Book Recommendations for Physics Classes

[neosoul]

PF Family, I'll be starting my junior year this fall. I'm so excited, but I know I have a lot of work ahead of me. I want to get started this summer by teaching myself some things before the Fall semester begins. In the fall, I will use the books that I will have used for self-study in the summer.

If anyone has any book recommendations for the following courses, I'd really appreciate it :)

1. Thermal Physics
2. Theoretical Mechanics
3. Modern Physics
4. Math Methods of Physics

By the way, I already have the Schaum's series for the Theoretical Mechanics and Modern Physics courses
(they have great examples), but I would like find "favorable" books with more errrr... substance. :)

Thanks

 

[jtbell]

Can you find out which textbooks are actually going to be used in your fall classes, at least?

While you're waiting for responses, you might try searching through our Science & Math Textbooks forum (where I've moved this thread) for previous threads about similar courses.

 

[neosoul]

Can you find out which textbooks are actually going to be used in your fall classes, at least?

While you're waiting for responses, you might try searching through our Science & Math Textbooks forum (where I've moved this thread) for previous threads about similar courses.

Thanks. The teachers have not yet posted the books that will be used next semester, although they are usually posted by now. Maybe, they were not posted because they are not the introductory courses. I have no clue.

I like to keep more than one book for my math and science courses because the textbooks assigned by the teachers usually don't help me that much.

I'll definitely take a look at that forum. I'm eager to learn about other people's views on some textbooks.

 

[clope023]

I like Blundell and Blundell's Thermal Physics:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199562105/?tag=pfamazon01-20

I've heard Taylor's Classical Mechanics described as the Griffith's of Mechanics (relating to his E&M book, his quantum book is only so so), I tend to agree:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/189138922X/?tag=pfamazon01-20

I used Marion and Thorton though in my own Mechanics class though, either book tend to be standard issue:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0534408966/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Mary Boas Math Methods is a classic often recommended by ZapperZ:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471198269/?tag=pfamazon01-20

I like Spiegel's Schaum's of Math Methods myself (same guy who wrote the Schaum's of Theoretical Mechanics):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071635408/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Principles of Modern physics by AP French is much better than standard Modern books like Serway and Moses IMO:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0471279005/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Good luck!