Alonso & Finn Physics Books: Where to find?

[Const@ntine]

Good evening (or, technically, morning, depending on where you are and all that jazz)! Recently a professor of ours told us to look into those books; they're three volumes as far as I'm aware. Thing is, as you probably all know (I mean, they're pretty famous, certainly no indie darlings), they're rather old. I searched around a bit, and got a taste of the prices and whatnot, but apart from Amazon, I cannot find any online bookstore that carries them. "Well blimey, just buy them from there" you might say, but Amazon doesn't always ship worldwide, and residing in Europe I'm in a bit of a... predicament.

So, my question would be; do you have any links to any bookstores that carry these? Are there only three volumes, or more? What about that "Physics" book; is that required reading too? I'm in my second year of Physics, but I've kinda, sorta, lost my track a bit (you get sick for a month, you lose a semester and bam! you're pinned to the ground...), and I figured these would help me get back on the saddle, so to speak.

Thank you for your time.

 

[jedishrfu]

Check amazon, I’ve seen them listed there but their kind of pricey at over $250 per book.

 

[fresh_42]

Check amazon, I’ve seen them listed there but their kind of pricey at over $250 per book.

You call that pricey? And yes, comma means decimal point and point means thousand separator.

However, there are cheaper ones, depending on what the OP is looking for. Difficult to say without precise title, language etc.

 

[jedishrfu]

Yikes! Time to get a free openstax courseware book instead.

 

[Const@ntine]

Check amazon, I’ve seen them listed there but their kind of pricey at over $250 per book.

I checked Amazon, but I didn't come across any shipping here. Guess I'll give it another go.

You call that pricey? And yes, comma means decimal point and point means thousand separator.

View attachment 224736

However, there are cheaper ones, depending on what the OP is looking for. Difficult to say without precise title, language etc.

Language, English, I suppose. I doubt there are any translated editions.

Yikes! Time to get a free openstax courseware book instead.

Is that like Chegg but for books instead of solution manuals?
-
I'm asking because for some reason, that's our curriculum for the Physics Labs. I mean, old, 300$ books that you cannot find anywhere, surely make the best source to base your exercises on...

 

[CWatters]

Try Bookfinder.com i just searched on the title.

Note this post has been edited.

 

[jtbell]

I'm asking because for some reason, that's our curriculum for the Physics Labs. I mean, old, 300$ books

That is strange. I can't imagine requiring long out-of-print books like this for a course. Have you asked the professor about this? Even though some people have strong opinions about specific first-year introductory physics textbooks, in the end they're really rather similar to each other. You should be able to substitute something else, unless of course he's actually assigning exercises out of his copy of a 20-year (or however) old book.

 

[Demystifier]

That is strange. I can't imagine requiring long out-of-print books like this for a course. Have you asked the professor about this?

Perhaps the professor (it's the Greece!) thinks that violation of copyright laws is OK?

 

[Const@ntine]

That is strange. I can't imagine requiring long out-of-print books like this for a course. Have you asked the professor about this? Even though some people have strong opinions about specific first-year introductory physics textbooks, in the end they're really rather similar to each other. You should be able to substitute something else, unless of course he's actually assigning exercises out of his copy of a 20-year (or however) old book.

Every Semester we get some free books; one for each subject/class. Thing is, they're hardly enough to struggle through the class, so you need more. The bibliography has a list, and we're encouraged to buy everything, and cross reference. It's full of older books, sometimes certain Greek books from the 80s. And those Lab Exercises are straight from there. But anyway, we're encouraged to buy more than one book, which is good in theory, but hard in practise, considering "the List", and the amount. Especially since Semesters are like 2.5 months here, and nobody does their job, really (the stories I know of A = BJ...). To give you an example, that Professor's (and everyone else's, really) philosophy, is that we shouldn't be taught how to do the Lab Exercises; rather, we should already know how to them and, I quote, "he [and the rest of the teaching stuff] should be in the next room drinking". How I'm supposed to know to operate all the 1950s machinery without seeing it somewhere, beats me, but...

Anyway, he told us that we need to hunt them down to go forward. He mentioned Feynman, but he said that he doesn't put much stock in him. I don't have a problem hunting down books; I actually enjoy the whole "collection" aspect of it (it kinda makes me feel like a real scientist, despite being awful at it), but I can't find these anywhere. His suggestion was to "look around in antique bookstores", which I did for the one I know, but I'm kind of backed into a corner here.

