Great fun working with you, Simon! You are an outstanding ambassador for physics. EVERYONE is going to want to be a physicist now. What are we going to do with all these physicists, is the new question.
Simon Clark I am in class 9th and I have already read a briefer history of time the grand design the theory of everything. And right now I am reading the fabric of the cosmos. Plz name some books which will help me master the mathematical part of physics. Name them bearing in mind that I don't have any extra knowledge in maths. Plz help me out
An Applied Mathematics degree is like a computer science degree with slightly more math. It focuses on numerical methods, linear programing, optimization and operations research. A Physics degree has more in common with the typical pure math degree than an Applied Math degree has in common with pure math.
"I don't know if I have found THE book on quantum mechanics .. I don't think one exists really" that's the thing about a book on quantum mechanics -- you can't KNOW it exists until you see it
my goal is to learn and absorb as much fascinating info in a broad range of science fields - classical physics, quantum, chemistry, biology, biochemistry . all of it just fascinates me so much, and I especially love deriving math equations to find their origination! really gets my brain thinking. Thanks for recommending these books! makes my journey a little less complicated :)
I study Maths at university and am in my final year, I cannot overstate how many of my friends became serious about studying maths at uni after having read Alex Bellos's "adventures in numberland". For soooo many of them that book was one of the biggest reasons! Upon reading it, it actually convinced me not to study physics at uni and to study maths instead. So read with caution! :)
Caelan Barnes hi I recently bought the book. I read the first chapter to be incredibly interesting about man’s intrinsic relation to numbers. However the style of the writing very much did not appeal to me and I stopped reading after a few chapters because I found the book to be really boring. This is coming from someone who really loves Maths in school. Do you have any advise to help me enjoy the book like most other people who read it?
HyperNova I personally found you just had to persevere. With most books, you adjust to the writing style over time - where it really picked up for me personally was the developments of geometry and Euclid's proofs in particular (chapter 2, I think). That said, it isn't a magic switch that will make you like maths; what it really taught me to do was play with maths, to experiment with it - because, ultimately, that's how it was developed! As someone who's had a bit of a rollercoaster relationship with the subject, it really solidified my passion for it, but it may not work for everyone.
It's a good book for sure but you don't have to like it, it's a matter of taste... It was just in my experience a lot of my good friends did really like it. I'd recommend persevering a little further with it though, I remember the later chapters being much more interesting and more "mathematical" than the first one which is essentially just anthropology. If you wanted to really wanted to "force" yourself to enjoy it, you could try getting a pen and paper out and playing around with the concepts introduced in each chapter. Another few books I read as I was discovering maths were: 17 equations that changed the world by Ian Stewart (which on reflection is basically all applied maths which isn't really what I get excited about these days), Perfect Rigour by Masha Gessen (which is basically a biography) and Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh.
With time stamps: #10 00:51 - Richard Feynman - Six Easy Pieces ✅ #9 02:10 - Richard Feynman - Six Not-So-Easy Pieces ✅ #8 - 02:43 - Alex's Adventures In Numberland ✅ #7 - 03:53 - Physics of The Impossible #6 - 05:04 - Quantum ✅ #5 - 07:05 - Mathmetical Methods for Physics and Engineers (THIRD EDITION)✅ #4 - 08:13 - Fundamentals of Physics #3 - 09:25 - div grad curl and all that #2 - 12:13 - The Visual Display of Quantitative Information #1 - 10:30 - Concepts in Thermal Physics
I would love to add "Introduction to electrodynamics" by DJ Griffiths. I foud it very good and it doesnt feel like you are readng a book, instead this book feels like there is a person standing before me and forcing me to think. Definitely a great book
griffiths is phenomenal writer. i recomend his quantum mechanics and Elementary particle physics texts too. i would argue these three texts are compulsary for any physics undergraduate.
1. Feynman Lectures on Physics (3 vol.)>Feynman 2. The Theoretical Minimum>Leonard Susskind 3. Relativity:The Special and General Theory>Albert Einstein 4. Concepts of Modern Physics>Arthur Beiser 5. History of Physics>Albert Einstein 6. The Road to Reality>Roger Penrose 7. A Brief History of Time>Stephen Hawking 8. Black Holes>Jayant Narlikar 9. A Universe From Nothing>Lawrence Krauss 10. The Dreams That Stuff Is Made Of>Stephen Hawking (editor)
That's a far, far better list than the ones put forward in this video. How any list of essential physics books can fail to include the complete Feynman Lectures is beyond me. Six Easy Pieces is great but it's an appetiser not a meal. Why settle for six easy pieces when you can have the whole jigsaw? I suspect you mean 5. The Evolution of Physics by Einstein and Infeld. Susskind's books are fun but Penrose's tome, The Road to Reality, is almost unbelievably good. I don't know the Arthur Baiser book at all. Hawking edited a book of collected physics papers called The Dreams that Stuff Is Made Of which is genuinely excellent too. I personally prefer that to A Brief History of Time.
I am 26 and basically studied politics in my undergrad. To some degree, I do regret not going the stem, particularly physics path. My insecurity with math played a big role, but I've come to terms that we all will die and I'd rather go understanding the world a bit better via math than not at all. Thanks for these recommendations.
I am actually doing a PhD in Sociology. And exposure to other fields of science made me realise that there are far more similarities between scientific fields (STEM or social) than mentioned. Now, I was interested in if it the case with physics as well.
If you want to go back to university and do physics instead it’s not too late. Your still relatively young and I know know people that have started much later in life than you. One of them on the younger side is a 29 year old veteran in Wisconsin who was already successful in another career and has settled down with a family. He’s stuck taking terrible accelerated online courses at my school, while having to work and or be a stay at home dad. So if he can do it almost anybody can.
Thank you for the book suggestions. As an engineer who has always been passionate about math and physics, I was intrigued by modern physics, despite neither relativity nor quantum mechanics were part of any course syllabus at my university. I studied these subjects on the side and found them really inspiring, I would go as far as to say that they gave me a novel perspective on life itself. That prompted me to create some online courses on Udemy on Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Field Theory, special and General Relativity. It’s not my job of course, but I love talking about these topics while using some mathematics for “intuition”.
@@marianofara8373 the short answer is yes, it is possible to learn quantum physics and relativity by yourself (especially nowadays with all the sources available out there). You have to bear in mind that it is like a never-ending process though, as it requires an enormous amount of time and dedication (the more you wish to deepen your understanding, the more the effort and time required, although the more you are passionate about it, the less is the effort "perceived"). It's exactly what I did as an engineer, starting more than 10 years ago.
Here are some lighter reading choices... 1. The Force of Symmetry, Vincent Icke 2. Deep Down Things - The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics, Bruce A. Schumm 3. Spacetime and Electromagnetism, J.R. Lucas & P.E. Hodgson I also enjoy books that give you a historical prospective. 4. The Story of Electrical & Magnetic Measurements, Joseph F. Keithly (Yes, that Keithly) 5. The Science of Measurement A Historical Survey, Herbert Arthur Klein 6. Experiments in Modern Physics, Adrian C. Milissinos, Jim Napolitano And some Textbooks... 7. Laser Physics, Peter W. Milonni, Joseph H. Eberly 8. Solid State Physics, J.S. Blakemore 9. Classical Electrodynamics, John David Jackson (if you're up for a challenge!)
@@probitj.kalita6459 Completely agree. Jackson is boring and intimidating for new-comers. If electrodynamics was all about boundary value problems and special functions, Jackson would have been the book, but it is not. For comparison, Landau & Lifshits 'Classical Theory of Fields' achieves within 100 pages and elegantly, what Jackson struggled over 900 pages !
I'm not a student, but I just like physics. I used to love maths and physics in school but somehow drifted into the social sciences. Now after watching a number of youtube videos I decided to increase my familiarity with the concepts and details of physics because it is so much fun, and which is why I'm looking for a book(s). Hopefully, these will be good enough for a mere enthusiast.
Same here. I used to love maths and physics but somehow ended up being a Doctor. I miss the thrill and the excitement so I am taking it up as a hobby :)
@@_iam1533same here bro just the difference is I'm in high school preparing for med school (I'll give my entrance exam in may 2024) Im in love with physics when I started high school but bcoz of my family conditions I cannot opt for my wishes and go with the medical field (also I dropped maths coz of bio ....I loved all four of them but aspiring for med school left me with PCB only) I hope when my family's financial conditions would improve (by me becoming a doc) I'll pursue a physics degree for just my immense love for the subject I also scored 95 in pcb and 93 in maths in my 10th std so I'm pretty good with all four of them just I have that feeling of not being able to study all four or atleast maths and physics 😢 It's not that I hate bio it's just that I didn't had med in my mind from childhood
@@muttleycrew WHAT? no!!! It's transcendental functions, techniques of integration, first order differential equations, series, sequences and parametric functions. Calc3 and DE has all that stuff
I am also 12 and wildly fascinated by physics, and have tons of books to read everyday. I am sure that Simon can agree that physics is absolutely mind-blowing too!
