- #31
MalleusScientiarum
For undergraduate:
Classical Mechanics: Corben and Stehle Classical Mechanics in Dover edition. It gets overlooked a lot, but it's actually got everything from Newton's laws to Action/Angle Variables to Lagrangians for continuous fields concisely and clearly exposed.
Thermodynamics: Herbert Callen Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics. Also has a good section on nonequilibrium stuff and an solid introduction to Stat. Mech.
Electromagnetism: Griffith Electromagnetism. I don't see a problem with it as much as some people do.
Quantum Mechanics: Shankar Principles of Quantum Mechanics is very good for self-study, but I find it verbose at times.
Statistical Mechanics: Because I think the Reif is a terrible book, I have to go with the Callen again, although the Feynman lectures on stat. mech. aren't bad, they aren't great. There really is no good stat. mech. book.
For graduate:
Classical Mechanics: It's almost a tie between the Goldstein and the Corben & Stehle. The Goldstein has a lot of depth on things like nonlinear dynamics, but the Corben & Stehle is so concise and thorough it's hard to ignore.
Quantum Mechanics: Sakurai is still the classic, although I like the Baym as well.
Statistical Mechanics: Pathria has some good stuff, but like with undergrad. there really is no good stat. mech. book.
Having not taken a graduate E&M course, I can't comment, although I like the Melvin Schwartz in Dover edition, as it uses Special Relativity and Lorentz invariance to introduce magnetism, which is a nice touch.
All of this ignores the Landau series, which can be a difficult read if you don't already know the subject, but is an acknowledged masterpiece of every subject.
Classical Mechanics: Corben and Stehle Classical Mechanics in Dover edition. It gets overlooked a lot, but it's actually got everything from Newton's laws to Action/Angle Variables to Lagrangians for continuous fields concisely and clearly exposed.
Thermodynamics: Herbert Callen Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics. Also has a good section on nonequilibrium stuff and an solid introduction to Stat. Mech.
Electromagnetism: Griffith Electromagnetism. I don't see a problem with it as much as some people do.
Quantum Mechanics: Shankar Principles of Quantum Mechanics is very good for self-study, but I find it verbose at times.
Statistical Mechanics: Because I think the Reif is a terrible book, I have to go with the Callen again, although the Feynman lectures on stat. mech. aren't bad, they aren't great. There really is no good stat. mech. book.
For graduate:
Classical Mechanics: It's almost a tie between the Goldstein and the Corben & Stehle. The Goldstein has a lot of depth on things like nonlinear dynamics, but the Corben & Stehle is so concise and thorough it's hard to ignore.
Quantum Mechanics: Sakurai is still the classic, although I like the Baym as well.
Statistical Mechanics: Pathria has some good stuff, but like with undergrad. there really is no good stat. mech. book.
Having not taken a graduate E&M course, I can't comment, although I like the Melvin Schwartz in Dover edition, as it uses Special Relativity and Lorentz invariance to introduce magnetism, which is a nice touch.
All of this ignores the Landau series, which can be a difficult read if you don't already know the subject, but is an acknowledged masterpiece of every subject.
