2 comments about Exploring Geology.

1. If only we could learn geology though genuine field experiences with a master scientist, geologist and communicator...
   
   This is as close as it gets in a textbook. Based on illustrations of real field locations and enticing geological investigations, this book takes the excitement of field geologists into real-world inquiry of the workings of planet Earth.
   
   Since John S. Shelton's classic, "Geology Illustrated," published just over 40 years ago, no textbook has been centered on engaging illustrations and real locations. But Reynolds et al have presented over 2,700 full color images, diagrams and maps. Like most other textbooks, each chapter centers on a skill set or content area of current interest. But this book and its extensive ancillary materials draws the student into the process of investigation. This approach imparts the basic needs of an introductory college course in geology. By bringing the student into the investigative process, geology becomes a spectator sport and the student an eager participant.
   
   What is lost? Tedium and frustration. The student need not find her way through long passages of text and jargon. In the field, a geologist is hampered by the inconvenience and expenses of long-distance travel, variable weather conditions, a limited view of and from Earth's surface and a random encounter with each process that is revealed. But not here. In other words, not much of educational value is lost.
   
   This is a geology textbook for the 21st century to educate students for a new millenium.
   
   Thomas McGuire, Geology/Earth Science Educator & Author



2. As someone who lectures to adult audiences on Northern Arizona geology using powerpoint slides loaded with photos and drawings, I was very interested in this visual approach to teaching geology. Unfortunately, although the book is billed as suitable for university course, I found it more on the high school or even junior high school level. The photos and diagrams are fine but the accompanying "text", if it could be called that, is inadequate and too dumbed down to qualify for a university level course. "Rocks for Jocks" maybe, but not for serious students of geology. Better to choose a standard text like "Dynamic Earth" by Skinner, Porter and Park, a book that has many excellent and effective visual aids along with a thorough university level text.

5 comments about The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory.

1. Fun stuff and all, especially for the first half when he shows an amazing ability to explain complicated concepts in a way that you can understand. Holy crap, I finally get what Einstein was banging on about with all those Special Theories!
   
   But after a while it gets into the kind of territory where he's gotta say "And then there are ten dimensions and the reason why is a whole bunch of math that you won't understand, so take my word for it." It's not his fault; at a certain point, there's just no way to describe things without insanely complex math. I do take his word for it - that's no problem - but still, that doesn't exactly help me understand it intuitively.
   
   But anyway, I guess there are all these dimensions and stuff. So that's...pretty cool.



2. Brian Greene provides an excellent introduction to the topic of superstring theory, its history and evolution; its current status, achievements and obstacles; and its areas of focus for future study. The book is written for the layman, in a style that is honest, clear and concise, using numerous real-world examples to explain the basic theories, and excludes mathematical explanations as much as is possible. The early chapters on special relativity, general relativity, quantum mechanics, and quantum electrodynamics are brief and superficial and serve more as historical backgound to the main focus of the book which is superstring theory. Consequently, the book is somewhat biased in that it does not look at alternative views of the nature of the universe, on the assumption that superstring theory may eventually prove to be the theory of everything. This is because the primary goal of superstring theory is to combine general relativity (theory of the very large) and quantum mechanics (theory of the very small) and provide a unified theory of the four fundamental forces of nature - the weak, strong, electromagnetic, and gravitational forces.
   
   The main chapters on superstring theory and M-Theory can be difficult to understand, even to accept as valid, for the layman, but keep in mind that string theory is extremely complex, not fully developed, virtually impossible to test, and consequently, not fully understood at present. The core of superstring theory is that all matter in the universe is made up of one(2,3,etc)-dimensional vibrating strings and hidden dimensions which currently cannot be observed or measured, and may never be. Consequently, matter is not infinitely small but has a very small finite size. Nor is matter and energy limited to the 3-dimensional world we live in, but can occupy up to 6 or 7 higher dimensions that are hidden from our everyday experience.
   
   This book is well worth reading, but whether the layman walks away with a better understanding of the universe after this introduction to superstring theory is debatable. What the layman may walk away with after reading this book is a myriad of questions regarding the very assumptions upon which superstring theory is based. That superstring theory is elegant, and its complex mathematics are elegant, there is no doubt, but whether the universe is also elegant will depend on the validity of superstring theory as a true description of our universe.
   
