Fundamentals of Physics

While there is probably no one text in any scientific discipline that covers all the bases for that branch of science, "Fundamentals of Physics Extended" comes close for the study of physics. Of course is does not go into the depth that a book on fluid dynamics or quantum mechanics would do for their respective disciplines, it does cover pretty much all subject areas well enough to make those more focused texts approachable while maintaining enough depth to be useful as both an undergraduate text and a reference text for professionals. There are two facets of the book that really stand out in my opinion. First, if you simply open the book to a random page, you will encounter either a blend of textual material, pictures and diagrams, or problems, lots of problems. The instructive portion of the text looks more like a flashy High School physics text book rather than a dry but profound undergraduate text (sort of like comparing Giancoli with an older Sears, Zemansky, and Young text.) Don't let that distract you, the didactic text explanations are well thought out and focused. Additionally, text does assume that you can follow the math behind the physics and ties the theoretical concepts presented in the text with the necessary calculus based mathematics in lots of worked out examples. The concepts are then reinforced with problem for the student to work out, lots of problem that range from the simple to the more complex. If there is one weakness, it would be the lack of mathematical rigor. As mentioned, it is assumed that can follow and understand the math. As a result, there are few areas were one can find a clear mathematical derivation from basic first principle relation to the more abstract expressions. Consider for example the presentation of the Doppler Effect; we go from a verbal explanation of what is happening physically directly to the equation that you need to know to calculate the Doppler shift for any case (moving or stationary, source or observer). For some subjects, this is fine, but is may require a secondary text if a more robust derivation is required. I suppose that it is assumed that by the time you reach those concepts you should 'see' the derivations as a matter of common sense.(ok, this is the role of the professor ;-) Considering that the book itself is over 1200 pages in an 8.5 x 11 form factor (w/micro font)plus a number appendices, and has a fairly in depth treatment of modern physics too boot, the lack of mathematical rigor can be overlooked for the undergrad who needs to know how to solve physics problems and is not overly concerned with the finer details of why (which is the purview of the more specialized texts). Is this the standard physics text? Well perhaps not, but it comes close and is well worth the investment as either a reference text or a pedagogical text or both. This text has earned a permanent spot on my shelves.

I got this textbook as a recommendation from a friend. I went through the 2nd chapter on velocity, acceleration, etc yesterday, and I like it so much more than the previous textbook I had been using (Essential University Physics by Wolfson). Sample problems are very good. They even have humor in the problems! I worked some of the problems from the back of the chapter that have solutions in the back, and they were good too (the one's I got to). I had another physics major friend who saw I had the book and said it was the one she used in her physics class as a freshmen. She said she still has it and loves it because it is comprehensive and easy to understand.

EDIT: 6 years later. This text has probably been the single most important text of my college career. It provided a foundation which I have built upon but the essentially were done with Halliday, Resnick and Walker. I think the Fundamentals of Physics is an excellent text to introduce physics to the average engineering/physics freshman. However, I do see that it is a bit light on derivation. Realizing that mathematical derivations to a freshman are quite cumbersome I still believe the student would be better suited to see more proof oriented (or as "proofed" as you can get) earlier on in their education (not waiting until the typical Sophomore-Junior level courses). Seeing derivation has always helped my understanding personally. You will thank the author for having providing you with a good introduction to a fascinating way of looking at the world, providing you spend the time in your study. The book Physics by Halliday is a great book on a slightly higher level. I would not suggest the Feynman books unless you have a lot of extra time on your hands as they require deep thinking.

Muy buen libro

Good physics text with engaging text and entertaining examples. As a woman, I have to comment on the cover art. Did the author inadvertently choose an image that looks exactly like a vagina, or did he get it past the editors on the sly? How did no one question this? Sure it is a graphical representation of a natural phenomenon, but really? Note: I bought the book years after graduating from engineering school in order to study for the Praxis. I can't imagine the awkwardness of having to use this book in a class full of engineering majors...

I used this book for college physics. What I like more about this particular edition is that every chapter opens with a particular topic of interest and throughout the chapter you learn the tools to solve it. For example, on the chapter dealing with vectors, the opening problem was how an ant, after zig zagging all over can return home in a straight line. You then learn how to work with vectors and somewhere in the chapter you'll learn the answer of how ants do it. This edition also goes beyond your typical college physics topics and dives into astrophysics and quantum physics.

Super detailed, great explanations and examples. I relied on this book heavily for my physics classes and found it super helpful-- then again, I learn well by reading on my own as opposed to listening to lectures, so textbooks for me are always vital resources. Drawback: It was too massive to lug around though, so I kept it at home for use.

Good book for the most part. It explains things well, with some instances where you really need to read closely to understand what they are talking about. They give lots of example problems in this book. The examples are nice, but sometimes they don't seem to follow a logical order and they are hard to follow what the author did to get the answers. Wiley Plus is a program that goes along with the book and it is very expensive. If you need it, it is almost better to buy the book brand new with the code for the website, as the website portion by itself costs over fifty dollars.

Fantastic suplimentary reading for undergraduate physics course or preparation for one, with lots of helpful examples and questions to try for yourself.

Arrived in excellent condition, pages were all clean, and looked like new. Most of all the book itself was incredibly easy to read and understand, highly recommend this for anyone at high-school or university level.

I read Resnick and Halliday in high school in the early 80’s. This edition has become busier. More material, more colour, but less explanation and harder to read. It’s lost much of the charm that made Resnick and Halliday *the* physics text of A level physics. If you can find used copies of earlier editions I would get one of those instead.

Excellent textbook all around starting from most fundamental principles. Ideal for a first year undergraduate; just what you would expect expect from Halliday and Resnick.

AS described, fast delivery worked well