Choosing the Right Textbooks for Physics Students

[decerto]

Hi,

I recently got some money and I wanted to pick up some textbooks that are worth the ridiculous prices that they go for.
So I was thinking of getting;

Mechanics - Landau (Debated Goldstein but the reviews for Landau won me over and I find that even though Goldstein is more dense, it isn't any more illuminating)

E&M - Griffiths (Honestly have no experience with the author but he gets praise all the time on various physics forums etc.)

QM - Griffiths ( Same Reason)

Optics - Hecht (This one I'm least sure of, it was personally recommended to me, but I saw that the author has a 'schaums outline' book on the same subject that some people were recommending over the textbook?)

Thermal Physics - Schroeder (There was a few I was looking at, Finn was another, not sure about this one that much either).

With regards the courses themselves I have done/am/will be doing courses this year that cover a large part of these books. Also I'm not sure about the Optics/E&M overlap so advice on that as well as the books themselves would be great.

 

[jedishrfu]

Landau is noted for his brevity so perhaps CM by Taylor would be good too:

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

 

[WannabeNewton]

Griffiths' electrodynamics text is seriously one of the best physics textbooks ever. You won't regret buying it.

 

[jasonRF]

I agree that Griffith's EM book is great and it is worth owning an edition of it. I have the 1st edition and it is really really good. I have worn it out - the binding is now broken. I may break down and pick up a used 2nd edition at some point (that was the "new" edition when I was in college).

Schroeder is really good at explaining thermal physics - I recommend even if it isn't your textbook. Plus it is reasonably priced.

If these are not books that are required for your classes, I recommend used copies of old editions (for those that have old editions) as they can be much less expensive and usually mostly the same as the new version.jason