   Here are some questions from a layman reader:
   1. If we know that observing a small particle changes its position and velocity, and we know how it changes, then we should still be able to observe it.
   2. Where do vibrating strings get there energy from?
   3. The hidden curled-up dimensions seem to exist at the micro level. Why do they not exist as extensions of our four spacetime dimensions, in a way that encapsulates them, at a macro level?
   4. The theory is now up to 11 spacetime dimensions. Is it due mathematical convenience or limitation? Does it really matter if there are 11, 11 million, or an infinite number of spacetime dimensions?
   5. Using duality symmetries, why not assume that gravity is simply a phase transition of the other 3 forces (weak, strong, electromagnetic)?
   6. Does a large mass spinning body create friction, and/or a charge, with its surrounding space that would help to explain gravity as more than the mere warping of space?
   7. If there is a large black hole at the center of our galaxy, should not our galaxy be shrinking, and cant this be measured?
   8. We seem to understand how black holes are created, but not how they die. Why not assume that black holes simply reverse themselves after taking in a suffient amount of matter and energy, and releasing it in the form of a mini-big bang?
   9. Why assume that the universe was created in a big bang. Aspects of superstring theory seem to suggest that the universe may be a perpetual, self-sustaining entity. While everything within the universe can change, including the universe expanding and contracting, the universe itself is a constant.
   10. Are particle accelerators dangerous? Clearly in an attempt to experimentally verify superstring theory, physicists are going to smash particles not just to create new particles predicted by theory, but to try and tear the fabric of space, or to open a portal to a higher dimension, or even to try and create a mini black hole. Of course this does not seem to be a problem for superstring theory which suggests that most disturbances in the universe eventually get averaged out, zeroed out, smoothed out, smeared out, annihilated out, or simply self-repair themselves.



3. just read lee smolin's book.
   
   The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next (Paperback)
   
   over 30 years,the gang of stringers have been trying to find any evidence even at atomic level for their theory , but they failed.
   
   better to read science fiction novels..



4. ...but this stuff is good. Greene goes a little overboard with the analogies, but it's almost necessary to do so with such technical material (at least when it's obvious his target reader is someone with little collegiate-level training in physics). I personally love anything that attempts to explain our physical world, and Greene does just that in a very original and sincere way. String theory is a hard concept to grasp -and quantum mechanics is even harder, but after reading this book two times through, the information really begins to sink in. Most people are simply unaware of the possibility of additional dimensions, or at least, are aware of them but believe they only exist in science fiction. I can't wait for technology to catch up to the claims these scientists are making. I advise anyone to read this book. Good intro to the subjects.



5. There were parts of this book that were difficult to grasp, but what I liked about it was it's explanation of quantum foam and hidden dimensions. Quantum foam is a general concept in physicis that I had heard of, but didn't really understand. The author explained the meaning of it in a clear and succinct way, and showed why it is such a stumbling block for a unified theory. Also, his description of hidden dimensions made that concept much clearer for me. A good book if you are interested in physics and cosmology.

5 comments about Physics For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science)).

1. Los textos para "dummies" se traducen en España peyorativamente como "para torpes" y se deberían traducir como textos "facilmente comprensibles", ya que en absoluto son textos para torpes, sino textos muy asequibles.
   Sin más, saludos



2. It's pretty good, although it could be better. It would have helped to be a little more concise, or to have more examples; really just MORE. It does help, though.



3. I have already received a degree in physics, but am always looking at texts for further understanding and alternate perspectives. This book is good for either a beginner or someone looking strengthen their grasp of physics.



4. Well, I'm not a dummy but this book will make you check your past algebra skills.



5. This book isn't really for people who aren't familiar with physics, it's a reference for people who've already learned physics to brush up on thing that might have slipped their minds. It's both comical and insulting in how it asserts that you should now understand some long equation after providing no explanation in English, no breakdown of how it works, no explanation for why some value must be squared or multiplied with another. A book like this should be accessible and explain concepts in terms ordinary curious dummies can understand. Instead it makes you feel uninvited and left out. Concepts of algebra, trigonometry and calculus are referenced numerous times but they have clearly gone out of their way to not offer any help if you're unfamiliar with the mathematical operations presumably to push three more Dummies books. Last I checked your typical dummy wasn't well versed in college level math. There are no secondary examples or practice problems, presumably to push the Physics Workbook for Dummies, and in that respect it doesn't even live up to the standards of a basic text book. I strongly advise against buying this book and urge people to read customer reviews before buying any other Dummies book in the near future.

5 comments about Signals and Systems (2nd Edition) (Prentice-Hall Signal Processing Series).

