleisch
ISBN: 9780521701471

Introduction to Electrodynamics – David J. Griffith
ISBN: 013805326X

Special Relativity – A.P. French
ISBN: 9780393097931

A First Course in General Relativity – Bernard Schultz
ISBN: 9780521887052

Gravitation – Charles W. Misner, Kip S. Thorne, John Archibald Wheeler
ISBN: 0716703440

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics – David J. Griffith
ISBN: 0131118927

Introduction to Elementary Particles – David J. Griffith
ISBN: 3527406018

===========================


[Physics: Graduate Level]

Classical Dynamics: A Contemporary Approach – Jorge V. José, Eugene J. Saletan
ISBN: 9780521636360

Classical Electrodynamics – John David Jackson
ISBN: 047130932X

Introduction to Modern Statistical Mechanics – David Chandler
ISBN: 9780195042771

Modern Quantum Mechanics – J. J. Sakurai, Jim J. Napolitano
ISBN: 0805382917

Gravitation and Cosmology: Principles and Applications of the General Theory of Relativity – Steven Weinberg
ISBN: 9780471925675

The Quantum Theory of Fields Vol. 1: Foundations – Steven Weinberg
ISBN: 9780521670531

The Quantum Theory of Fields Vol. 2: Modern Applications – Steven Weinberg
ISBN: 9780521670548

The Quantum Theory of Fields Vol. 3: Supersymmetry – Steven Weinberg
ISBN: 9780521670555

 

[Daverz]

Apart from your undergraduate list, most of those books are too high powered to be useful for the Physics GRE. You can also skip MTW.

 

[ZeroZero2]

Are there any more particularly useful undergraduate level texts aside from the ones I've listed, maybe one that introduces QFT or statistical mechanics at the undergrad level, etc??

Or how about some graduate level texts that would be especially useful, not just in preparation for a Physics GRE, but in mastering Physics in general? Say, to supplement advanced graduate studies..

 

[fss]

If you learn anything from Schroeder I'd be amazed. Worst book ever IMO.

 

[ZeroZero2]

If you learn anything from Schroeder I'd be amazed. Worst book ever IMO.

Any good alternatives?

 

[ParticleGrl]

Honestly, I'd make a very different list on the undergraduate physics books. I don't like the "hide the calculus" intro books. Learn the math well, and then look at

Freshman level-
Kleppner and Kolenkow's Introduction to Mechanics (skip the relativity stuff)
Purcell's Electricity and Magnetism

Upper Level-
Goldstein is ok here for Classical Mechanics. Marion and Thornton is also supposed to be good, but I've never perused it.
Sethna for Statistical Physics
Heald and Marion's Classical Electromagnetic Radiation
Griffith's is ok for a first quantum mechanics text. I don't like it, but there is not much better. Try Sakurai or Shankar and refer to Griffith's for supplement.

Mathematical Methods
Stone and Goldbart recently put out a fantastic math methods book.

At the graduate level- Weinberg is an incredibly hard place to start learning field theory. Starting with Peskin is somewhat more standard.

 

[ZeroZero2]

Honestly, I'd make a very different list on the undergraduate physics books. I don't like the "hide the calculus" intro books. Learn the math well, and then look at

Freshman level-
Kleppner and Kolenkow's Introduction to Mechanics (skip the relativity stuff)
Purcell's Electricity and Magnetism

Upper Level-
Goldstein is ok here for Classical Mechanics. Marion and Thornton is also supposed to be good, but I've never perused it.
Sethna for Statistical Physics
Heald and Marion's Classical Electromagnetic Radiation
Griffith's is ok for a first quantum mechanics text. I don't like it, but there is not much better. Try Sakurai or Shankar and refer to Griffith's for supplement.

Mathematical Methods
Stone and Goldbart recently put out a fantastic math methods book.

At the graduate level- Weinberg is an incredibly hard place to start learning field theory. Starting with Peskin is somewhat more standard.

Thanks for all those suggestions!

In replacing Halliday, with Kleppner for Mechanics and with Purcell for Electricity and Magnetism. What about the Waves and Thermo sections??

 

[Sankaku]

Your math books are pretty heavy on the Dover versions. While some are good, Dover doesn't have everything you might want. Also, searching the forum for specific subject recommendations might be more fruitful than trying to get everything in one thread.

 

[Daverz]

Are there any more particularly useful undergraduate level texts aside from the ones I've listed, maybe one that introduces QFT or statistical mechanics at the undergrad level, etc??

For a basic intro to QFT, Atchison & Hey is just about ideal.

I don't know about stat mech (my undergrad text was Kittel, which I don't seem to have kept). For thermo, there's the wonderful little book by Fermi.

Or how about some graduate level texts that would be especially useful, not just in preparation for a Physics GRE, but in mastering Physics in general? Say, to supplement advanced graduate studies..

I would suggest some problem solving books like the ones by Cahn & Nadgorny (though those are for Graduate qualifying exams rather than the GRE).