I am thirteen and I relate. Physics is definitely a interesting subject. It is nice see more people my age interested in it. 🙂 (I rarely ever get to use this emoji.)
@@icannotcomeupwithanything4609 I love how there are other kids who also loves math/physics. Where I live people think that I'm so strange for liking this stuff. It's nice to know how I'm not alone (btw I'ma sub to ur guys channels)
As a physics major in college 40+ years ago, I would say you forgot to recommend The Sleepwalkers (1959 by Arthur Koestler). A must read just out of curiosity about the lives of those great names in math, physics and astronomy.
I'd also like to add, basically everything written by David J. Griffiths (esp. his electrodynamics book, though his quantum mech book is also one of my favorites right up there with Shankar), and also Introduction to Thermal Physics by Daniel V. Schroeder. I don't know why, but these authors just have this almost magical way of making very complex and rigorous physics intuitive in such a deep and profound way that it's almost like learning it for the first time. Griffiths is pretty much known by every single physics student, so I don't think that there's much more to add about that, but I only discovered Schroeder's book after having graduated, and reading the textbook for the first time, he really makes those ideas so intuitive it's as if I never really truly understood it before - I just knew the equation.
Nothing much to do with the actual Physics content, but "Surely you're joking Mr Feynman", a biography about Feynmans life, really inspired me to do a degree in physics. Also, anyone with an interest in particle physics, I would highly recommend "The Cosmic Onion" by Frank Close, it re-enforced greatly my interest in particle physics and it's a great introduction to the topic.
Thank you so much for this video! I read Alex's Adventures in Numberland and I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone! I want to study Physics and with this book I finally understood the beauty of mathematics. I actually am thinking about studying math now lol. This book is the perfect example for showing how math should be teached, students should understand how and why they have to learn mathematics and also know its history!
All Susskind's books are excellent! They're not pedantic in details but show you the genuine physics from a very beginning level, and so do all of A. Zee.
I hated thermodynamics when I was studying physics. But the way you present it,this book sounds fun indeed. We studies physics from Giancoli's books. I liked those a lot. And while I'm working as an engineer and not in physics, I still go back to the book every now and again.
@@tretolien1195 Really???? you think that High School Physics is Very Easy????? Take Physics Olympiad or JEE Advance... (Physics Paper) You will get to know how easy is Physics.😂😂😂😂
@@JokerJoker-xc7xb Ehh no such claim was made. I study physics at graduate level currently, I am not Indian and as so have as such never taken a JEE or JEE advanced exam.
Leonard Susskind's 'The Theoretical Minimum' - I read this in school before doing physics at university and it was the real turning point for me where I became really excited by physics and was sure I wanted to do it for a degree. It's fully mathematical and gets you to some quite advanced places (topics in 2nd year undergrad) but also has an accessible, gentle approach. Recommend for sixth-form/pre-uni students already interested in physics :)
You can find those lectures at theoreticalminimum.com as well. I'd say it's very good. Teaches quickly and you definitely have to do some exercises by yourself, but it does go deep into the topics.
I have this book. And I would recommend it too. Although I still am a highschooler. But I an say that this book is really amazing. It starts from scratch and builds every basic requirement for studying physics and gradually completes many of the concepts, along with some of the maths. It is short for it explains the main concepts of a particular sub field (classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, relativity) to advance to the next level. It exponentially increased my love for physics.
U FOREIGNER RECOMMEND THIS TYPES OF BOOKS I M AN INDIAN BUT I LOVE PHYSICS BOOK BY A RUSSIAN WRITER I E IRODOV GOD PROMISE QUESTION OF IRODOV ARE REALLY VERY TOUGH
There are quite a few UA-cam lectures given by Leonard Susskind. He can make the subjects discussed pretty understandable given the advanced level his audience is at. In fact, I've been looking for Physics books to help understand the math, it's incredible to hear him describe what scientists believe it happening very near and at the boundary of black holes, not to mention the kinds of things they speculate goes on inside them. It's kind of an exciting time in astrophysics because of the detection of gravitational waves. To think that everything else detected has been particles traveling inside the universe. We are at the beginning of measuring what happens to the universe itself when objects like black holes collide. It reminds me of the first time I experienced an earthquake in California. There was a ripple traveling across a field - it was the strangest thing to see the earth itself liquify while a fast traveling wave approached and passed underneath everything. You could also hear the Earth's mantle grind deep down with an eerie metallic sound - it sounded like it came from miles and miles deep where a high pressure rocky material was grinding past another plate of the earth.
I learnt physics in high school reading Higher Secondary Physics by Dutta, Pal, Chaudhuri (DPC). This book has topics with solved examples and also exercises. This is available in two volumes.
(1) Fundamentals of Physics - Shankar (2) Essential Graduate Physics - Likharev (3) Nuclear and Particle Physics - Martin (4) The Oxford Solid State Basics - Simon (5) An Invitation to Astrophysics - Padmanabhan (6) Modern Classical Physics - Thorne (7) Cosmology - Weinberg (8) Lectures on Quantum Mechanics - Weinberg (9) Quantum Field Theory and The Standard Model - Schwartz (10) Mathematical Physics - Hassani Comentary (1) Shankar's books cover introductory calculus-based physics (Newtonian mechanics, special relativity, oscillations and waves, fluids, thermodynamics, electricity & magnetism, optics, introductory quantum mechanics). (2) Likharev's books (also freely available as lecture notes) cover the core of undergraduate theoretical physics: analytical mechanics, two further semesters of electromagnetism, undergraduate quantum mechanics, and statistical physics. (3) Martin's book introduces nuclear and particle physics at undergraduate level. (4) Simon's book introduces solid state physics at undergraduate level. (5) Padmanabhan's book is a mature introduction to astrophysics, and completes your undergraduate physics education. (6) Thorne's book covers classical statistical mechanics, optics, solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, plasmas, special relativity and general relativity, all at graduate level. (7) Weinberg's Cosmology is a thorough textbook in cosmology. (8) Weinberg's Lectures on Quantum Mechanics is a great textbook for graduate level quantum mechanics. (9) Schwartz's book covers quantum field theory and the standard model of particle physics. (10) Hassani's book helps with all the advanced mathematics along the way.
@@deadmeat1471 Looking back at these, I would probably use a different book for cosmology because Weinberg's Cosmology is an advanced book. Perhaps Dodelson's Modern Cosmology.
Simon, I MUST recommend to all viewers starting off their physics degree: How To Ace Calculus, and How To Ace the rest of Calculus Two fantastic texts for the advanced high-school student, or a struggling first-year university student, which explain the fundamentals of calculus and differential equations with crystal clarity.
I read “Alex’s Adventures in Numberland” based on your recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed it. To all those non-math persons out there, I’m a member of that group, and yet had no difficulty with this book and strongly recommend it, not even for maths but just as an interesting and enjoyable book.
I want to be a writer. I am not going to study science. But, I sure as hell am going to be one of the widest readers of my eclectic interests (science is definitely one; I am much like Goethe, minus the intellect). Thank you so much!
Wow! So intensely helpful to have the ability to know what books to read, there are so many to choose. Having a concise list is a great answer for all who are interested. Thank you again!!
Secrets of Mental Math by Arthur Benjamin and Michael Shermer is also really good. If you’re doing labs where you have to apply the same operations to dozens of pieces of data, or doing a test with a time limit where you have to compute answers, being able to do arithmetic in a split second in your head can really save you a lot of valuable time
Concepts of physics by H. C. Verma is an absolute essential for a physics student. Best way to understand the physics from the base to top of the building.
"What is real?" is a very good and new quantum book that also presents the material chronologically as well as the philosophical convictions of the key players
My recommendation of physics textbooks: 1. Classical Mechanics - Marion, Goldstein Marion’s book introduces Lagrangian and Hamiltonian in the proper moment, who are new to these formulations. It also dives deep into oscillation parts, which can be connected to chaos theory. Although some topics such as motion due to central force and scattering is a bit less introduced, these topics can be learnt using Goldstein. Goldstein’s book is probably the most recognized Classical Mechanics book, since it includes concepts related to symmetry that arises from Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. It also introduces classical perturbation, which isn’t introduced in Marion. Other books out there are Kittel, Fowles, Landau, and more. 2. Electrodynamics - Griffiths, Jackson Griffiths’s Electrodynamics is one of the most successful undergrad level textbook, since it introduces all the necessary concepts required in a kind manner. It is probably one of the best books to start with. Then moving on to Jackson’s book, which is focused on problems that are challenging, therefore used normally at grad school level. Since Electrodynamics is a subject also learnt in engineering major, it could be a good idea to look at textbooks that are used in engineering classes. 3. Quantum Mechanics - Shankar, Sakurai, Jackson Griffiths also wrote a Quantum Mechanics textbook, but it only fits when someone doesn’t know anything about quantum mechanics at all. It is good for grasping the basic ideas behind the formalism, and once you did, you should probably move on to Shankar. Shankar’s book gives a good explanation of the mathematical basis of quantum mechanics, and shows diverse theoretical examples. It also contains a lot of subjects, including the path integral formulation. Now, if you want to be a particle physicist (especially theorist), Sakurai is the go to. It introduces basic particle physics theory, and the mathematics behind it, such as Lie algebra. If you want to be in the experiment field, the new book from Jackson would suit you. Personally, I think if you are somewhat familiar with quantum mechanics, studying both Sakurai and Jackson would be great. Other books that are decent would be Ashok Das or Landau. A more historical approach would be Dirac or Schiff. From what I heard, Gasiorowicz or Townsend are quite bad to read. 4. Statistical Mechanics - idk I haven’t read many books, and the books that I read wasn’t very good in my opinion (it’s probably because the subject is hard). My textbook in undergrad was Hardy and Binek, but it was very hard to understand, and the structure of the book was a bit weird to me. Perhaps others could recommend a good Stat mech book down below.