1. The book has been arrived in good condition and spent a time less than I expect.Thanks for all.



2. Amazon's editorial reviews are correct. Don't be deceived into thinking that this is anything other than an introduction for the complete novice. It's a book with a particular style: long and wordy. It's only for a particular *kind* of novice: one who needs a lot of hand holding and every detail worked out. It's nearly 1000 pages. I learned the subject in 1976 from an earlier edition that was a third the size (I think) but there doesn't seem to be twice again as many new topics covered.
   
   The mathematics is at an undergrad level, with much (but not all) developed as needed in the text. Topics are missing. For example the inverse Laplace transform is mentioned but not developed (perhaps an appropriate choice in a book for the novice), and the Butterworth and elliptic filters are mentioned, even with graphs of their frequency responses, but they are not defined in any way whatsoever.
   
   Some topics are reserved for the exercises. For example, windowing is covered only in one long-ish problem.
   
   The Amazon review says it's a good book for self-study. I'd agree, provided you understand that you are getting only an introduction at the undergraduate level. If you are a grad student or professional, or if you can't tolerate long detailed explanations, this is not the book for you.



3. This book explain very clear what are differences about Fourier and Laplace Transform. Eventhough, those transform appears in the same range of time.
   The writer of these book is well known Professors who is also editor of Prentice hall series in Signal processing.Eventhough, I just past these subject two times in Bachelor and Master coursework. I don't found it is useful for my research until recently. I should do more exercise in this book!.



4. I have struggled through two classes utilizing this book, so I feel I do have a good sense of the material in it. It does say something about a textbook when your professor requires you to purchase a second book to fill in the gaps this book creates (Laplace transform). I feel I still do not have an adequate grasp of Fourier series - and I've read those sections time and time again. I eventually went to another textbook to teach myself the material on my own time.
   The lack of mathematical examples make the processes of understanding the material WAY more difficult than it needs to be. Another sore point: A lot of the understanding comes from the practice problems. Too bad there are so few answers in the back of the book. It leaves you to question what you have learned - if anything from the problem.



5. I am an Aerospace graduate student reading this book on my own time and pace (not taking the undergrad Electrical Engineering class that teaches/uses this book). I found out about this book because my friend (an EE student) was in that class and I asked him if I could look through it. After looking through it I decided to buy it, and I'm glad I did.
   
   This is a VERY GOOD no-nonsense book. A brief personal background, I've read Control Systems Engineering by Norman S. Nise (Very good book!), and am now reading this book. I would say that this book is really not something you want to dive into without any prior background. Start with a good controls book (Nise, Ogata, etc) and learn the basics. THEN read this book to get the finer details.
   
   Also, make sure you have the MATH background for this book. A lot of this book is dedicated to the fourier series, laplace xfrm, and z xfrm. If you have not had a formal class is fourier series, you might find this difficult to grasp. I would STRONGLY recommend you have a background of: SISO controls, ODEs, and PDEs.
   
   If you have already taken these pre-reqs, this book is a great 'aha!' moment that nicely combines the concepts from all these areas and really gives you nice insights into how they are all related.
   
   As for the problems, I'm not doing them. I'm reading this book for the material, not for a grade. I don't doubt the objections made that the problems are SIGNIFICANTLY harder than the examples. BUT, life is tough. I would recommend you look through my PDE book (Partial Differential Equations - Strauss) to see the BIG JUMP in the hw from the VERY skimpy examples. There are lots of books like this. They are made to be hard for a reason, you have to use your brain to think creatively. Dont expect every book to hold your hand through problem solving!
   
   I would ignore the people who rate this book a 1 just because they cant solve the homework problems. The writing is VERY clear and to the point. Please note, this is NOT a book you want to rush through when reading. If you take your time you will find that its actually VERY insightful.
   
   Given the fast pace of a normal semester, you might find this book to be very dense. In other words, you will have to absorb a TON of material in a short amount of time. So I can see this being a tough class to take. Reading it at your own pace, this book is pure bliss!

5 comments about Mechanics of Materials.

1. This book is awful. The writing style is terrible. I think the author needs to learn how to speak english. Here's a quote from the book:
   
   "Having found the principal stresses and their directions for an element in plane stress, we now consider the determination of the maximum shear stresses and the planes on which they act."
   
   Instead he SHOULD have written:
   "We will now find the maximum shear stresses."
   
   The whole book is like this. It is far too wordy. This book could be a lot smaller if the author didn't try to make everything so complicated.



