5 comments about Quantum Mechanics Demystified.

1. This would have been a good QM book if it weren't for all the typos. Quite honestly, I have never ever seen a legitimately published book with this many typos. The General Relativity book is much better in this regard, but it feels as if *this* book is being sold as an author's first draft, with no editing or reviewing having occurred. For this reason, I will proabably not buy the 2nd QM volume if there is one. While the presence of so many typos does test your understanding, it is very annoying, and getting more annoying with every passing page. And it seems to be impossible to find the promised errata for all the typos. And now that the quantity of typos seems to be increasing, it strikes me that it would take too long and be too much trouble to annotate them all, assuming that I could find the errata in the first place. The idea behind this book is a good one, and I would give it more stars if I didn't feel as if the author had rushed this book into publication before its time. Extremely annoying!



2. Alright...first of all. NO there is not too much math in this book. Quantum Mechanics is basically all math. Books that don't use math are usually worthless if you want to learn QM.
   
   BUTTTTT....i reccomend everyoen go buy this book to have as a ref. It has quite a few typos..Dont worry, you'll catch them (they're retarded)..But more importantly, the author explains things much better than alot of Quantum books do...
   
   Get it but be weary of the math. You'll see the errors when you start working the problems.
   
   -Brit



3. This is a good book for anyone trying to teach yourself quantum mechanics, and it is a good supplement to any quantum mechanics class. The author talked about hopefully making a 2nd book on this topic to add to this book (not a 2nd edition, but another book) because this one does lack some of the more complicated topics in quantum mechanics.



4. This book might be a decent supplement for more rigorous introductory texts such as Griffiths if it wasn't for the unbelievable number of careless errors and typos. Almost every page (no exaggeration) has at least one error. While most of the errors are self-evident and easily corrected, some do lead to confusion and frustration and all produce in the reader a general mistrust of the text. It is amazing that a reputable publisher like McGraw-Hill could have let a book this mistake-ridden go to print. Errors aside, the content is not self-contained and is not suitable for self-learning, as there is little explanation of the physical meaning of the math and almost no rigorous development of the theories. There are plenty of instances where concepts are used that have not yet been explained, such as the definition of the square of the absolute value of the wave function and the Hamiltonian operator. It
   might, however, serve as a supplement for other introductory texts, since it offers simple problems that help reinforce calculation techniques, which tend to be lacking in texts such as Griffiths which contain more meaningful but more difficult problems. Regardless of its merits, a revised, corrected edition is needed.



5. I went through this book twice and found it very helpful in getting a basic familiarity with elementary quantum mechanics. Its strong point is the detailed exposition of the calculations which enables even people without a lot of math background to master and understand the material. The main problem is innumerable typos, which paradoxically are a kind of learning experience because they force you to go through each calculation in detail to correct the mistakes. But really, it's a shame that so little effort was made at proofreading before the book was published. The reader deserves better.

5 comments about Principles of Quantum Mechanics.

1. Great quantum book, covers material fully and in a logical order. Much better than Gasiorowicz, which skips around a bit too much.



2. I discovered Principles of Quantum Mechanics (2nd ed.) recently and I am writing to praise it! This is a QM text you can study on your own. It introduces Dirac notation and the mathematical underpinnings of QM before getting into the theory and applications.
   
   The mathematical approach makes the material both more enjoyable and more easily approachable. I am in media res studying the book, but I have a suggestion. It would be valuable to have a companion workbook running parallel to the text replete with worked problems. I like to instantly find our whether I am correct when I work problems (which allows me to move forward at a more rapid rate) and such a workbook would fill that need.
   
   Only one other physics text (Classical Mechanics by Taylor) that I have encountered recently has the flow of writing and can hold one's interest like a novel. Well done, Professor Shankar!



3. Having been scouring my old college text and many other books on Quantum Mechanics I found them lacking in their ability to explain the mathematics behind the theory. This text approaches the subject by way of Linear Algebra and Vector Spaces.
   Shankar's Text lays everything out brilliantly buy hitting the mathmatics FIRST then going into the theory. I am working my way through the first chapter on the mathematics which is very clear so I have no doubts that the text on the theory will be just as lucid.
   Once you can turn the crank of the mathematics then the theory will be open to study for you. That's the trick.
   Excellent text for someone who has had either a good grounding in linear algebra or undergraduate QM.