The most important subject, which was never taught, back in the 60's, nor were any books written on the subject, which I never came across or was ever introduced to, is the bonus book, Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Back in the day, I, like others, had to teach themselves how to interpret, develop, and introduce (present) quantitative data. I was fortunate, over most, to figure this out, early in my career. It benefited me and my investigations and programs throughout my career path as a double major prior to military service in Physics and Mathematics, then after military service, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science both undergraduate and graduate studies. Excellent presentation and very informative too, Dr. Simon Clark. Several of your selections roused my interest and curiosity to the point of making several purchases. Thank you.
Physicist here. You had my absolute favourite book in the pile - The Fabric Of The Cosmos, by Brian Greene - and you didn't mention it. I'm a bit sad haha. But great video!!
H M Schey was one of the Math professors at my college. He had a good sense of humor. He always made cookies to bring in on Fridays when the Math Department just chilled out for an hour. May he Rest In Peace.
Thank you so much for this video. I've recently been on the look out for some physics books to read and study and you really nailed it with the recommendations , I cant thank you more. I'm currently studying A-LEVEL physics and I will definitely pick up Six Easy Pieces as my morning read
thank you very much for this video.it felt like a great friend who was sharing his favourite books and it felt very friendly and also very well organized and interesting too
Currently reading the Feynman Lectures on Physics (yeah, the whole thing) as someone who just graduated from high school. Certain parts still seem quite difficult, but surely it is interesting and can be helpful!
I was in your shoes nearly 40 years back ! Just out of high school, and was gifted the three volumes of Feynman lecture. The brilliance of these lectures is that it made sense to me then, as it did on several occasions later (as I continued my studies in physics - undergrad ; grad student ; post PhD and even now as a Professor / teacher). Every visit threw new perspective on the subjects. They are fantastic books - enjoy the journey 1
I saw the movie about Ramanujan and I liked it very much. I didn't like Hawking's books though, too "divulgative" for my taste, I didn't quite understand the concepts without any analytical expression.
I am 14 and i want to start with my goal now because ever since i was a kid i had this natural love for science and curiosity towards how things work and e.t.c and this is perfect for me start since ik pretty much the basics and a bit more abou the complex parts.
"QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter" also by Richard Feynman. It's a great book that covers complicated topics in a condensed and easy to read manner. Anyone interested in science could potentially enjoy it. No advanced degrees or university courses required.
I disagree. The first part is a lukewarm review of the History of Physics, sprinkled with digressions about God; and the second part, a half-cooked melange of Scientific American articles. Hawking capitalized fame and personal impairment, to deliver a true smelly red herring.
@@MiguelGarcia-zx1qj He's an atheist and as for his personal impairment he's not the only one in the world with that impairment. He's very renowned in the world of physics. Some of his notable work includes that on black holes { Ever heard of Hawking Radiation}
@@malkisehgal2481 of course I've heard of Hawking Radiation. But you miss my point (apart from what I opine about Hawking ¿have you heard of Roger Penrose?). My point is that the book was really bad, as I said at the beginning of my comment, and why I think that.
Black Holes & Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy by Kip Thorne How to teach Quantum Physics to your dog by Chad Orzel Does God Play Dice by Ian Stewart What is Mathematics by Herbert Robbins and Richard Courant These are excellent books, recommend to anyone at around Yr11-Alevel and above!
Cosmos by carl sagan Astrophysics for people in a hurry by Neil deGrasse tyson Black holes by Stephen hawking The universe in a nutshell by stephen hawking Short answers for great questions by stephen hawking Black holes and baby universes and other essays by stephen hawking An introduction to moder astrophysics by bradley w caroll Stellar astrophysics by francis LeBlanc Cosmic magnetic fields by phillip p kronberg Gravitational waves by michelle maggiore
@@Mina_TaylorsVersion bro about what is it I mean I know it's on physics but what are the topics and why it's essential to read and it will give me knowledge till which level
You don't need to read 10 books for physics. Just get a simple book that you understand, and read that book 10 times. You will be amazed each and every time.
@@HilbertXVI He's right. Everytime you reread a textbook you discover things you didn't pay as much attention to the first time around and it helps to solidify your conceptual understanding.
For those of you interested in electromagnetics waves I'd strongly recommend electromagnetic waves by Someda, it goes pretty deep into details (I'm using it for 3d year of uni) but still remain understandable and easy to follow
I am in mother's womb and I am very facinated about Physics.. I want to do PhD like yours. Thanks Simon for suggesting these books as it will help me once I get born....
The Feynman Lectures are definively missing. Although I too would find it hart to catergorize them. The maths gets harder every chapter, but the approach Feynman takes is phenomenal. I guess it would be suitable for shortly after High School
The Quantum Universe (textbook) by Tony Hey and Patrick Walters. From quantum tunnelling to Hawking radiation, the book covers all you need when it comes to studying physics. I have a copy, from my dad. It was the textbook he used in university (at Oxford).
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend "Seven Brief Lessons in Physics" by Carlo Rovelli. It really kickstarted my love of physics. Also "Computing with Quantum Cats" by John Gribbin for quantum physics (especially quantum computing). Pretty much anything by John Gribbin and Carlo Rovelli. A. Zee also has some really good books such as "on gravity".
@@mhc6148 1st and 4th the are the best choice for learning physics, I will say choose any one between two and start to read with Feynman technique, I am sure if you will do so,your basic physics will strong ,you can also read the character of physical law by Richard Feynman ,after mastered in all of these your physics will strong
Thanks a lot for this. I'm in high school, and I wasn't able to take the advanced courses in math and physics, so this is extremely helpful to allow me to expand my knowledge on my own.
As a research scholar (junior) in the department of nuclear and atomic physics in TIFR mumbai... I think on my experience (from below undergrad to now) physics should be divided into 5 parts 1. popular physics 2. basic core physics (classical mechanics, Quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, Electrodynamics) 3. advanced theoretical core physics (advanced stat mech, quantum field theory, Gauge theory... etc) 4. applied or special parts (solid state, fluid dynamics, astrophysics, neutrino physics... many example) 5. tools for all (maybe not 1) of them (mathematical methods, computational physics) Now we start to learn (in true sense) "PHYSICS" from our undergraduate level. Before that it's just an overview in high school (maybe everyone will not agree with me). If I exclude popular science (That's also a part of family culture, tradition and environment etc... as I feel now while focus my sight on my own childhood) the proper guidance for other 4 stuffs are really really helpful to be a good physicist. As for example in undergrad level one should not start with Jackson for Electrodynamics or in masters level one should not study Kleppner for classical mechanics. In considering all of those according to me: ############################################################### For undergraduate: 1. BASIC CORE PHYSICS: a. classical mechanics: David Morin (introduction to classical mechanics): Very helpful book. It just seems that the writer is talking to you. there are numerous examples and very good problems. (but not for variational approach. It mainly covers Newtonian mechanics) Kleppner Kolenkow: Good book for beginners. Not as good like Morin John Taylor: similar to klepnner. I have not read it except for one or two examples needed. Rana and Joag: Not internationally recognized. But a very very helpful book (And the priority over Morin is that it has a large coverage on Lagrangian and Hamiltonian approach) b.quantum mechanics: D.J Griffith: The best for introductory quantum mechanics. His writing style is compatible with Morin. Every student should go through this for first course of Q mech Bransden and Joachain: Informative book. Helpful for wavefunction approach Zettili: very much informative and a large number of good problems. I Highly recommend it after griffiths Sakurai: Here comes the Master... the book is father of everyone. but this is mainly based on Heisenberg approach. This is just a heaven for you after studying Griffith's first 4/5 chapters. c. Thermal physics: Reif: very Good book. you will get a proper way from thermodynamics to stat mech with it's approach A.B.Gupta: Over my whole undergrad, i have studied this one. I think you don't need anything if you have this for thermodynamics (not stat mech) part. But the problem is he is an indian writer and hence the book may not be available to everyone. Zemansky: All teachers recommend this one. d. electrodynamics D.J.Griffith: my most loveliest book. the best and... no and nothing to say... cause it's best. must read it purcell and morin: again... Morin is here. very good book. "for undergrad syllabus in most universities, I think Jackson is not needed. It's too mathematically rigorous) 2. There is not much about advanced core physics. those are parts of masters. not undergrad 3. applied physics: a. Astrophysics: Dan Maoz b. Solid state: C.Kittle, Ali omar, David tong lecture notes (not a book though. but very helpful. you will get in online) (I think there is not much special papers in undergrad too) 4. Tool physics: a. math methods: Riley Hobson, H.K.Dass... (There are many examples. And the most important about math is practice) b. Computation: No book can help you unless you sit with your lappi and start programming. It's totally dependent on experience. And the resources also depend on the language you use. better to google search when you have encountered a problem for debugging error message. ###################################################### Masters level: 1. advanced and basic core physics: a. classical physics: Goldstein, rana and joag b. quantum mechanics: Sakurai (basic and advanced both books), Zettili. c. Stat mech: Pathria, Kardar. d. electrodynamics: jackson e. gauge theory: David tong lecture not (I have studied) 2. Mathematical methods: same as undergrad... + Arfken 3. special paper. Now you have to talk with a specialist on your branch. That depends very much on your need and interest. That's a true fact and I have encountered that in every moment. ####################################################### No list is complete... And as a junior research scholar of 21 years age (In my institute the primary research starts with Masters and hence I'm a Masters student too... At a time. They promote us to true research after 4 semesters. and i'm now on 2nd semester), I don't have much idea about higher studies that I've shared. These are all my experience through which I have gone so far. I will be glad to know if these may help you. Thanks... :)
Thank you so much for creating this list of books. I'm starting my physics degree next year but I haven't been in school for 5 years so definitely needed somehwhere to start
what are your plans upon graduation? Industry or academia? Good luck, sophomore year Phys student here, Vector calculus was one hell of a ride back in freshman year.