2. The coverage of the material is excellent. The discussions of the various techniques are rational and insightful. The author is a seasoned engineer/academician who really understands mechanics, and knows how to convey its flavor to the reader.
   Timoshenko's classic "Strength of Materials" covers most topics that are relevant to an engineer; however it comes with a "bag of tricks" and is difficult to follow. Gere's book takes a step back by eliminating certain advanced topics, and methodically explains the principles and techniques of mechanics.



3. 
   This is a comprehensive, enlightening and reader-friendly textbook on mechanics of materials. This excellent book is full of worked examples, illustrations and equations to help students relate to the fundamental concepts in mechanics of materials. The book provides a great foundation in this subject for undergraduate engineers. The book is well organized and well written with clear and easy to follow explanations.
   
   The book is especially useful for reference, as it explains the derivations and many forms of complex equations in a step-by-step and simple to understand format.
   Overall, one of the best books on mechanics of materials particularly for those that need a gentle introduction to stress and strain analysis.



4. I am an instructor of an introductory course on mechanics of materials. I used this textbook by Gere and another textbook with the same title by Roy R. Craig, Jr. as my references. I find the textbook by Craig has a much better content structure than this text. For example, this text splits Stress Concentrations, Energy Methods and Indeterminate Problems into subsections of different chapters which is rather annoying. These topics should be a complete chapter of itself for clarity.



5. This textbook made up for my (nice, but) boring professor. He'd rush through several important lessons, so I'd just read them and teach myself from this book. Every chapter had excellent examples that were thoroughly explained, and I didn't find any errors. Answers are in the back, so if you're motivated, you can even learn Mechanics of Materials without any guidance from a professor.

2 comments about Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics (Engineering Mechanics).

1. This book explains the concepts very carefully. However, it jumps topic to topic without a smooth trancision. Examples are very elementary, but the problems at the end of each chapter gets tedious quickly. Prefer if the hard problems are approached with more examples. Biggest down fall I see is that there are no answers at the back for any problems.



2. I have used this book and the accompanying statics book all within the last year. The author is my Dynamics professor. These books are not as thick as other Statics/Dynamics books I have seen, and the reason is that they are more problem-set oriented than lecture. You really need a good teacher to help you understand the problems and material. This is where having the author as the teacher helps. The instructional sections of the book are minimal, and I have found the problem sets better for the learning process.
   
   If I were to change this book I would add numerical solutions to every problem, not just the odd ones. And for whatever reason, the publishing oversight is uber critical of posting solutions anywhere other than the classroom, and this can be a nuisance sometime.
   
   Fun fact...a self-proclaimed car guy, Kraige loves problems with cars in them, so there are quite a few of those in there.

5 comments about Physics (3rd Edition) (MasteringPhysics Series).

1. The better book lets you get ahead of the class by simply devoting your time on it, in some cases, you don't even need to attend lecture. This book, doesn't allow you that--your pace is limited to the pace of the class. (Students in my class don't rely on this book--only on the lecture--our prof doesn't even refer to the book!)
   
   The worked out examples are too simple. I know what you're thinking...you just need to synthesize key concepts from simplier problems to solve the complicated ones...but imagine solving complicated assignments and the book doesn't even explain --at all-- how to approach that kind of problem?
   
   The book should deal more with larger number of exercises with varying difficulty.
   
   The book should extend key examples in like "what if scenarios," (i.e. if this variable is missing this is how to approach it; if that is missing, this is how you aproach that . . .)
   
   The publisher should think about cutting more of the introductory section to each chapter and devote that to added worked out problems.
   
   For $150 each, shouldn't the book at least come with a multimedia cd with more worked out problems? Come on!



2. Of course, that may be because I didn't like the course all that much. I thought that the text was too wordy and did not present concepts well enough. The example problems are good to have and so are the chapter summaries. All in all, I thought the concepts could have been explained much better and with less words.



3. This book gets very wordy on its introductions and then just leaps into problems without explaining or outlining the concepts that need to be learned. I am a chemistry major at Missouri State and I have come across a lot of scientific books that are difficult to understand. This one beats them all. Unless you have an instructor that is an amazing physics teacher, you will not be able to succeed in the class with this book. 'Most worthless book' award definitely goes to Walker.



4. the book was just what i needed, but the shipping took too long, that was the only drawback. I waited too long to get a used one. Good buy.