At a lower level, Cambridge Press publishes several interesting problem books, though the coverage of topics seems rather eccentric to this American.

Problems in Quantum Mechanics by Squires is an excellent book of problems for that subject.

 

[Daverz]

[Math Books]


They are getting more and more expensive these days, but math from calculus to differential equations (and if you're lucky, linear algebra) are the sorts of subjects that community colleges are good at teaching.

For general math methods I suggest the book by Mary Boas.

Differential Geometry – Erwin Kreyszig

I think the best Dover for classical differential geometry is Struik.

Fundamentals of Physics - David Halliday, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker

If you're not in a course that uses a later edition, go for an earlier edition of Physics (e.g. 3rd ed) rather than Fundamentals of Physics.

For self study, you can save a lot of money by looking for older editions of many books.

Special Relativity – A.P. French

All of French's books are good, but for special relativity I would start with the red paperback first edition of Spacetime Physics.

Other recommedations:

BK Ridley, Time, Space and Things

Popular level discussion of fundamental concepts in Physics.

Mermin, It's About Time

The best primer on Special Relativity, based on Mermin's many decades of experience teaching SR.

French, Newtonian Mechanics and Vibrations and Waves

These books are beautifully produced and inspiring.

The Feynman Lectures on Physics

Essential.

Rindler, Relativity: Special, General, and Cosmological

Somewhat eccentric. Not just a book on Relativity, but a primer in reasoning physically.

Fowles, Analytical Mechanics

Pretty basic as mechanics texts go, but that's why I still like it when I need a basic reference.

Nayfeh & Brussel, Electricity and Magnetism

Chock full of worked out problems.

Schwartz, Principles of Electrodynamics

Very lucid and inspiring.

PCW Davies, Quantum Mechanics

You can read this very clever little book in a few afternoons.

Landau & Lifschitz, Mechanics

Beautiful and elegant.

Schaum's Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables

Has pretty much everything you need for quick reference.

 

[diazona]

If you learn anything from Schroeder I'd be amazed. Worst book ever IMO.

No way, Schroeder is fantastic as an introductory book. It's the Griffiths of thermodynamics.

Once you get past intro-level e.g. to graduate level thermodynamics, then sure, Schroeder is inadequate (just like Griffiths in QM). But that's not its purpose.

 

[ZeroZero2]

[Math Books]


They are getting more and more expensive these days, but math from calculus to differential equations (and if you're lucky, linear algebra) are the sorts of subjects that community colleges are good at teaching.

For general math methods I suggest the book by https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471044091/?tag=pfamazon01-20.



I think the best Dover for classical differential geometry is https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486656098/?tag=pfamazon01-20.



If you're not in a course that uses a later edition, go for an earlier edition of https://www.amazon.com/dp/047134530X/?tag=pfamazon01-20 rather than Fundamentals of Physics.

For self study, you can save a lot of money by looking for older editions of many books.



All of French's books are good, but for special relativity I would start with the red paperback first edition of https://www.amazon.com/dp/071670336X/?tag=pfamazon01-20.

Other recommedations:

BK Ridley, Time, Space and Things

Popular level discussion of fundamental concepts in Physics.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691141274/?tag=pfamazon01-20

The best primer on Special Relativity, based on Mermin's many decades of experience teaching SR.

French, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393099709/?tag=pfamazon01-20 and Vibrations and Waves

These books are beautifully produced and inspiring.

The Feynman Lectures on Physics

Essential.

Rindler, Relativity: Special, General, and Cosmological

Somewhat eccentric. Not just a book on Relativity, but a primer in reasoning physically.

Fowles, Analytical Mechanics

Pretty basic as mechanics texts go, but that's why I still like it when I need a basic reference.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/047187681X/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Chock full of worked out problems.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486654931/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Very lucid and inspiring.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0710099622/?tag=pfamazon01-20

You can read this very clever little book in a few afternoons.

Landau & Lifschitz, Mechanics

Beautiful and elegant.

Schaum's Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables

Has pretty much everything you need for quick reference.

Awesome list! I'm surprised how cheap some of those books are :D

 

[Daverz]

Awesome list! I'm surprised how cheap some of those books are :D

Just make sure you pay careful attention to the descriptions given by sellers. Some of those cheap copies probably have broken bindings or are full of highlighting. Avoid any sellers that say a book "may" have some condition or other and can't be bothered to give a specific description.

 

[brocks]

I would start with the red paperback first edition of Spacetime Physics.

Are you recommending the first edition because it's cheaper, or is there something terribly wrong with the second edition?

 

[Daverz]

Are you recommending the first edition because it's cheaper, or is there something terribly wrong with the second edition?

The first paperback edition has solutions to all the problems in the back. The second edition was dumbed down.

 

[FalseVaccum89]

I'd definitely add "A Student's Guide to Vectors and Tensors" by Daniel Fleisch as a great conceptual supplement for vector/tensor calc.