Thanks a ton simon clark!.. For your valueble recommendations..... Appreciate if you could just give a brief sneeky peek.... Bits and pieces from those books which you really liked.....
@082 Henry Lalnunpuia it’s true and exciting to see. modern math done by mathematicians isn’t what physicists and engineers do today for their fields and it’s not limited to Newton and physicists contributions
5:50 the memories! I read In Search of Schrodingers Cat when I was 12! First book on the quantum and I absolutely loved it, got me into physics, and from on there I read countless other books but none compare to my first
Thanks for your recommendations Simon! I apreciate that! I would recommend two more books: - Men of mathemathics by E. Bell. This book inspired great mathematicians to study mathematics. The theoretical minimum series by Leonard Susskind. This serie of books explain in a simple way the most importan topics in physics.
Men of mathematics a very good read into the lives of many mathematician. It's soo interesting showing that most of them are not born in a test tube at Eton with a place at Oxbridge already registered
Isaac Asimov's UNDERSTANDING PHYSICS (in 3 volumes) is great -- he really knew how to explain things so that an average reader could understand the topic.
Just to annoy people here...I don't address scholars etc as Dr as I'm not an academic, same way I won't call a nun Sister as I'm not religious, or I won't call a soldier by their rank as I'm not military.
Check out Socratica's video here: ua-cam.com/video/tlzIzdJ3Exg/v-deo.html
Great fun working with you, Simon! You are an outstanding ambassador for physics. EVERYONE is going to want to be a physicist now. What are we going to do with all these physicists, is the new question.
Ah there are plenty of topics left for PhD theses I can assure you ;)
this video is how I found out about you.... ua-cam.com/video/tlzIzdJ3Exg/v-deo.html
Simon Clark I am in class 9th and I have already read a briefer history of time the grand design the theory of everything. And right now I am reading the fabric of the cosmos. Plz name some books which will help me master the mathematical part of physics. Name them bearing in mind that I don't have any extra knowledge in maths. Plz help me out
Simon Clark
I never liked Popular Science books. I'm glad you recommended them, but I always enjoyed physics from the textbook perspective.
Simon: A Physics degree is basically a math degree with applications.
Applied Mathematicians: *Bruh.*
Well said 👏👏
It ain't tho advance math move more towards astronomy
An Applied Mathematics degree is like a computer science degree with slightly more math. It focuses on numerical methods, linear programing, optimization and operations research.
A Physics degree has more in common with the typical pure math degree than an Applied Math degree has in common with pure math.
...
Habeshan brother
"I don't know if I have found THE book on quantum mechanics .. I don't think one exists really"
that's the thing about a book on quantum mechanics -- you can't KNOW it exists until you see it
The book is exist and not exist at the same time, until you find it
It's sakurai....
I have the same problem with my cat.
it's the "Schrödinger's" book.
For me it exists independently of whether or not I see it cause someone wrote it and if people cannot see that they are just being dumb.
my goal is to learn and absorb as much fascinating info in a broad range of science fields - classical physics, quantum, chemistry, biology, biochemistry . all of it just fascinates me so much, and I especially love deriving math equations to find their origination! really gets my brain thinking. Thanks for recommending these books! makes my journey a little less complicated :)
You share the same interest of mine buddy
Wow same interest of me bro 😊
@@srinivasasrinivasa3184 ramanujana
Oh me too, I'm only 11 though so it's a bit harder
@@caprisun8425 please start immediately it doesn’t matter a decade from now you will be a master at a young age
I study Maths at university and am in my final year, I cannot overstate how many of my friends became serious about studying maths at uni after having read Alex Bellos's "adventures in numberland". For soooo many of them that book was one of the biggest reasons! Upon reading it, it actually convinced me not to study physics at uni and to study maths instead. So read with caution! :)
Caelan Barnes hi I recently bought the book. I read the first chapter to be incredibly interesting about man’s intrinsic relation to numbers. However the style of the writing very much did not appeal to me and I stopped reading after a few chapters because I found the book to be really boring. This is coming from someone who really loves Maths in school. Do you have any advise to help me enjoy the book like most other people who read it?
HyperNova I personally found you just had to persevere. With most books, you adjust to the writing style over time - where it really picked up for me personally was the developments of geometry and Euclid's proofs in particular (chapter 2, I think).
That said, it isn't a magic switch that will make you like maths; what it really taught me to do was play with maths, to experiment with it - because, ultimately, that's how it was developed!
As someone who's had a bit of a rollercoaster relationship with the subject, it really solidified my passion for it, but it may not work for everyone.
It's a good book for sure but you don't have to like it, it's a matter of taste... It was just in my experience a lot of my good friends did really like it. I'd recommend persevering a little further with it though, I remember the later chapters being much more interesting and more "mathematical" than the first one which is essentially just anthropology. If you wanted to really wanted to "force" yourself to enjoy it, you could try getting a pen and paper out and playing around with the concepts introduced in each chapter.
Another few books I read as I was discovering maths were: 17 equations that changed the world by Ian Stewart (which on reflection is basically all applied maths which isn't really what I get excited about these days), Perfect Rigour by Masha Gessen (which is basically a biography) and Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh.
Caelan Barnes There's nothing in physics comparable to Topology, and Galois theory. Not even comparable to the great Linear Algebra
I felt the same. Try "How Not to Be Wrong" by Jordan Ellenberg.
With time stamps:
#10 00:51 - Richard Feynman - Six Easy Pieces ✅
#9 02:10 - Richard Feynman - Six Not-So-Easy Pieces ✅
#8 - 02:43 - Alex's Adventures In Numberland ✅
#7 - 03:53 - Physics of The Impossible
#6 - 05:04 - Quantum ✅
#5 - 07:05 - Mathmetical Methods for Physics and Engineers (THIRD EDITION)✅
#4 - 08:13 - Fundamentals of Physics
#3 - 09:25 - div grad curl and all that
#2 - 12:13 - The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
#1 - 10:30 - Concepts in Thermal Physics
Hey I am gonna take screensort of this, do u mind it? 😁😂😂
@@intzarmalik4590 Of course not, go ahead! 😊
What’s the tick for?
Thanks man 😀
Thank you
I would love to add
"Introduction to electrodynamics" by DJ Griffiths. I foud it very good and it doesnt feel like you are readng a book, instead this book feels like there is a person standing before me and forcing me to think. Definitely a great book
The Bible of electrodynamics
you are completely correct
I was surprised not to see a Griffiths text mentioned.
It's kinda funny how "standardized" physics education has become.
Thanks
griffiths is phenomenal writer. i recomend his quantum mechanics and Elementary particle physics texts too. i would argue these three texts are compulsary for any physics undergraduate.
I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THIS.
Really ,.......true
I also thankful :)
Same💜
i love this man
No
1. Feynman Lectures on Physics (3 vol.)>Feynman
2. The Theoretical Minimum>Leonard Susskind
3. Relativity:The Special and General Theory>Albert Einstein
4. Concepts of Modern Physics>Arthur Beiser
5. History of Physics>Albert Einstein
6. The Road to Reality>Roger Penrose
7. A Brief History of Time>Stephen Hawking
8. Black Holes>Jayant Narlikar
9. A Universe From Nothing>Lawrence Krauss
10. The Dreams That Stuff Is Made Of>Stephen Hawking (editor)
#1 you listed is the text I had for 1st semester physics. A monster physics book.