5. This book is for a non-physics major physics class, which is mostly going to be biology majors and a few others who are required to take a year of physics but don't need the calculus-based physics. The concepts of physics are explained fairly well, nothing spectacular. The problem with this textbook is the inadequate explanations of the many and varied word problems encountered in a physics class. The homework in this book is a lot more complex than the simplistic explanations given in the chapter. The hardest questions, which invariably show up on the exams, rarely have step-by-step explanations on how to solve them. Physics professors like to talk about the concepts and how important they are to learn. I agree they are important, but when was the last time you saw a physics exam that wasn't 90-100% physics PROBLEMS. I may be odd but I find the concepts of physics fairly easy to understand and almost common sense. The math problems of physics, on the other hand, are long, complex and difficult to understand. The solutions manual isn't worth the money either. If this is a required book for your physics class I would definitely supplement it with a physics book with good explanations of the problems and practice practice practice doing the problems from many different approaches.

5 comments about The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality.

1. As an amateur interested in astronomy and astrophysics I enjoyed listening to Brian Green's the Fabric of the Cosmos very much, learned a lot and thought about fundamental questions about the universe in a different way. The questions below and many others are explored in a very interesting way. The explanations flow smoothly in a logical manner. Questions are raised in a way to get the listener thinking. This audio CD is relevant to both amateurs and professionals on the topic. As an amateur I was not able to understand everything on the CD yet. I am sure that as I listen to the CD several more times I will understand a lot more. These topics are sometimes explained in a boring way in high school physics and college astrophysics courses and therefore can kill interest in the topic. By contrast, this CD introduces them in a very curiosity raising manner. It uses a philosophical and yet at the same time a scientifc approach that is upto date. I have also watched DVDs on similar topics before. So before listening to this CD I was skeptical about whether a CD about the universe lacking the visual elements of a DVD could be interesting or not. My answer now is definitely yes ; the auditory explanations create very interesting mental images in the listener's mind.
   
   Examples to some of the questions, among others, explored in the CD are : What is time ? What is space ? How are they related ? What is reality and how do we perceive it ? Does time always have to flow towards the future or can the direction of flow sometimes reverse ? Does time flow at the same rate in different parts of the universe or not ? How was the universe created ? How is it likely to end ? Is the big bang theory of the creation of the universe valid ? What has banged, how and how long ago? Could the universe actually be a giant brain ? How many dimensions are there in the universe ? Can we perceive all the dimensions or not ? What are matter and energy ? How are they related ? What are black holes ? What could be happening inside black holes ? How does Einstein's theory of general relativity explain the universe ? According to that theory, why is the velocity of light always constant ? What is light made of ? What are photons ? How does light travel in space ? What are the limitations in Isaac Newton's explanation of the universe ? Are objects that are billions of light years apart in the universe completely unrelated or can they affect one another despite those awesome distances ? How do we perceive movement ? Movement occurs with respect to what ? What are frames of reference ? Could we perceive movement in space if there were no other objects at all in the universe ? How did atomic theory start ? What are the smallest particles of matter ? What are quarks ? Are electrons matter or energy ? What is quantum theory ? How does it reconcile with the theory of general relativity ? What is the uncertainty principle ? Why can't the velocity and position of an object be simultaneously determined with absolute certainty ? What is gravity ? Are all forces in the universe such as gravity, electromagnetism etc. actually different manifestations of the same force or not ? What is string theory and how does it explain the universe ? Is a unified theory that explains everything possible ? How is the structure of the atom related to the structure of the universe ? What are the historical developments of various theories that attempt to explain the universe ? What are the contributions of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble and many other scientists and philosophers to the development of our understanding of matter, energy, space, time, the universe and the texture of reality ? As of today how much do we understand the universe ? What questions remain unanswered ? What are the likely developments in these theories in the future ? How do the various theories contradict and / or reconcile with one another ?
   
   We may think that the answers to questions such as what is space ? what is gravity ? what is time ? what is reality ? what is movement ? are simple and that we already know the answers from our high school physics courses. So we may reason that there is no need for deep philosophical contemplation about them. However, this CD challenges this type of thinking and makes us aware that what we maybe taking for granted as known facts may not be ultimate answers at all. For example, if you think that space is equivalent to emptiness, to nothingness and if you think that time can flow only in one direction, that is towards what we call the future, think again. This CD challenges these concepts.
   
   Thousands of years ago humankind thought that the Earth was carried on the backs of giant elephants or turtles. A few centuries ago humankind was debating whether the Earth was flat or round, if the Earth orbited the sun or the reverse. Humankind's vision of the universe was limited to the solar system and fixed stars. The only elements were air, soil, fire and water. With the contributions of many scientists including Galileo our understanding of the universe significantly developed to date. However, this CD demonstrates that despite these giant steps, and despite the sophistication of our current theories, we still have a long way to go before we can say that we fully understand the universe. This CD demonstrates that we do not yet have certain and final answers, but we have many questions that are being further explored. Fortunately, we have significant knowledge, that accumulates in the right direction towards the discovery of the " truth ".
   
