Customer Reviews

Fundamentals of Physics, Volume 1 (Chapters 1 - 20)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the first Physics book that I have read and been able to understand, while staying awake!! This book is not at all boring and the author has a way of making sense out of difficult subject matter. It also helps to use the Wiley Plus for this book. I think it would be more beneficial to students if more schools used this book. I highly suggest buying this book!!

More than thirty years ago, when I was an engineering student, my physics "Bible" was Halliday & Resnick, Physics for Students of Science and Engineering, 1st Edition. This is a book that has aged gracefully. While the basic physics concepts were retained, the examples have been updated in each revision to keep up with the technology advances. Now in its eighth edition since Walker started to collaborate with the previous authors, it is still one of the most enjoyable readings in elementary physics. I recommend it without reservation.

I found this book to be a little on the complex end of the fundamental physics forum but it was certainly manageable and I think it is apt at the task of boosting a diligent students confidence level. I recommend this book to any program advisor who is in the market for a challenging but realistic text.

This book has become rather popular, but I find that it is incomplete compared with similar introductory Calculus-based Physics texts. In comparing this book to Giancoli's "Physics for Scientists and Engineers" I was struck at how precise and thorough this book is in regard to Mechanics --- indeed, the presentation is great in comparison. However, looking through the chapters on Electricity and Magnetism I noticed an obvious drop in practical examples used to demonstrate concepts, and the same was later found in the macroscale treatment of Thermodynamics; in particular, this book will often only supply one example of an important formula or concept being applied, and this one example will be so theoretical and specialized that it provides little help to the student attempting to complete the end of chapter problems that correspond to them. An example of this is when it shows Gauss' law being applied only to the case of a perfectly spherical solid: there are several examples of this law being applied in Giancoli. Similar and numerous instances of notable omission can be cited, such as in its treatment of the second law of Thermodynamics. This lack of practical examples is salient for the reason that as an introductory course it is pedagogically unsound to do so; its intended audience largely consists of Physics and Engineering freshmen, and this treatment is insufficient for both of them ---- the vagueness that accompanies it serves neither well in facilitating an understanding of Physics in their respective capacities.

On a separate note, the end of chapter problems are more difficult but just as broad as those seen in the book by Giancoli cited above; I believe they would be very suitable for a book at this level, supposing that the book provides the required understanding with its content, which unfortunately does not occur here, for the aforementioned reason.

i'm loving this book and never regreted of having it. it makes physics( calculus based) more understandable and joyful. i will recommend it even if it is not required for your class.Plus all those Wiley features, WOW!

The concerns seem to be that it's too expensive
and there aren't enough answers to test questions
in the book. This seems like quibbling to me.

This book is, as far as I'm concerned, the Gold Standard
in intro to physics, and always has been: when I was
in school, my teachers were constantly experimenting with
cheaper alternative textbooks--which forced us to buy
Resnick & Halliday on our own.

You couldn't ask for more lucid, organized, correctly
sequenced explanations that have stood the test of time.

The book explains what Vonnegut (quite rightly) called the supreme
aesthetic achievement of Western culture, and honors that
achievement by being nearly a parallel work of art in itself.

5 stars isn't enough.

I got this book within 2 weeks or so and it was in great condition. Almost new like described

I got this book for a very good price and was happy with the delivery time and condition of the book. Overallvery happy and hope that it serves me well in college! Thanks!

I bought this G*d awful book because it was the one my instructor required us to have on his syllabus. I was pretty excited (about having the book and maybe understanding a little bit better about the concepts taught in class, NOT ABOUT THE ASTRONOMICAL PRICE OF THIS P.O.S BOOK $$$) until I actually received the book and went over it.
The book doesn't explain very well the theory of the section you're currently reading, it leaves out crucial formulas which are extremely important in the understanding of the concepts being taught and finally and most importantly This book does NOTHING to help you practice what you're studying. Each chapter has average 100+ questions of which around 15 have answers, and they're NOT IN THE BOOK, they're part of the student's solution manual (separate purchase $$$) How the h3ll are you supposed to know if you're if you're actually setting up the problem right, if you're applying the formulas right, if you're getting the problems right. I understand the Publishing business IS a business, nothing wrong with that, but when you're targeting students and come up with these predatory tactics in order to squeeze out money from people who in this point of their life have actually little of it, well... bad business move Mr Halliday, Resnick & Walker and the entire staff of Wiley Publishing, let's just leave it at that (so that Amazon won't refuse this comment...)
Take for instance a more reasonable approach like "Calculus early transcendental functions" from Houghton Mifflin does, which gives answers to odd number exercises (so you actually know if you're getting them right!) and you will see your profits from selling this sub par Physics book increase exponentially.
I have spoken to my instructor, who is a very intelligent and reasonable man, and he has agreed to change the book for next semester or at least present students an alternative option.
TERRIBLE BOOK! hint the laws of physics are the same in our current understanding of the universe, so even if your instructor requires this book buy another one, you'll learn the same topics, instructors only ask for the book to leave homework, so befriend someone in class and ask your buddy for the problem and solve it. And that's it, you're set.