4. 
   I bought this book when I tried to learn QM by myself. I am not stupid
   and I know how to differentiate and to integrate but boy is this book
   hard to understand. This is a book for people who already understand
   the subject not for those who have major problems understanding it.
   
   If you have an IQ of 170 then this book is for you. If you are around
   the 120-130 mark and have trouble with advanced math I recommend starting
   with Linus Paulings - Introduction To Quantum Mechanics.
   
   You have been warned :)
   
   John



5. I am a lecturer who teach QM mostly. I've read various QM books so far. Apart from being reader-friendly, Shankar's book touches my mind in several points. Dirac equation (chapter20) is superbly written. The book explains very well how the matrices Alpha's and Beta are chosen to form the Dirac Hamiltonian. The fact that they are traceless and they have eigenvalues +1 or -1 is awesome. Furthermore, it gives a clear and beautiful picture that Dirac equation can reduce to Schroedinger one with E&M interaction plus H-fine structure whereas most other QM books treat this in more-unfriendly ways. The first 7 chapters may be read by advanced undergrad students. Stern-Gerlach experiment is well explained compared with averaged QM book. Another touching point is the Chapter of spin. Most QM books seem not to mention the linear independence of 4 Pauli matrices clearly whereas it is nicely proved in Shankar's book. The seeming drawback in my viewpoint is that path integrals should not be treated too much in a QM book(2 Chapters). It should be contained in the books of special fields. Something like 2nd quantization or field operator should be instead. However, in overall, this QM book is quite valuable to our academic world, and deserves 5 stars.

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Engineering Mechanics.

1. I have had Statics and will be taking Dynamic's next semester. I bought this book so I could get a head start on next semester as I heard the professor is tough and the material is difficult.

   The parts that cover Statics were a very good supliment to what I had learned last semester. Kind of like the Reader's Digest version, I couldn't figure out what parts they had left out. It seemed pretty complete to me. They even covered stuff we didn't. We didn't have anything in our class wrt differential equations, but this book did. Since I have had diff eq, it was nice to see it being put to use and I learned something.

   On the Dynamic's side, it is a bit of a tough go. I am using this as a primary/only text and do not have the benifit of an instructor. I am wading through slowly. I wish there was a bit more explination before the examples. This is where an in class text book would be helpful. I believe that this book will be a valuable resource when I actually start the class.




2. I have always liked the Schaum's series of books. They are straightforward and to the point. This text was no exception.

   The most important aspect of this book is that it can be used as a supplement to most of the popular texts. I used it along with Beer & Johnston and Shames.

   Quite a useful book on a difficult, hands-on subject.




3. I have always liked the Schaum's series of books. They are straightforward and to the point. This text was no exception.

   The most important aspect of this book is that it can be used as a supplement to most of the popular texts. I used it along with Beer & Johnston and Shames.

   Quite a useful book on a difficult, hands-on subject.




4. This book was helpful in putting together arguments for problems I was working on.



5. I used this outline for review and with some problems I was having in a course on computational robotics I was taking a couple of years ago and I found this book to be an excellent review that answered all of my questions. However, my stepson used it in his statics and dynamics classes to help with the material when it was being presented to him for the first time, and he said he felt it brushed over some of the material in both classes. Even though this is a hefty outline, perhaps it would be better if they dedicated separate Schaum's outlines to each subject - statics and dynamics - and covered more ground in each subject rather than putting both subjects in the same book. This outline even has one chapter on mechanical vibrations, but it is just barely an overview and hardly gets into the subject at all. It might be best if that chapter were deleted entirely and more space spent on the subjects at hand.

1 comments about Engineering Mechanics, Statics.

1. The greatest feature of this book is the generous use of examples throughout. For every type of problem, there is some close example that you can refer to.

   Even though I didn't particularly enjoy the class for which this text was assigned, I think that the book itself is a great resource, and should be recognized as so.

5 comments about The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.

1. What I have to say is Newton.... What else are you lookin for in a Physics book. Ohh yeah the only problem it has that its size is such a college book(huge), and it is not hard cover.



2. I am writing my dissertation on Newton and have found this translation incredibly helpful and surprisingly readable.
   
   The Principia is one of the most difficult and inaccessible books ever written -- so much so, in fact that even John Locke (himself a pretty smart guy) had to ask Christian Huygens to explain much of it to him. This difficulty was intentional, because Newton did not want people who only understood math a little to try and undermine his arguments. For this reason, he rewrote book three so that only those who had read and understood book 1 could understand its concepts.
   