   So if these matters arouse your curiosity I strongly recommend that you listen to the CD titled " The Fabric of the the Cosmos " by Brian Green.



2. The negative reviews say that there's not much that's new in this book (over and above what was in The Elegant Universe.) As I have not read The Elegant Universe, I find this book most wonderful: in the first 100 pages alone, you learn all you wanted to know about relativity and quantum theories, written lucidly.



3. Not being a mathematical whiz, I found this book fairly easy to understand. Brian Greene did a wonderful job not only explaining modern physics, but also how science got to where it is. I really enjoyed the pop culture examples to explain concepts and he did a great job of not filling the book with technical jargon that can loose people quickly. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of physics and natural science.



4. Though I've yet to read Brian Greene's Elegant Universe, I have to say reading Fabric of The Cosmos was personally more enjoyable and fulfilling than having read Stephen Hawking's The Universe In A Nutshell or even Neil Tyson's Death By Black Hole; and I strongly recommend reading all three books. For me Fabric of The Cosmos was mind-boggling starting out but incredibly inspiring toward its conclusion when discussing the primary goal of String/M-Theory: combining the realm of special relativity that governs gravity and the macroscopic bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies with quantum mechanics, the microscopic realm of atomic and subatomic particles into one great theory that through evidence in the necessary experiments and proof in the mathematical equations will hopefully resolve the problems that remain with understanding how String/M-Theory works so that one day, maybe in the very near future, we will have a theory that undeniably reveals the universe for what it truly is.
   
   Fabric of The Cosmos is a magnificent insight into what cosmology has been able to answer and theorize about the universe and beyond. It's pretty straight forward: If you like science, astronomy in particular, and appreciate honesty about the origins and behaviors of your world, you need this book as well as the others I mentioned.



5. I am not a physicist, though I can honestly say that physics is perhaps one of the most intriguing and exciting aspects of the human quest for knowledge. I have been an ardent amateur student of astrophysics and theoretical physics since high school and there is no better author on the subject than Brian Greene. He is one of those rare brilliant scientists that is also a natural born teacher and gifted writer. I have seen Brian Greene give presentations, lead specials on Nova and other science programs, and have read his spectacular book on string theory, The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory.
   
   I believe that "The Fabric of the Cosmos" is currently the pinnacle of his work in enlightening the general public on the true nature of the universe. In this book, Greene takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of physics from Sir Isaac Newton to the very present. He confidently highlights the major breakthroughs in physics over the past several centuries, which lead up to our current understanding of how the universe works. That being said, Greene also shows that there are many unresolved issues and that while string theory looks extremely promising, it is as of yet an incomplete theory. Greene's explanations on the physics of time are both fascinating and startling and will challenge your conceptions of what the human experience truly is.
   
   Greene does an excellent job of using real world examples and clear metaphors to explain the tough mathematics in more simple terms. For those interested in the actual formulas, Greene provides ample notes and detailed explanations in the back quarter of the book. The pages are also peppered with graphics and diagrams that ease in visualizing the physics at work. Trust me when I say this book is accessible to anyone interested in the topic.
   
   "The Fabric of the Cosmos" has challenged my perceptions of the universe and has inspired me to look at my life and my experiences in a new and unique way. It has also reaffirmed my belief that humanity has the intellectual capabilities to achieve its greatest dreams. I recommend this as a physics book of the highest order.

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of College Physics, 10th edition (Schaum's Outlines).

1. Our school uses "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" by Serway and Jewett. The Schaum book of problems teaches some tougher concepts in a less complicated way. It's a "worth-your-time & effort" supplement to any calc-based physics book.



2. Oh my,I absolutely love this book!! It is by far the most useful supplementary book I've ever used! I had a horrible AP physics teacher and textbook in high school, but this book saved me. The example problems in the book show us almost all the techniques we will ever need to know for introductory physics. It's easy-to-understand, yet sophisticated enough to be useful for college physics. It covers just the right material. I've personally found that in order to do well in physics, one has to be very good at recognizing what strategies are needed for a problem and then knowing how to apply thosee techniques; studying this book helps us with just that.
   
   The way I do it is, for each chapter first I read through the summary (not long; just about a page), then I carefully read through most of the problems, and then put the word "key" next to the few problems that I know I must absolutely internalize because they contain crucial techniques. When tests roll around, I will study those "key" problems and if time allows, the other ones as well. And if you want to do really really well on tests, make sure you take a look at the last few advanced problems as well.
   