Thank you
Yes, absolutely. I have studied 1, 2, 7 and they all are really nice.
Road to reality is one beast of a book
That's a far, far better list than the ones put forward in this video. How any list of essential physics books can fail to include the complete Feynman Lectures is beyond me. Six Easy Pieces is great but it's an appetiser not a meal. Why settle for six easy pieces when you can have the whole jigsaw?
I suspect you mean 5. The Evolution of Physics by Einstein and Infeld.
Susskind's books are fun but Penrose's tome, The Road to Reality, is almost unbelievably good.
I don't know the Arthur Baiser book at all.
Hawking edited a book of collected physics papers called The Dreams that Stuff Is Made Of which is genuinely excellent too. I personally prefer that to A Brief History of Time.
Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens. Its good to see someone so passionate about learning. Thanks man.
Me: "shamelessly downloading these books through pdf formats from random websites that says "FREE!!"....''
I would say you are smart. You would be shameless if you never read them even after getting them for free.
Where did you get them free
@@error_-qh7dd Where have you been in my life before thank you soo damn much
which website?
got all of them
I am 26 and basically studied politics in my undergrad. To some degree, I do regret not going the stem, particularly physics path. My insecurity with math played a big role, but I've come to terms that we all will die and I'd rather go understanding the world a bit better via math than not at all. Thanks for these recommendations.
Same here. Have you started your physics study?
Im the same, are you guys going to study independantly or are u actually aplying to a uni and getting a degree?@@newnami7620
I am actually doing a PhD in Sociology. And exposure to other fields of science made me realise that there are far more similarities between scientific fields (STEM or social) than mentioned. Now, I was interested in if it the case with physics as well.
If you want to go back to university and do physics instead it’s not too late. Your still relatively young and I know know people that have started much later in life than you. One of them on the younger side is a 29 year old veteran in Wisconsin who was already successful in another career and has settled down with a family. He’s stuck taking terrible accelerated online courses at my school, while having to work and or be a stay at home dad. So if he can do it almost anybody can.
@@jacobharris5894 Do you happen to be in ASU?
Thank you for the book suggestions. As an engineer who has always been passionate about math and physics, I was intrigued by modern physics, despite neither relativity nor quantum mechanics were part of any course syllabus at my university. I studied these subjects on the side and found them really inspiring, I would go as far as to say that they gave me a novel perspective on life itself. That prompted me to create some online courses on Udemy on Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Field Theory, special and General Relativity. It’s not my job of course, but I love talking about these topics while using some mathematics for “intuition”.
i have the fear that because i do engineering i wont be studying relativity and quatum physics, its possible to learn by yourself?
@@marianofara8373 the short answer is yes, it is possible to learn quantum physics and relativity by yourself (especially nowadays with all the sources available out there). You have to bear in mind that it is like a never-ending process though, as it requires an enormous amount of time and dedication (the more you wish to deepen your understanding, the more the effort and time required, although the more you are passionate about it, the less is the effort "perceived").
It's exactly what I did as an engineer, starting more than 10 years ago.
Here are some lighter reading choices...
1. The Force of Symmetry, Vincent Icke
2. Deep Down Things - The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics, Bruce A. Schumm
3. Spacetime and Electromagnetism, J.R. Lucas & P.E. Hodgson
I also enjoy books that give you a historical prospective.
4. The Story of Electrical & Magnetic Measurements, Joseph F. Keithly (Yes, that Keithly)
5. The Science of Measurement A Historical Survey, Herbert Arthur Klein
6. Experiments in Modern Physics, Adrian C. Milissinos, Jim Napolitano
And some Textbooks...
7. Laser Physics, Peter W. Milonni, Joseph H. Eberly
8. Solid State Physics, J.S. Blakemore
9. Classical Electrodynamics, John David Jackson (if you're up for a challenge!)
You monster, how dare you casually recommend Jackson to the wayfarers in UA-cam?
When I was studying physics I thought Jackson was brilliant, like climbing Mt Everest. These days I look at it, and it mocks me.
@@probitj.kalita6459 Completely agree. Jackson is boring and intimidating for new-comers. If electrodynamics was all about boundary value problems and special functions, Jackson would have been the book, but it is not. For comparison, Landau & Lifshits 'Classical Theory of Fields' achieves within 100 pages and elegantly, what Jackson struggled over 900 pages !
Jackson? Light reading...
It sounds good! It take note!
I'm not a student, but I just like physics. I used to love maths and physics in school but somehow drifted into the social sciences. Now after watching a number of youtube videos I decided to increase my familiarity with the concepts and details of physics because it is so much fun, and which is why I'm looking for a book(s). Hopefully, these will be good enough for a mere enthusiast.
Same here. I used to love maths and physics but somehow ended up being a Doctor. I miss the thrill and the excitement so I am taking it up as a hobby :)
@@_iam1533same here bro just the difference is I'm in high school preparing for med school (I'll give my entrance exam in may 2024)
Im in love with physics when I started high school but bcoz of my family conditions I cannot opt for my wishes and go with the medical field (also I dropped maths coz of bio ....I loved all four of them but aspiring for med school left me with PCB only)
I hope when my family's financial conditions would improve (by me becoming a doc) I'll pursue a physics degree for just my immense love for the subject
I also scored 95 in pcb and 93 in maths in my 10th std so I'm pretty good with all four of them just I have that feeling of not being able to study all four or atleast maths and physics 😢
It's not that I hate bio it's just that I didn't had med in my mind from childhood
I'm hoping my textbook "On the Temperatures of Terrestrial Planets" will be helpful to people. Now if I can only get it published!
Sounds very interesting. I look forward to its release
I'll be waiting for it.
any updates?
@PhantomStranger Yes! Here's a link:
www.amazon.com/Theory-Habitable-Planets-Barton-Levenson/dp/1522046615/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=%22theory+of+habitable+planets%22&qid=1626909405&sr=8-1
@@bartonpaullevenson3427 Congrats buddy
The Feynman lectures on physics is my introductory book as a high school student who is too excited to do a physics research lol
You covered integral vector calculus in high school?
@@muttleycrew idk he might have, I am doing calc2 in 9th grade right now
@@soaringhigh-v7m What is in calc 2? Do you cover multivariate integral calculus? Partial differential equations?
@@muttleycrew WHAT? no!!! It's transcendental functions, techniques of integration, first order differential equations, series, sequences and parametric functions.
Calc3 and DE has all that stuff
I am also 12 and wildly fascinated by physics, and have tons of books to read everyday. I am sure that Simon can agree that physics is absolutely mind-blowing too!
Ayyy 12 year old gang
I am thirteen and I relate. Physics is definitely a interesting subject. It is nice see more people my age interested in it. 🙂 (I rarely ever get to use this emoji.)
@@icannotcomeupwithanything4609 I love how there are other kids who also loves math/physics. Where I live people think that I'm so strange for liking this stuff. It's nice to know how I'm not alone (btw I'ma sub to ur guys channels)
@@logi-operations where ya from
@@abuddyofmine2524 ... why do you need to know ...
As a physics major in college 40+ years ago, I would say you forgot to recommend The Sleepwalkers (1959 by Arthur Koestler). A must read just out of curiosity about the lives of those great names in math, physics and astronomy.
Well I study Physics from Halliday Resnick.
Feynman is a legend
Tim Hare We know.
I recommend for you,hum,George Lucas ,stars wars,nnnkkkkkkkkm
For the gays I reco.humthe finite rainbow,for Christian's ,humthe little marmeid,for submariners,hum 12 thousand leagues...
Feynman is my role model
He didn't even score high on iq test. That guy proves that you don't need to be super intelligent to be great!
PhD in physics?? Dude, you look 18 😅 nice job! Thank you so much for this!
Solve Everything IQ doesn’t mean anything...
@@satacombre it's a measure of how fast you learn. It doesn't mean you'll be the next Einstein, but it does correlate to advantages in life.
@@themultigamer5682 It's more a measure of how fast you do an IQ test correctly I guess...
Kinda like Denise Richards in that Bond film?
man 18 is even big for him
I'd also like to add, basically everything written by David J. Griffiths (esp. his electrodynamics book, though his quantum mech book is also one of my favorites right up there with Shankar), and also Introduction to Thermal Physics by Daniel V. Schroeder. I don't know why, but these authors just have this almost magical way of making very complex and rigorous physics intuitive in such a deep and profound way that it's almost like learning it for the first time. Griffiths is pretty much known by every single physics student, so I don't think that there's much more to add about that, but I only discovered Schroeder's book after having graduated, and reading the textbook for the first time, he really makes those ideas so intuitive it's as if I never really truly understood it before - I just knew the equation.