   People laugh when I tell then that I own a book with a three hundred page introduction, but it's a book that needs a three hundred page intro. In their intro, Cohen and whitman describe the history of the principia, its structure, an explanation of where prior translations have fallen short, and -- most importantly -- note which of the Principia's sections have been most significant during and after Newton's time. This is helpful so that when you get to each section, you are more likely to notice which elements may have seemed most controversial, where he is taking down Descartes' vortices, etc. I'm not saying I agree 100% with cohen and whitman on all of their points, but they have produced a work that does not simply translate the book; it also shares the writers' substantial knowledge about the principia.
   
   This is an essential and monumental translation. If you are at all interested in early modern science, you must own it.



3. At least if you read this book, you will know where it all started. Nothing more than basic calculus and mechanics is required, but the book is still tough going for those of us who aren't physics studs. The style is archaic, and Newton even includes the occasional theological comment (for example, in one of the Lemma's he refers to God as "an infinite and elastic spirit)." But for those with the patience, determination, and discipline to make it to the end, you can pride yourself on having read one of the most important founding works of modern science, and perhaps the most important and revolutionary single science book ever written.
   
   My edition of this book was part of the famous Great Books of the Western World set, and it was one of my favorites. The only work in the set to require any higher math, there is no doubt it had to be included in the set because of it's importance. But unfortunately I suspect it's the most neglected work in the entire set of 54 volumes and over 300 works because of the level of technical difficulty.



4. "I hope that, decades from now, when I and my other books have been forgotten, this will still be useful to scholars and students". So spoke Harvard University Professor I. Bernard Cohen some years before his death in 2003. His co-translator Anne Whitman had died in 1984. The translation and the extraordinary commentary is 974 pages long and took 15 years to complete. I have had this edition for many years and in reading it again I decided to write this review. I feel grateful to Cohen and Whitman for what they accomplished.
   
   This particular edition by Cohen and Whitman of The Principia stands alone (as far as I know) in making one feel that a teacher, guide, and historian are holding your hand while exploring and understanding one of the most dramatic and powerful scientific and mathematical treatise ever written. I am surprised at some of the reviews here in that they seem to discuss the applicability or utilization of The Principia as a Physics or Math textbook. This is certainly not a textbook in the modern sense in any respect. This is not a book you would use to prepare for any normal Physics or Math examination. It must be kept in mind that this book by Newton was a human accomplishment and this particular edition with its extensive commentary by Cohen lets one be exposed to both the scientific rigor and social aspects of the world of Isaac Newton. And due to the fact of Newton's extraordinary scientific and mathematical accomplishment it caused historical alteration in the course of human events as does each great expansion of human knowledge. Sometimes when mathematical expressions and concepts of Physics are portrayed we forget that the ideas are first and foremost a human experience, it is not some distant and inscrutable theory but part of our most intimate life. We try to understand what we are and where we are. In the days of Isaac Newton Natural Philosophy was thought of as an expression and search for the truth and mathematics was sometimes able to be the handmaiden of this exploration. Unfortunately, from my point of view, philosophy has become detached from much of mathematics and this has done a disservice to both Physics, Math and what is currently thought of as Philosophy. I see no advantage in this current day separation and when immersing yourself in this edition of The Principia, there is a longing for those days now past when there was a unification of science and philosophy.
   There is little reason in this review to explain the significance both mathematically and historically of the writing of Isaac Newton. Whether a student is using a conventional Physics textbook to master the understanding, laws and calculations described in The Principia or is exercising physics problems to show facility and prepare for an examination, each and every aspiring learner is obligated to master the ideas and knowledge as expressed in The Principia one way or another. Certainly our current day Physics textbooks do not teach as Isaac Newton taught and wrote. The Principia is not a book normally used to prepare for any Physics examination whether in High School or University. But the law of science and math as expressed in The Principia is as valid in general application today as it was in 1729. Our understanding of the laws of Newton as they relate to later discovered equations and expressions, including Relativity, does alters our knowledge of applicability of Newtonian physics. It does show the limitations of our belief in the immutable Laws of Nature, including those mathematical laws. In some respects radically so. So, it really depends upon the demands you put upon the math and knowledge as expressed in The Principia. Do not read Isaac Newton in the light of Albert Einstein and others. First read Newton in the light of his age, then step back and remember how we have continued along this amazing path to knowledge. So The Principia is another place in our human endeavor. This is not just a book for mathematicians. As related on pages 297 and 298 that wonderful contemporary of Newton, John Locke, without benefit of full mathematical understanding was still able to comprehend the ideas within. So will you. This is by far the best edition of The Principia I have ever read. Kenneth Ellman. ke@kennethellman.com