   I am in an intro physics course in college right now, and I still find this book useful. This book helped me aced the AP, and is helping me stay in the top portion of my class right now. And, it's helping me appreciate physics more because I have the confidence to tackle problems. It takes some time to get stuff out of it. But if you put the time into it, this book will be soooo helpful to you!! :)



3. This book is meant as an aid for a student taking a College Physics course based on Algebra, and not on Calculus. It covers all of the major topics for General Physics I and II, from Classical Physics, including vectors, kinematics, and dynamics all the way through Modern Physics, including Relativity and Nuclear Physics.
   
   As is the case with all of the books of the Schaum's Outline series, this particular volume is a supplement and is not intended to replace your textbook or your professor. It is really meant for someone who has already grappled with the material from a textbook and has some idea of the concepts already. If you are approaching the material for the first time, I would advise you to steer clear of this book until you have approached it from another source. Also, if you are searching for a book with a really qualitative or intuitive approach to Physics, or one with lengthy explanations, I would recommend looking for another book. If you are looking for a supplement that you can read prior to your textbook, or for a supplement that doesn't read like a condensed textbook (as this one does), I would recommend something like Physics for Dummies.
   
   That said, the book is divided up into various short chapters. I like that the chapters are not especially long and that while most conventional textbooks would group them into one giant chapter, this book breaks them down. For example, Coloumb's Law and Capacitance are divided into two chapters. There is a terse run-through of the material pertaining to the concept (usually they are about 1-2 pages long). If you already have tried to read your textbook, this book will probably help you, as it hits the highlights and gives you a better idea of the broad picture, allowing you to integrate your information. There are some helpful figures as well.
   
   While the summary is useful, it does miss out on some details and does not go into proofs of equations, and it does not offer a deep, intuitive break down of the concepts. For example, it may say something in the vein of "the equations of motion are related graphically," but they will not include or explain the graphs in the text. The authors assume that you have a textbook to explain those details. In short, I can see this being particularly useful right before an exam as a quick review, but not as a primary learning source.
   
   After the summary of the concepts, there is a section of worked problems, and a section of supplementary problems that are not worked, but to which answers are provided. The book has a plethora of problems that will test your understanding of the subject matter. The best way to learn Physics is to do problems constantly, and this book really forces you to figure out how to problem solve. The questions range from easy to difficult, and many problems are likely to challenge you.
   
   While the problems are very helpful in reinforcing what you have learned, I do have a few minor issues. Sometimes the explanations of the worked problems can be a little too brief, and can be a little confusing. I would also have liked to see all of the problems worked through (but I do believe Schaum's has a book of 3000 fully worked problems). My biggest problem is with the formatting of the Supplemental Problems, as the editors have placed the answers right next to the questions! It is impossible not to see them. I think they should have put the answers in the back of the book.
   
   I would say that this is an excellent resource for quick brush-ups and for problem solving help. I wish that some of the explanations of the concepts had been a little more detailed, but this is one of the best General Physics aids that I have found. I must stress once again that this book is NOT a replacement for your textbook, and that it is not some sort of shortcut or miracle book. You will have to put in a lot of work to understand Physics, and studying the summaries and problems in this book will certainly give you more confidence, and will allow you to tackle the problems set by your teacher with greater ease. This book has really helped me out.
   
   Thank you for reading my review! Please rate, so I know whether it was of any help to you.



4. I didn't buy the textbook b/c it sucks and it's too expensive. So, I use this book as a reference to learn how to solve College physics (non-calculus based physics), and it helps a lot, esp. for my Online homework. This book is so clear and step-by-step. I would recommend for anyone who is taking College physics



5. I bought this book along with the "3000 Solved Problems In Physics" and the "3000 Solved Problems In Physics" is a better book, but still each author has a very good manner of explaination. I would certainly recommend it. It is a very good aid to understanding.

5 comments about Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character).

1. Richard Feynman is a theoretical physicist, Nobel prize recipient on Physics, professor of Caltech, a serious academic. However, he is also a curious character and a man of many talent. This book about him is not an autobiography but are little stories on him throughout his life. There is very little about physics. Rather, it demonstrates Feynman's attitude towards everything around him.
   
   When he was in Princeton graduate college, he was invited to a tea party at the Dean's house. The Dean's wife served him tea and asked "Would you like cream or lemon in your tea?" He said "I'll have both, thank you.", quite absent-mindedly. The response was "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman.", the title of this book.
   