Nothing much to do with the actual Physics content, but "Surely you're joking Mr Feynman", a biography about Feynmans life, really inspired me to do a degree in physics. Also, anyone with an interest in particle physics, I would highly recommend "The Cosmic Onion" by Frank Close, it re-enforced greatly my interest in particle physics and it's a great introduction to the topic.
Thank you so much for this video! I read Alex's Adventures in Numberland and I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone! I want to study Physics and with this book I finally understood the beauty of mathematics. I actually am thinking about studying math now lol. This book is the perfect example for showing how math should be teached, students should understand how and why they have to learn mathematics and also know its history!
All Susskind's books are excellent! They're not pedantic in details but show you the genuine physics from a very beginning level, and so do all of A. Zee.
I hated thermodynamics when I was studying physics. But the way you present it,this book sounds fun indeed.
We studies physics from Giancoli's books. I liked those a lot. And while I'm working as an engineer and not in physics, I still go back to the book every now and again.
Well I study Physics from Halliday Resnick.
Giancoli, really? I remember we used those for high school physics, does he make college-level books as well?
@@tretolien1195 Really???? you think that High School Physics is Very Easy?????
Take Physics Olympiad or JEE Advance... (Physics Paper)
You will get to know how easy is Physics.😂😂😂😂
@@JokerJoker-xc7xb Ehh no such claim was made. I study physics at graduate level currently, I am not Indian and as so have as such never taken a JEE or JEE advanced exam.
@@tretolien1195 But Olympiad Exam is in all over the World..
Right.
Leonard Susskind's 'The Theoretical Minimum' - I read this in school before doing physics at university and it was the real turning point for me where I became really excited by physics and was sure I wanted to do it for a degree. It's fully mathematical and gets you to some quite advanced places (topics in 2nd year undergrad) but also has an accessible, gentle approach. Recommend for sixth-form/pre-uni students already interested in physics :)
You can find those lectures at theoreticalminimum.com as well. I'd say it's very good. Teaches quickly and you definitely have to do some exercises by yourself, but it does go deep into the topics.
I have this book. And I would recommend it too. Although I still am a highschooler. But I an say that this book is really amazing. It starts from scratch and builds every basic requirement for studying physics and gradually completes many of the concepts, along with some of the maths. It is short for it explains the main concepts of a particular sub field (classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, relativity) to advance to the next level. It exponentially increased my love for physics.
U FOREIGNER RECOMMEND THIS TYPES OF BOOKS
I M AN INDIAN BUT I LOVE PHYSICS BOOK BY A RUSSIAN WRITER I E IRODOV
GOD PROMISE QUESTION OF IRODOV ARE REALLY VERY TOUGH
There are quite a few UA-cam lectures given by Leonard Susskind. He can make the subjects discussed pretty understandable given the advanced level his audience is at. In fact, I've been looking for Physics books to help understand the math, it's incredible to hear him describe what scientists believe it happening very near and at the boundary of black holes, not to mention the kinds of things they speculate goes on inside them.
It's kind of an exciting time in astrophysics because of the detection of gravitational waves. To think that everything else detected has been particles traveling inside the universe. We are at the beginning of measuring what happens to the universe itself when objects like black holes collide.
It reminds me of the first time I experienced an earthquake in California. There was a ripple traveling across a field - it was the strangest thing to see the earth itself liquify while a fast traveling wave approached and passed underneath everything. You could also hear the Earth's mantle grind deep down with an eerie metallic sound - it sounded like it came from miles and miles deep where a high pressure rocky material was grinding past another plate of the earth.
I learnt physics in high school reading Higher Secondary Physics by Dutta, Pal, Chaudhuri (DPC). This book has topics with solved examples and also exercises. This is available in two volumes.
I don't think you'll ever find that book outside of West Bengal
@@x87-64 🤣😂
(1) Fundamentals of Physics - Shankar
(2) Essential Graduate Physics - Likharev
(3) Nuclear and Particle Physics - Martin
(4) The Oxford Solid State Basics - Simon
(5) An Invitation to Astrophysics - Padmanabhan
(6) Modern Classical Physics - Thorne
(7) Cosmology - Weinberg
(8) Lectures on Quantum Mechanics - Weinberg
(9) Quantum Field Theory and The Standard Model - Schwartz
(10) Mathematical Physics - Hassani
Comentary
(1) Shankar's books cover introductory calculus-based physics (Newtonian mechanics, special relativity, oscillations and waves, fluids, thermodynamics, electricity & magnetism, optics, introductory quantum mechanics).
(2) Likharev's books (also freely available as lecture notes) cover the core of undergraduate theoretical physics: analytical mechanics, two further semesters of electromagnetism, undergraduate quantum mechanics, and statistical physics.
(3) Martin's book introduces nuclear and particle physics at undergraduate level.
(4) Simon's book introduces solid state physics at undergraduate level.
(5) Padmanabhan's book is a mature introduction to astrophysics, and completes your undergraduate physics education.
(6) Thorne's book covers classical statistical mechanics, optics, solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, plasmas, special relativity and general relativity, all at graduate level.
(7) Weinberg's Cosmology is a thorough textbook in cosmology.
(8) Weinberg's Lectures on Quantum Mechanics is a great textbook for graduate level quantum mechanics.
(9) Schwartz's book covers quantum field theory and the standard model of particle physics.
(10) Hassani's book helps with all the advanced mathematics along the way.
I love Shankars books and youtube lectures, hes great
Im a third year physics student and I have quite a few here that I will look into
@@deadmeat1471 Looking back at these, I would probably use a different book for cosmology because Weinberg's Cosmology is an advanced book. Perhaps Dodelson's Modern Cosmology.
@@deadmeat1471tell me nsme sankar's youtube channel.
Simon, I MUST recommend to all viewers starting off their physics degree: How To Ace Calculus, and How To Ace the rest of Calculus
Two fantastic texts for the advanced high-school student, or a struggling first-year university student, which explain the fundamentals of calculus and differential equations with crystal clarity.
I read “Alex’s Adventures in Numberland” based on your recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed it. To all those non-math persons out there, I’m a member of that group, and yet had no difficulty with this book and strongly recommend it, not even for maths but just as an interesting and enjoyable book.
I want to be a writer. I am not going to study science. But, I sure as hell am going to be one of the widest readers of my eclectic interests (science is definitely one; I am much like Goethe, minus the intellect). Thank you so much!
Greetings from Serbia.
J am poet.
Ok, you can be Goethe, but J'll be Schiller.
We are poet brothers.
Wow! So intensely helpful to have the ability to know what books to read, there are so many to choose. Having a concise list is a great answer for all who are interested. Thank you again!!
Secrets of Mental Math by Arthur Benjamin and Michael Shermer is also really good. If you’re doing labs where you have to apply the same operations to dozens of pieces of data, or doing a test with a time limit where you have to compute answers, being able to do arithmetic in a split second in your head can really save you a lot of valuable time
Is it the same as how to think like a math genius or is it a different book?
The most useful 15 mins of my life ;-) Thanks for the video, my friend!
Some of my recommendations: Griffiths - Electrodynamics, Griffiths - Quantum Mechanics, Goldstein - Classical Mechanics, Hartle - Gravity, Resnick, Halliday, Walker, the Landau Lifshitz series, Thompson - statistical mechanics.
Concepts of physics by H. C. Verma is an absolute essential for a physics student. Best way to understand the physics from the base to top of the building.
Hc Verma bad on theory ........good on numerical problems
@@ervishal21 May be some people like theory to be direct and concise. So, just don't say its bad it is just something that does not shoots you.
Feynman’s lectures on physics
THE BIBLE
@@yassinet.benchekroun5087 The Quran
@@ahmedeliwa6885 The Bhagavad Gita
“...a helluva long way from the pituitary, man!”
I have the feynman lectures paperback. And trust me, no doubt they are good, but lack the mathematical rigour.
I'm getting butterflies in my stomach just from hearing the titles of those books
I was lectured by Blundell (guy) in the European School on Magnetism in summer 2022. By far the best lecturer of the school that year!
He was my favourite lecturer during my undergraduate, still never seen anyone better than him!
"What is real?" is a very good and new quantum book that also presents the material chronologically as well as the philosophical convictions of the key players
Only if there was a mathematical version as well it would be more awesome
My recommendation of physics textbooks:
1. Classical Mechanics - Marion, Goldstein
Marion’s book introduces Lagrangian and Hamiltonian in the proper moment, who are new to these formulations. It also dives deep into oscillation parts, which can be connected to chaos theory. Although some topics such as motion due to central force and scattering is a bit less introduced, these topics can be learnt using Goldstein. Goldstein’s book is probably the most recognized Classical Mechanics book, since it includes concepts related to symmetry that arises from Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. It also introduces classical perturbation, which isn’t introduced in Marion. Other books out there are Kittel, Fowles, Landau, and more.
