Dapthar
11-14-03, 05:06 PM
I'm not sure if this has been done before, but I think that it would be helpful to some posters out there if there was a list of Mathematics and Physics (and possibly books from other Sciences if anyone suggests any) textbooks that you perceive as exceptional or horrible, so others can either seek out the same text, or make sure to avoid it.
I suggest the following format:
Subject(s) covered:
Title:
Author(s):
Brief Review: (Good or Bad, and why)
Link to purchase the textbook (Optional) :
If the thread starts to develop, I will simply edit my original post and add the book suggestions to it (with the appropriate credit given to the poster, of course).
Here are the suggestions so far:
Great Textbooks:
Subject(s) covered: Calculus I, II, Multivariable and Vector Calculus.
Title: Calculus With Analytic Geometry: Early Transcendentals Version (Fifth Edition)
Author(s): David E. Penney, C.H. Edwards Jr.
Brief Review: Tons of examples, well written, one can practically teach themselves the material from the book. Doubles as an excellent reference. There is also a student solution manual which shows the work for selected problems. Like most Mathematics textbooks, the odd answers are in the back of the book.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0137930763/ref=lpr_g_1/002-6050363-5037659?v=glance&s=books
Subject(s) covered: Introductory Complex Variable Theory
Title: Complex Variables and Applications (Seventh Edition)
Author(s): James Ward Brown, Ruel Vance Churchill
Brief Review: A fair amount of examples, and very well written, however, some of the more difficult proofs of theorems are deferred to other texts, primarily because this textbook is supposed to serve as an introduction to Complex Variable Theory. Most the answers to the problems are in the textbook, or the problems are written in such a manner that the answer is apparent, e.g. "verify that this is true".
Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0072872527/qid=1068847271/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6050363-5037659?v=glance&s=books
Another addition to the list, not a textbook per say, but an excellent reference:
Subject(s) covered: All types of differential Equations, e.g. PDE's, ODE's, etc.
Title: Handbook of Differential Equations (Third Edition)
Author: Daniel Zwillinger
Brief Review: Very comprehensive, contains exact and numerical methods of solving almost every differential equation that one will encounter in Mathematics, Physics, Thermodynamics, etc. In addition, the derivation, or at least, motivation for, each formula is given, along with a few examples of its use.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0127843973/103-3171121-1823026?v=glance
Also, I would be interested in what textbooks/other science books other posters suggest, or advise others to avoid, so feel free to post about those topics here.
Average Textbooks:
None yet.
Poor Textbooks:
None yet.
That's all I've got for now, but I'll search through my collection and see what else I can come up with.
I suggest the following format:
Subject(s) covered:
Title:
Author(s):
Brief Review: (Good or Bad, and why)
Link to purchase the textbook (Optional) :
If the thread starts to develop, I will simply edit my original post and add the book suggestions to it (with the appropriate credit given to the poster, of course).
Here are the suggestions so far:
Great Textbooks:
Subject(s) covered: Calculus I, II, Multivariable and Vector Calculus.
Title: Calculus With Analytic Geometry: Early Transcendentals Version (Fifth Edition)
Author(s): David E. Penney, C.H. Edwards Jr.
Brief Review: Tons of examples, well written, one can practically teach themselves the material from the book. Doubles as an excellent reference. There is also a student solution manual which shows the work for selected problems. Like most Mathematics textbooks, the odd answers are in the back of the book.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0137930763/ref=lpr_g_1/002-6050363-5037659?v=glance&s=books
Subject(s) covered: Introductory Complex Variable Theory
Title: Complex Variables and Applications (Seventh Edition)
Author(s): James Ward Brown, Ruel Vance Churchill
Brief Review: A fair amount of examples, and very well written, however, some of the more difficult proofs of theorems are deferred to other texts, primarily because this textbook is supposed to serve as an introduction to Complex Variable Theory. Most the answers to the problems are in the textbook, or the problems are written in such a manner that the answer is apparent, e.g. "verify that this is true".
Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0072872527/qid=1068847271/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6050363-5037659?v=glance&s=books
Another addition to the list, not a textbook per say, but an excellent reference:
Subject(s) covered: All types of differential Equations, e.g. PDE's, ODE's, etc.
Title: Handbook of Differential Equations (Third Edition)
Author: Daniel Zwillinger
Brief Review: Very comprehensive, contains exact and numerical methods of solving almost every differential equation that one will encounter in Mathematics, Physics, Thermodynamics, etc. In addition, the derivation, or at least, motivation for, each formula is given, along with a few examples of its use.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0127843973/103-3171121-1823026?v=glance
Also, I would be interested in what textbooks/other science books other posters suggest, or advise others to avoid, so feel free to post about those topics here.
Average Textbooks:
None yet.
Poor Textbooks:
None yet.
That's all I've got for now, but I'll search through my collection and see what else I can come up with.