5. I FINALLY UNDERSTAND CALCULUS.I RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO TAKE THEIR TIME READING AND UNDERSTANDING THE PHILOSPHY OF ISAAC NEWTON.

No comments about Mechanics of Materials (7th Edition).

4 comments about How to Build a Robot Army: Tips on Defending Planet Earth Against Alien Invaders, Ninjas, and Zombies.

1. heard this guy, Dr. Daniel Wilson on AfterDark. I had to listen to the full program. his tech knowledge is unbelievable and his mind is like an encyclopedia of cyber-geek-robot info. Can't wait to get the book....ordering another for my techno-son. can't believe I've never heard of him!



2. Wilson reviews the latest robotics technology and creatively tackles how we might best use it to conquer some of our most-feared enemies: Zombies, aliens, etc. While the read is light and hilarious, the advice is good and the science is sound. A someone who doesn't read anything like Popular Mechanics, this was also a neat update on real military robotics progress. I never knew that I might need to trick out my roomba to kill alien home invaders, but now I know how!



3. Daniel Wilson, robotics PhD, presents us with his third book regarding technology. He originally taught us how to survive when the robots eventually rise up against us in How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion. Now that we know how to defeat the robots, we can use them to defend us as we must be aware of other dangers such as zombies, ninjas, aliens, Godzilla, pirates, and great white sharks to name a few. Wilson's ideas are scientifically sound and completely viable as he uses his knowledgeable background in robotics for his writing. He mixes in humorous scenarios based on cliched Hollywood movies to give the reader a light spirited trip through a robotics debriefing lesson and where the world stands in robotic advancements. Not quite as funny as the first book but just as informative. The book itself is made of foil-edged glossy pages and filled with silhouetted artwork that stands out on its own. It's entertaining, educational, and amusing to read. Also check out Where's My Jetpack?: A Guide to the Amazing Science Fiction Future that Never Arrived to round out his writing collection.



4. Daniel H Wilson has a very unique style of writing. His first two books How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion and Where's My Jetpack?: A Guide to the Amazing Science Fiction Future that Never Arrived were absolutely brilliant, masterpieces in fact. How to Build a Robot Army although still good, when compared to those other two books doesn't come anywhere near to jumping over the extremely benchmark. The other books have a lot more humour and spend a little less time on the technical side and explain it in a lot more entertaining way than this. If you haven't read Wilson's previous two books I would suggest reading them first.
   
   Richard Horne (the illustrator) has done another magnificent job with this volume though. I can't fault him at all.
   
   How to Build a Robot Army is basically using your everyday robot companions to combat the Hollywood threat scenarios of aliens, vampires, Jaws and other unwanted visitors.
   
   Although Wilson stumbled to maintain his high benchmark with his third effort, Wilson's fourth book Mad Scientist Hall of Fame: Muwahahahaha! will be worth checking out.

5 comments about Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics.

1. Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics gives an in-depth explanation of each concept covered. The problems following each chapter are congruent with what was taught. The book also comes with an electronic resource which allows the user to view movies and end of chapter exercise answers. All in all, this book and the included materials make learning the subject fun and easy to do.



2. This is how a textbook should be written. All topics are introduced with theory and background information to begin with the presentation of the material. After the theory and equations are run through, there are numerous *solved examples* to back up the theory. Examples of different types and with different approaches are all covered.
   
   The end of chapter problems are well set up to really exercise your thinking ability and they really strengthen your comprehension of the material (since the challenging problems force you to go back into the chapter and expand on what you've already learned).
   
   Interesting examples are all geared toward designing systems and the analysis of the performance of those systems.
   
   In disagreement with one reviewer, the text is not wordy or lofty at all. All explanations are concise and to the point with no extra beating around the bush.
   
   Overall the textbook is one of the best I've come across.



3. The book came in good condition and it was quickly delivered. Impressive. I bought two books from them, and the books come with a CD case but no CD. Not really a problem because I don't use it, but just for reference if you're dying to get your hands on the CD and not just the great material in the books.



4. The book is pretty well written for an engineering book. They keep incorrectly referring to centripetal force as centrifugal force which is the only real fault I have seen, and we have only found one incorrect answer in the back so far. The supplemental materials are very helpful and insightful like the website with the videos and examples. As with most books with a code they put the cd holder in the front with just a code in it which wont come out cleanly so it wont interfere with the way the pages lay which is quite annoying. Overall I think it is very useful for an introductory fluids book.



5. In my search for books on engineering and physics, I must say this book is great for those of us garage-gadgeteers that need a little mathematical direction for design. The book is absolutely loaded with picture illustrations that depict the physics/fluid mechanics formulas in discussion. It's hard for someone to grasp concepts when all you have to look at is a bunch of numbers, graphs or symbols. The authors did a sweet job of making a complicated subject simple enough to get the non-geniuses interested and engaged in learning something very important. Not to say that this book is too basic for college use- quite the contraire, even seasoned engineers will find this book insightful, detailed and well-rounded.

5 comments about Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain.

1. Very helpful book in engineering job, but unfortunately I've found some mistake (the reason for 4 stars).
   
   In general you can find lot of formulas in this book. This book is also very well known and that's the reason for recommending it. You can just refer to Roark's formulas and everybody knows what's that.



2. During my years as Structural Calculyst this book was always on my right side on my desk, and when I needed it, it was ready to help me find my way. One really very good Engineer has never found all formulas in his head, instead he should be able of finding them out on good references and really know how to use
   them all. This is the best reference book you are going to find when formulas is your subject, just buy it!
   The only book I know better than this one is written in German and few people are able to read in German, so!



3. While this volume is about 30% larger than my 5th edition, it has some glaring errors. When you get pointed to a table, you will not find tables with that number. The tables are titled but not numbered according to the referring item. Major PITB trying to figure out if the table that I found was the correct one.



4. I like having a Roark's around. It is handy for stress and strain problems.



5. This is one of the best book "sui generis": it's only (but not only...) a complete review of formulas for stress and strain. You don't need this book if you are looking for a book about stress and strain... you will find here only formulas with some brief explanation but anything more... Someone then may ask: why I should buy this book? It's useful to get an idea of what you are doing when you are using more sophisticate tools. I use this book for the following purposes: (1) to model component behaving in computer aided simulations and (2) to check and review FEM analysis results.
   Very good book, but maybe you don't need it on you desk.

5 comments about 507 Mechanical Movements: Mechanisms and Devices (Dover Science Books).

1. well... it is what it says it is. I was under-whelmed. This is just a reprinting of old old patent drawings with very incomplete descriptions of the mechanisms described. In fact all of this is duplicated in "1800 Mechanical Movements Devices and Appliances" down to the word for word copy of the descriptions.
   Most of the diagrams are self explanatory; of those that aren't, very brief 1902 style descriptions which are probably abridged versions of the original patent application are only a little helpful. The rest (about 15 percent) still don't make sense.
   I was disappointed and I only paid 5 dollars for it.



2. This is a great collection of mechanisms for the curious. There is no kinematic, static or dynamic analysis; nor is it a source book for contemporary mechanism design. Instead there is an inspiring collection of mechanical innovation from the boom era of mechanical design.
   
   I have seen far, far, larger collections (well over 5,000 items) in academic treatises and a modern mechanism sourcebook may be more useful to the busy mechanical inventor - but there is still a lot of value in having this gem to hand.
   
   Dover has again produced a clear (though small) and robust paperback version of an old classic at a very attractive price.



3. What more can be said about this essential book for all gizmologists? This is a great book just to get the brain working.



4. The illustrations are well done, many of the mechanisms are repeated. The descriptions are dated. All in all, I would not buy this book again.



5. Keep in mind that this book 1) is paperback, 2) measures 6 1/4 inches wide by 7 1/8 inches tall, and 3) most every illustration is less than 2" square. All the illustrations are clear - printed in a grid on the left handside with a SHORT explanation of what it does on the right. The movements are described, but a lot of them leave me wondering what the heck you'd use them for in the real world. Certainly not as detailed of a book as I was expecting, but a nice LITTLE reference. On with a search for something more detailed!