2. Electrodynamics - Griffiths, Jackson
Griffiths’s Electrodynamics is one of the most successful undergrad level textbook, since it introduces all the necessary concepts required in a kind manner. It is probably one of the best books to start with. Then moving on to Jackson’s book, which is focused on problems that are challenging, therefore used normally at grad school level. Since Electrodynamics is a subject also learnt in engineering major, it could be a good idea to look at textbooks that are used in engineering classes.
3. Quantum Mechanics - Shankar, Sakurai, Jackson
Griffiths also wrote a Quantum Mechanics textbook, but it only fits when someone doesn’t know anything about quantum mechanics at all. It is good for grasping the basic ideas behind the formalism, and once you did, you should probably move on to Shankar. Shankar’s book gives a good explanation of the mathematical basis of quantum mechanics, and shows diverse theoretical examples. It also contains a lot of subjects, including the path integral formulation. Now, if you want to be a particle physicist (especially theorist), Sakurai is the go to. It introduces basic particle physics theory, and the mathematics behind it, such as Lie algebra. If you want to be in the experiment field, the new book from Jackson would suit you. Personally, I think if you are somewhat familiar with quantum mechanics, studying both Sakurai and Jackson would be great. Other books that are decent would be Ashok Das or Landau. A more historical approach would be Dirac or Schiff. From what I heard, Gasiorowicz or Townsend are quite bad to read.
4. Statistical Mechanics - idk
I haven’t read many books, and the books that I read wasn’t very good in my opinion (it’s probably because the subject is hard). My textbook in undergrad was Hardy and Binek, but it was very hard to understand, and the structure of the book was a bit weird to me. Perhaps others could recommend a good Stat mech book down below.
The most important subject, which was never taught, back in the 60's, nor were any books written on the subject, which I never came across or was ever introduced to, is the bonus book, Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Back in the day, I, like others, had to teach themselves how to interpret, develop, and introduce (present) quantitative data. I was fortunate, over most, to figure this out, early in my career. It benefited me and my investigations and programs throughout my career path as a double major prior to military service in Physics and Mathematics, then after military service, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science both undergraduate and graduate studies. Excellent presentation and very informative too, Dr. Simon Clark. Several of your selections roused my interest and curiosity to the point of making several purchases. Thank you.
Physicist here. You had my absolute favourite book in the pile - The Fabric Of The Cosmos, by Brian Greene - and you didn't mention it. I'm a bit sad haha. But great video!!
At 5:54 he does mention some book by Brian Greene
And now Greene has a newer book from 2020 called "Until the End of Time."
H M Schey was one of the Math professors at my college. He had a good sense of humor. He always made cookies to bring in on Fridays when the Math Department just chilled out for an hour. May he Rest In Peace.
Thank you so much for this video. I've recently been on the look out for some physics books to read and study and you really nailed it with the recommendations , I cant thank you more. I'm currently studying A-LEVEL physics and I will definitely pick up Six Easy Pieces as my morning read
thank you very much for this video.it felt like a great friend who was sharing his favourite books and it felt very friendly and also very well organized and interesting too
Currently reading the Feynman Lectures on Physics (yeah, the whole thing) as someone who just graduated from high school. Certain parts still seem quite difficult, but surely it is interesting and can be helpful!
I was in your shoes nearly 40 years back ! Just out of high school, and was gifted the three volumes of Feynman lecture. The brilliance of these lectures is that it made sense to me then, as it did on several occasions later (as I continued my studies in physics - undergrad ; grad student ; post PhD and even now as a Professor / teacher). Every visit threw new perspective on the subjects. They are fantastic books - enjoy the journey 1
"Theory of Everything" by Hawking & also "Brief History Of Time" by Hawking. Then "The Man Who Knew Infinity"(Ramanujan's biography) by Robert Kanigel
Somnath Dash love theory of Relativity
Road to Reality by Rodger Penrose!
I saw the movie about Ramanujan and I liked it very much. I didn't like Hawking's books though, too "divulgative" for my taste, I didn't quite understand the concepts without any analytical expression.
I am 14 and i want to start with my goal now because ever since i was a kid i had this natural love for science and curiosity towards how things work and e.t.c and this is perfect for me start since ik pretty much the basics and a bit more abou the complex parts.
"QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter" also by Richard Feynman. It's a great book that covers complicated topics in a condensed and easy to read manner. Anyone interested in science could potentially enjoy it. No advanced degrees or university courses required.
'A brief history of time' by Stephen Hawking is also great.
Yeah
Love that book
I disagree. The first part is a lukewarm review of the History of Physics, sprinkled with digressions about God; and the second part, a half-cooked melange of Scientific American articles. Hawking capitalized fame and personal impairment, to deliver a true smelly red herring.
@@MiguelGarcia-zx1qj He's an atheist and as for his personal impairment he's not the only one in the world with that impairment. He's very renowned in the world of physics. Some of his notable work includes that on black holes { Ever heard of Hawking Radiation}
@@malkisehgal2481 of course I've heard of Hawking Radiation. But you miss my point (apart from what I opine about Hawking ¿have you heard of Roger Penrose?). My point is that the book was really bad, as I said at the beginning of my comment, and why I think that.
This video is great and the comments are equally as helpful, everyone is so friendly and great here!
Black Holes & Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy by Kip Thorne
How to teach Quantum Physics to your dog by Chad Orzel
Does God Play Dice by Ian Stewart
What is Mathematics by Herbert Robbins and Richard Courant
These are excellent books, recommend to anyone at around Yr11-Alevel and above!
I brought that Kip Thorne one around Australia with me for a year! I'd recommend "God's Equation" by Amir D Aczel if you're into General Relativity
I've just started my university . And David J Griffith's " Introduction to Electrodynamics" is my favourite one !!!
same here man
Completed in my high school 😊 it’s a really good one.
@@tanayjoshi7269 so you have mastered vector calculus and other maths in highschool?
Simon you have the ideal personality to attract people to pursue serious study work in physics, the most beautiful subject by far.
Do 10 books for Astrophysics.
Abhimaneu KJ 💯 likes bro
Read all these books get a strong understanding of physics then do the same with astronomy and planetary science so yeah
Cosmos by carl sagan
Astrophysics for people in a hurry by Neil deGrasse tyson
Black holes by Stephen hawking
The universe in a nutshell by stephen hawking
Short answers for great questions by stephen hawking
Black holes and baby universes and other essays by stephen hawking
An introduction to moder astrophysics by bradley w caroll
Stellar astrophysics by francis LeBlanc
Cosmic magnetic fields by phillip p kronberg
Gravitational waves by michelle maggiore
@NapoleonBonaparte AlbertaSkyrimFranceWitcher NAUTTP Introduction to modern astrophysics from Carroll & Ostlie is also really good.
Articles in science journal (like The Astrophysical Journal, Nature Astronomy and etc). If you're know Russian u should find Успехи Физических Наук.
Universe in a nutshell,hyperspace,brief history of time are my favourites.
Amazing, thanks Simon!
I strongly recomend "For the love of physics" by Walter Lewin, especially for younger audiences
Love that one
What is that book about can you please say coz I don't know
@@achanger1104 it's a college level introductory physics book. But it's not dry like usual textbooks
@@Mina_TaylorsVersion bro about what is it I mean I know it's on physics but what are the topics and why it's essential to read and it will give me knowledge till which level
@@achanger1104 Think of it as a Physics 101 course. This will give you a better idea:
ua-cam.com/video/sJG-rXBbmCc/v-deo.html
Thanks for making the video.😊
Thank you for posting this! You have no idea the extent to which this helps me.
You don't need to read 10 books for physics. Just get a simple book that you understand, and read that book 10 times. You will be amazed each and every time.
This should be higher up
Haha that's not how it works buddy 😂
@@HilbertXVI He's right. Everytime you reread a textbook you discover things you didn't pay as much attention to the first time around and it helps to solidify your conceptual understanding.
R u studying in an Indian coaching institute
Because what u say applies to those entrance exam and not science in general
Physics isn't that small, and these are just the tip of an iceberg.
For those of you interested in electromagnetics waves I'd strongly recommend electromagnetic waves by Someda, it goes pretty deep into details (I'm using it for 3d year of uni) but still remain understandable and easy to follow
I'm a feynman lectures supporter 🔥🔥, helped me so much during physics c E&M in high school
"Quantum: a guide for the perplexed."
I got halfway through that and then got distracted - I shall have to return to it!
Can i read these books as a super hobby???
Of course you can!
Simon Clark thanks for replying bud (:
If you let me, I'll join too :D
Me too.😆
Me too! Let me if you've started. Let's meet somewhere virtual :)
He’s so right about Alex’s Adventures in Numberland, completely changed how I see mathematics, amazing book and recommendation!
I am in mother's womb and I am very facinated about Physics.. I want to do PhD like yours. Thanks Simon for suggesting these books as it will help me once I get born....
I am an HS student from India and here, whether one is aspiring to be an engineer or a physicist, "Concepts of Physics" by Dr. HC Verma is our Bible.
Bible? Ramayan bro
@@aasiqkumar732 whAts wrong 😂😂
@@prranetharaveti9717 Christian hai kya hamlov jo Bible Bible.
Bhagwad gita bolo
@@aasiqkumar732 he had right to speak u seems to be a weirdo
@@aasiqkumar732 dude , its a proverb
Thank you so much Simon. I have my hands on all of these recommended books, you're 💯 percent right.
The Feynman Lectures are definively missing. Although I too would find it hart to catergorize them. The maths gets harder every chapter, but the approach Feynman takes is phenomenal. I guess it would be suitable for shortly after High School
The Quantum Universe (textbook) by Tony Hey and Patrick Walters. From quantum tunnelling to Hawking radiation, the book covers all you need when it comes to studying physics. I have a copy, from my dad. It was the textbook he used in university (at Oxford).
Love the theory of everything and Alex's adventure in number land made me interested in math
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend "Seven Brief Lessons in Physics" by Carlo Rovelli. It really kickstarted my love of physics. Also "Computing with Quantum Cats" by John Gribbin for quantum physics (especially quantum computing). Pretty much anything by John Gribbin and Carlo Rovelli. A. Zee also has some really good books such as "on gravity".
Same it is what made me interested in quantum physics
Highly⁴ recommended for high school student
Concepts of physics-H C Verma
For the love of physics-walter
lewin
@@mhc6148 1st and 4th the are the best choice for learning physics, I will say choose any one between two and start to read with Feynman technique, I am sure if you will do so,your basic physics will strong ,you can also read the character of physical law by Richard Feynman ,after mastered in all of these your physics will strong
@@mhc6148 4 is best
Hc verma - most iit aspirants
Thanks a lot for this. I'm in high school, and I wasn't able to take the advanced courses in math and physics, so this is extremely helpful to allow me to expand my knowledge on my own.
@@geek2145 yeah, but given that I'm still at the level I'm at, I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.
As a research scholar (junior) in the department of nuclear and atomic physics in TIFR mumbai... I think on my experience (from below undergrad to now) physics should be divided into 5 parts
1. popular physics
2. basic core physics (classical mechanics, Quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, Electrodynamics)
3. advanced theoretical core physics (advanced stat mech, quantum field theory, Gauge theory... etc)
4. applied or special parts (solid state, fluid dynamics, astrophysics, neutrino physics... many example)
5. tools for all (maybe not 1) of them (mathematical methods, computational physics)
Now we start to learn (in true sense) "PHYSICS" from our undergraduate level. Before that it's just an overview in high school (maybe everyone will not agree with me). If I exclude popular science (That's also a part of family culture, tradition and environment etc... as I feel now while focus my sight on my own childhood) the proper guidance for other 4 stuffs are really really helpful to be a good physicist. As for example in undergrad level one should not start with Jackson for Electrodynamics or in masters level one should not study Kleppner for classical mechanics. In considering all of those according to me:
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For undergraduate:
1. BASIC CORE PHYSICS:
a. classical mechanics:
David Morin (introduction to classical mechanics): Very helpful book. It just seems that the writer is talking to you. there are numerous examples and very good problems. (but not for variational approach. It mainly covers Newtonian mechanics)
Kleppner Kolenkow: Good book for beginners. Not as good like Morin
John Taylor: similar to klepnner. I have not read it except for one or two examples needed.
Rana and Joag: Not internationally recognized. But a very very helpful book (And the priority over Morin is that it has a large coverage on Lagrangian and Hamiltonian approach)
b.quantum mechanics:
D.J Griffith: The best for introductory quantum mechanics. His writing style is compatible with Morin. Every student should go through this for first course of Q mech
Bransden and Joachain: Informative book. Helpful for wavefunction approach
Zettili: very much informative and a large number of good problems. I Highly recommend it after griffiths
Sakurai: Here comes the Master... the book is father of everyone. but this is mainly based on Heisenberg approach. This is just a heaven for you after studying Griffith's first 4/5 chapters.
c. Thermal physics:
Reif: very Good book. you will get a proper way from thermodynamics to stat mech with it's approach
A.B.Gupta: Over my whole undergrad, i have studied this one. I think you don't need anything if you have this for thermodynamics (not stat mech) part. But the problem is he is an indian writer and hence the book may not be available to everyone.
Zemansky: All teachers recommend this one.
d. electrodynamics
D.J.Griffith: my most loveliest book. the best and... no and nothing to say... cause it's best. must read it
purcell and morin: again... Morin is here. very good book.
"for undergrad syllabus in most universities, I think Jackson is not needed. It's too mathematically rigorous)
2. There is not much about advanced core physics. those are parts of masters. not undergrad
3. applied physics:
a. Astrophysics: Dan Maoz
b. Solid state: C.Kittle, Ali omar, David tong lecture notes (not a book though. but very helpful. you will get in online)
(I think there is not much special papers in undergrad too)
4. Tool physics:
a. math methods: Riley Hobson, H.K.Dass... (There are many examples. And the most important about math is practice)
b. Computation: No book can help you unless you sit with your lappi and start programming. It's totally dependent on experience. And the resources also depend on the language you use. better to google search when you have encountered a problem for debugging error message.
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Masters level:
1. advanced and basic core physics:
a. classical physics: Goldstein, rana and joag
b. quantum mechanics: Sakurai (basic and advanced both books), Zettili.
c. Stat mech: Pathria, Kardar.
d. electrodynamics: jackson
e. gauge theory: David tong lecture not (I have studied)
2. Mathematical methods: same as undergrad... + Arfken
3. special paper.
Now you have to talk with a specialist on your branch. That depends very much on your need and interest. That's a true fact and I have encountered that in every moment.
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No list is complete... And as a junior research scholar of 21 years age (In my institute the primary research starts with Masters and hence I'm a Masters student too... At a time. They promote us to true research after 4 semesters. and i'm now on 2nd semester), I don't have much idea about higher studies that I've shared. These are all my experience through which I have gone so far. I will be glad to know if these may help you.
Thanks... :)
Thank you so much for creating this list of books. I'm starting my physics degree next year but I haven't been in school for 5 years so definitely needed somehwhere to start
what are your plans upon graduation? Industry or academia? Good luck, sophomore year Phys student here, Vector calculus was one hell of a ride back in freshman year.
Thanks a ton simon clark!..
For your valueble recommendations.....
Appreciate if you could just give a brief sneeky peek.... Bits and pieces from those books which you really liked.....
8:16....
I'm in class 12th now, and that is one of my two favourite books in physics yet....
what was the other?
As a math major/masters, a piece of me died when you said physics is just a maths degree with application
@082 Henry Lalnunpuia it’s true and exciting to see. modern math done by mathematicians isn’t what physicists and engineers do today for their fields and it’s not limited to Newton and physicists contributions
5:50 the memories! I read In Search of Schrodingers Cat when I was 12! First book on the quantum and I absolutely loved it, got me into physics, and from on there I read countless other books but none compare to my first
my favourite physics book : "the universe in your hand"
Thanks for your recommendations Simon! I apreciate that!
I would recommend two more books:
- Men of mathemathics by E. Bell. This book inspired great mathematicians to study mathematics.
The theoretical minimum series by Leonard Susskind. This serie of books explain in a simple way the most importan topics in physics.
Men of mathematics a very good read into the lives of many mathematician. It's soo interesting showing that most of them are not born in a test tube at Eton with a place at Oxbridge already registered
Ps salty cause I got rejected from Oxford can you believe that Simon me I am amazing
You can find the Theoretical Minimum series on theoreticalminimum.com as well as video lectures.
*This Is the Era of free education*
We need more video like this one about different topics like history , philosophy , Psychology ...
How about " Sears and Zemansky's University Physics with Modern Physics ( Young and Freedman ) " ?
"it struck my resonant frequency of learning"...
this really helped me and inspired me in some way but i’m planning to buy six easy pieces !!
Sir I read irodov's problems in physics and found it challenging and I think it is a good book.
Thanks very much!!!! You have saved me so much time and effort to find good books
Isaac Asimov's UNDERSTANDING PHYSICS (in 3 volumes) is great -- he really knew how to explain things so that an average reader could understand the topic.
Yes! I had forgotten those. Asimov's books are where I first ran into a really good discussion on inertial mass and gravitational mass.
I love these videos!
Great video. Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll definitely be making an Amazon order soon!
It's not Simon Clark for Pete's sake, it's Dr Simon Clark
Double E u got my respect
Double E who is Pete
r/iamverysmart
Just to annoy people here...I don't address scholars etc as Dr as I'm not an academic, same way I won't call a nun Sister as I'm not religious, or I won't call a soldier by their rank as I'm not military.
+proteusx very judgemental considering you have probably never even spoken to him.
PHYSICS is LOVE❤❤
great suggestions man.. I am curious to try them out in the sequence you suggested! thank you
1:36 if that book is battered, I don't know what my books are called.
Personally my favourite is the a level cgp revision guide
My lab partner and I worked through Div, Grad, Curl and All That over the summer before our EM course. Boy, was that a good move.
how much time did it take to complete the book?