Perhaps the professor (it's the Greece!) thinks that violation of copyright laws is OK?

Well, considering the only way to progress through the Labs is to pirate Origin and Spice (programs for Graphs and whatnot; they can be bought, but only for institutions and not in all countries), you're not too far off the mark here...

 

[CWatters]

As I mentioned above, bookfinder.com can find new and second hand copies for $30-70 per volume. There are other book search engines but I think bookfinder searches some of these as well. I've used them to find old aeroplane books. Have several that the Wright Brothers used (not their copies!).

 

[Const@ntine]

As I mentioned above, bookfinder.com can find new and second hand copies for $30-70 per volume. There are other book search engines but I think bookfinder searches some of these as well. I've used them to find old aeroplane books. Have several that the Wright Brothers used (not their copies!).

I just checked that site and yup, it does have lots of options. I reckon it'll prove extremely useful in the days to come!

 

[discoversci]

I've got all three copies But it was hellish to get them bookfinder has been known to me for quite some time, but I did not find it so useful.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

That is strange. I can't imagine requiring long out-of-print books like this for a course. Have you asked the professor about this? Even though some people have strong opinions about specific first-year introductory physics textbooks, in the end they're really rather similar to each other. You should be able to substitute something else, unless of course he's actually assigning exercises out of his copy of a 20-year (or however) old book.

I think this is true, but Alonso is a bit more mathematical, and is more concise while being clear, then the standard US based books.

Ie., it has a nice geometrical derivation involving a bit of calculus of the components of acceleration for the kinematic equations. Something you would see in a vector analysis book, but it is shown very clearly to first year physics students. It does the same for general curvilinear motion. Something that most books just tack onto a starred section with minimal explanation. Oh, and the Lorentz Transformation , is discussed proper, and given a derivation that is easy to follow. Moreover, it starts with explaining momentum first, which leads to the concept of force. These are just a few goodies which separates it from the common intro books.
It is also fun to read, and not cluttered by seizure inducing diagrams on every page. I can go on and on, but I think you get where I am going.

The true gems of this title, comes in the second and third volume. It is a book between general intro physics books and KK, while being readable for the layman.

Sad that the book is out of print, and the single volume version of this book, is really a shell, removing a lot of the things that made the 3 volume set special,and trimming down the contents of the 3rd volume.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

The only issue I see with using these books, is if the student does not have a conceptual understanding of calculus, and their idea of knowing calculus is to just remember algorithms.

 

[discoversci]

The only issue I see with using these books, is if the student does not have a conceptual understanding of calculus, and their idea of knowing calculus is to just remember algorithms.

I couldn't agree with you more !

 

[Cyneron]

Agreed that being vigilant for used copies works. Over the course of 2021 I was able to get a copy of all three volumes in great condition for 30-40 dollars each on eBay and Abebooks.

These books deserve a reprint. As far as I know there were never even revisions of the first printing in the U.S., but I've heard rumors that it received updates in some European countries.

 

[vanhees71]

I think this is true, but Alonso is a bit more mathematical, and is more concise while being clear, then the standard US based books.

Ie., it has a nice geometrical derivation involving a bit of calculus of the components of acceleration for the kinematic equations. Something you would see in a vector analysis book, but it is shown very clearly to first year physics students. It does the same for general curvilinear motion. Something that most books just tack onto a starred section with minimal explanation. Oh, and the Lorentz Transformation , is discussed proper, and given a derivation that is easy to follow. Moreover, it starts with explaining momentum first, which leads to the concept of force. These are just a few goodies which separates it from the common intro books.
It is also fun to read, and not cluttered by seizure inducing diagrams on every page. I can go on and on, but I think you get where I am going.

The true gems of this title, comes in the second and third volume. It is a book between general intro physics books and KK, while being readable for the layman.

Sad that the book is out of print, and the single volume version of this book, is really a shell, removing a lot of the things that made the 3 volume set special,and trimming down the contents of the 3rd volume.

Yes, I remember, I've used Alonso and Finn a lot in the library when learning for the introductory experimental physics course. Maybe I liked them, because they were a bit more inclined to the theoretical side though ;-). It's really a shame that they are out of print :-(.