   Feynman is curious, and this may well be an important attribute for learning. The book has detailed description of how he learned to crack safes when he was in Los Alamos participating in the Manhattan project. He learned painting for a while and had his own painting exhibition. When he was in Brazil lecturing, he learned to play frigideira in a samba band and joined the Carnival parade. He also played all-drum music for a ballet performance. With all these talent, he admitted that he did not know painting, and did not know how to read music score.
   
   This demonstrates now one should treat work and other activities as one. There is no such thing as work-life balance for him. He did anything that interested him wholeheartedly, leading to wonderful achievement in both study, work, hobbies and entertainment. It really reminds us that playing out so-called life activities half-heartedly is a waste of time.
   
   There are so many humourous passages in the book and I can only quote a few.
   
   - Judging Books by Their Covers.
   When he served on an advisory committee on textbooks for the government, a book publisher submitted a volume of three books for evaluation. The last one was incomplete and only the covers with some blank pages were included. To his surprise, Feynman found out that committee members gave good rating to the books, which exposed that they didn't even bother to read them before rating them.
   
   - Is Electricity Fire?
   He was asked by a group of young rabbis "Is electricity fire?" He was glad that the theology academics were interested in physics and went on to explain the phenomenon. However, it turned out that the rabbis were trying to abide by the doctrine that they should not use fire on Sundays and thus wanted to know if this should include all electrical appliances. Quite a disappointment for him to find out that the rabbis were not modernizing but just trying to follow ancient doctrines to the letter.
   
   - A Touch of Brazil.
   When he did some lectures in Brazil, he was amazed that the students were well prepared for the lectures. They could answer questions on the reading materials right away. However, they could not answer similar but simple questions put in another way. Feynman finally found out that the students memorized all the papers distributed, as well as all the notes of the lectures. They learned without thinking, read without understanding. There is a familiar situation in Hong Kong where students did the same. We also seldom have questions asked, topic discussed, or even intellectual arguments.
   
   - Cargo Cult Science.
   On scientific studies, Feynman quoted an example. Islanders of a South Pacific Island saw what the army did there in the war: cargo planes landing bringing all sort of good things. A few decades later, they were found constructing long and flat mud strip with torches on both sides mimicking a runway. The leader would sit in a wooden shed, with wooden plates covering his ears like a headphone. They kept doing this but still wondered why the cargo planes never landed. They used accurate scientific observation and imitated the original way to near likeness. But such superficial scientific method without reasoning could not yield any results.
   
   Stories in the book are so diverse and I could only quote 1% of them in the review. You are recommended to take a look.



2. For a physicist Mr. Feynman was a fantastically curious individual. Although, compulsive and a bit "different" his passion for life and curiosity with the world around him were remarkable. His wit and wisdom along with stories of his antics and general mischief acted as a magnet pulling me to the next page. This book was hard to put down and reminded me to remain curious throughout life. Well worth the time it takes to read, I will be reading other books by Mr. Feynman.



3. Although Mr. Feynman is undoubtedly a smart man, with many things to credit to his name, this book seemed like nothing but his attempt to show how smart he was and is. However he comes off as extremely arrogant and pompous, the problem being that his anecdotes are ruined by his comments on how stupid others are compared to himself. Almost every other paragraph is a story in which he felt he outsmarted someone, but in reality, his accomplishments seem very exaggerated and insignificant. The way he talks about not being considered a sissy by struggling against his frat brothers, outsmarted the waitress with dumb puzzles, and outwitted his frat when stealing a door are NOT impressive in the least, and I feel that a average person could accomplish the same things. The fact that he writes about it in a manner so that he tries to make himself some child genius is what ruins the book and makes him seem stupider rather than smarter. I'm sorry Mr. Feynman, you may be a great physicist, but you must be joking if you think you're a writer, and a clever one at that. I may not be able to solve physics problems like you, but I can assure you...I am much more clever if compared to your life stories (and that's not saying much).



4. this was a gift for a family member. it arrived quickly and in great condition



5. Part physicist, part prankster, part musician, part teacher, part genius, part story teller, part little boy and all human being, this is the true story of Richard Feynman. He was a man with an insatiable curiosity, and had a zest to explore the world of physics, human nature and himself.
   
   The stories in the book are funny, entertaining and enlightening. Feynman never got out of his box, because he never had one. From the gifted young boy who fixed radios by thinking to the top notch physicist who could explain concepts to laymen like no one else, Feynman was one of a kind.
   
   Well worth the read!
   
   The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking