What was your first physics book and why did you choose it?

[RaulTheUCSCSlug]

I was just curious on what was everyone's first Physics book, or what was their first encounter with Physics?

My first academic physics book that was not calculus based was my junior year of high school and was Conceptual Physics: The High School Physics Program by Paul G. Hewitt, and then later when I took IB physics used the IB Physics book, but used Giancoli's Physics: Principles with Applications 3rd edition, and now at University of California Santa Cruz I'm using Giancoli's 4th edition book for my first calculus based physics course.

 

[fezster]

They didn't give us a physics textbook in high school, at least not that I remember. The one my university recommends in University Physics, but I'm personally not a fan of that one.

 

[RaulTheUCSCSlug]

They didn't give us a physics textbook in high school, at least not that I remember. The one my university recommends in University Physics, but I'm personally not a fan of that one.

Oh yes, one of my friends used that book (he was an international student from India) in high school, and I think it was pretty in depth with the derivations that it went through. Was there a particular reason why you were not a fan of the book?

 

[fezster]

Oh yes, one of my friends used that book (he was an international student from India) in high school, and I think it was pretty in depth with the derivations that it went through. Was there a particular reason why you were not a fan of the book?

Personally, I found that it went too in-depth with concepts that were easy to understand, and then went over the more difficult concepts pretty quickly.