Difference between these two Griffiths Quantum Mechanics books

[RJLiberator]

1. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0131118927/?tag=pfamazon01-20
ISBN: 978-0131118928

This is the book that my class syllabus suggests based off ISBN number, however it is $119.00 to buy off Amazon.

2. Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1107179866/?tag=pfamazon01-20
ISBN: 978-1107179868

This book seems to be the same, second edition and all, but has a DIFFERENT ISBN and is only $66.64.

What is the difference, is there any difference, in these two links?Thank you.

 

[blue_leaf77]

Different publisher, different number of pages, and different number of chapters. Seems like the cheaper one got more chapters but with smaller number of pages. Yet it's still difficult to judge the printing quality of the book. May be you just go through the reviews to find out if someone actually compares the two versions.

 

[RJLiberator]

Thank you for your observations.

Any other inputs on this situation? Would you just get the ISBN assigned via the class syllabus?

 

[CrysPhys]

Thank you for your observations.

Any other inputs on this situation? Would you just get the ISBN assigned via the class syllabus?

Well, what happens when the prof says, "Refer to Chapt X or page Y of the textbook?"

 

[smodak]

Here is what I think happened. Griffiths got fed up with missing chapters (and poor printing quality) of the international editions by Pearson and chose Cambridge as the new publisher instead.

From his website

Beware: I am appalled to discover that defective copies of Introduction to Electrodynamics (3rd and 4th editions) and Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (2nd edition), are selling in Europe, under imprints like "Pearson New International Edition." Some covers show a lightning bolt, or a jig-saw puzzle, whole chapters are sometimes missing (or in the wrong order), and the index contains nonsensical entries. There are probably other errors I did not notice. I am pleased that Pearson is putting out lower-priced (paperback) editions for the international market (given that the hardback American editions are so obscenely overpriced), but I cannot understand why they do not simply reprint the correct version verbatim. I suppose the defective copies will be adequate for most users, but I am acutely embarrassed, and I do apologize. If it becomes a problem, I suggest you contact the publisher, and request a clean copy. If that doesn't work, email me and I will send an electronic copy of the missing material.

I think the US versions of both the books will be identical but they may have different page numbers. You should, however, purchase the one your professor recommends for the reasons said in the earlier posts.

 

[RJLiberator]

Thank you guys for your help. I decided to e-mail the professor and he assigned the lower priced version of the book.

 

[smodak]

Thank you guys for your help. I decided to e-mail the professor and he assigned the lower priced version of the book.

Nice work!