Susan Fowler

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So You Want To Learn Physics...

August 13, 2016

Introduction

Over the past few years, ever since writing "If Susan Can Learn Physics, So
Can You", I've been contacted by people from all backgrounds who are
inspired and want to learn physics, but don't know where to start, what to
learn, what to read, and how to structure their studies. I've spoken with
single mothers who want to go back to school and study physics, tenured
philosophy professors who want to learn physics so that they can make
significant and informed contributions to philosophy of physics, high
school students who want to know what they should read to prepare for
an undergraduate education in physics, and people in dozens of various
careers who want to really, really learn and understand physics simply for
the joy of it.
This post is a condensed version of what I've sent to people who have
contacted me over the years, outlining what everyone needs to learn in
order to really understand physics.

The general physics education given in U.S. universities is divided into

what is learned at the undergraduate level and what is covered in graduate
courses, and I've divided my list in a similar way. Because each subject is
built upon the previous subjects and the mathematics becomes more
complex and difficult, it's important to learn each topic in the order
presented below.

If you work through the all of the textbooks in the Undergraduate Physics list
of this post, and master each of the topics, you'll have gained the
knowledge equivalent of a Bachelor's Degree in Physics (and will be able to
score well on the Physics GRE). If you work through the graduate core of
the Graduate Physics textbooks, you'll have the equivalent knowledge of
obtaining a Master's Degree in Physics. A PhD in Physics requires the
graduate coursework as well as several years of research and a thesis, and
the experience involved in a PhD isn't something that can be gained
independently of a PhD program.

Remember that anyone can learn physics. It's no different from learning
programming, from learning a musical instrument, from reading great
literature. Whether you turn it into a hobby or a career, the pure joy of
understanding the universe around us is one of the most beautiful
experiences you can ever have in life.

Please comment with your experiences and with any suggestions you have
for improving this list!

Before You Begin

Popular Books on Physics (The Good Ones)
When you're solving problems, working through textbooks, getting into
the nitty-gritty details of each topic, it's so easy to lose the forest for the
trees and forget why you even became inspired to study physics in the first
place. This is where really, really good (and non-speculative) books on
physics come in handy: they inspire, they encourage, and they help you
understand the big picture.

One big problem is that a lot of the popular books written about physics
(especially those by famous physicists) are incredibly speculative and tend
to present an unrealistic view of what the study of physics is all about.
When you're learning physics, it's good to avoid these types of speculative
books, and stick to the good ones that talk about the real physics we know
exists.

Here are some of my favorite popular physics books:

The Feynman Lectures on Physics (Boxed Set) and Feynman Lectures

on Physics (Kindle Edition): Feynman's Lectures on Physics are
essential readings for everyone interested in physics, and you'll find a
copy on the bookshelf of every amateur physicist and professional
physicist. These lectures are what got me into physics: my astronomy
professor told me to read them and see if I liked physics - they
changed my life!
The Character of Physical Law by Richard Feynman: A brilliant,
inspiring little book on the laws of nature.
Deep Down Things: The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics by
Bruce Schumm: the very best popular book about particle physics. I
had the honor of working with Bruce Schumm on a search for
supersymmetry at the ATLAS detector, and he has one of those
brilliant minds that understands physics so deeply that he can explain
 it to anyone without resorting to speculation.
The Particle Odyssey by Frank Close: another brilliant popular
introduction to particle physics and its history, beautifully illustrated
with amazing figures and photographs.
Weinberg's The First Three Minutes: an account of the Big Bang by
one of the most brilliant physicists of all time.

Mathematical Preliminaries
Before you begin studying physics and working through the topics in the
sections below, you have to be familiar with some basic mathematics. A
high school education usually provides you with enough mathematical
background to begin, and there's no need to be familiar with calculus
before starting (though you'll need to learn when you begin).

How to Study
Everyone learns very differently, and knowing your learning style is
important: do you learn by reading, by taking notes, by talking, by
watching, by doing, or by a combination of some or all of these? Think
about this before you begin so that you'll know how to structure your
studies.

For example, I learn by reading and by note-taking, so I read through

textbooks very carefully, take copious notes, and summarize each concept
in my own words before moving on to something new. (For what it's
worth, I've found that Miquelrius ruled notebooks and Miquelrius graph
notebooks are perfect for taking notes and these Pilot GTec pens are the
best pens in the whole world).

Regardless of your learning style, you'll still need to solve the physics
problems in each textbook. Solving problems is the only way to really
understand how the laws of physics work. There's no way around it. Even
though it can feel tedious at times, there's nothing more rewarding than
figuring out a really difficult physics problem and realizing that you figured
it all out yourself!

Undergraduate Physics

Overview
The undergraduate physics curriculum in every undergraduate physics
program covers the following subjects (along with some electives in
advanced topics), and usually in the following order :

1. Introductory Mechanics
2. Electrostatics
3. Waves and Vibrations
4. Modern Physics
5. Classical Mechanics
6. Electrodynamics
7. Quantum Mechanics
8. Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
9. Advanced Electives in Physics

I'm going to cover the details of each of these fields below, including the
best textbooks to use and any additional reading you may find helpful in
your journey. I'm also going to give some details about the mathematics
you'll need to learn alongside each topic.
1. Introduction to Mechanics

What It's All About

An introduction to mechanics course is the first course physics course that

most people will take, and it's the best place to begin independent study of
physics as well. This is where you'll start learning how to see the world in
mathematical terms, and the things that will be covered are: the basics of
motion in a straight line, motion in two dimensions, motion in three
dimensions, Newton's Laws, work, kinetic energy, potential energy, the
conservation of energy, momentum, collisions, rotation and rotational
motion, gravitation, and periodic motion.

The Best Textbooks to Use

University Physics with Modern Physics by Young and

Freedman (essential). Work through all of the "Mechanics" chapters
(in my edition, these are chapters 1-14). This is the best introductory
book I've found, and you can use it when you learn electrostatics and
modern physics, too. It contains plenty of great example problems to
work through, and the solutions are easy to find online. It does a
great job of introducing the relevant mathematics, but you'll need to
be learning calculus alongside it. You don't need to spend $250 on the
new edition - Amazon has lots of copies of the 12th edition and the
13th edition that contain the same material.

The Math You'll Need to Learn Alongside It

You'll need to learn calculus while working through University Physics. My

favorite introductory calculus book is Thomas' Calculus, with Stewart's
Calculus coming in as a close second. Work through each chapter, and
make sure you can solve problems at the end of each chapter before
continuing to the next.
2. Electrostatics

What It's All About

This is where you'll learn about the physics of electricity and magnetism
(electromagnetism) in static situations (situations where no motion is
involved). Topics covered are: electric charges and electric
fields, magnetism and magnetic fields, Gauss's Law, capacitance, resistance
and conductance, inductance, current, and how circuits work.

The Best Textbooks to Use

University Physics with Modern Physics by Young and Freedman

(essential). Work through the chapters on "Electromagnetism" (in my
edition, these are chapters 21-32). You can find inexpensive copies of
the 12th edition and the 13th edition.

The Math You'll Need To Learn Alongside It

Keep working through the calculus textbooks (Thomas and Stewart) while
you work through the basics of electrostatics, but you should finish them
by the time you finish the electromagnetism chapters in University
Physics. You absolutely must understand the basics of calculus before you
move on to the other topics in physics.

3. Waves and Vibrations

What It's All About

The mechanics of vibrations and waves are complex and important enough
to demand their own course of study. Mastering this material is essential
for learning about quantum mechanics, so don't skip this topic! This is
where you will learn about simple harmonic oscillators, damped harmonic
oscillators, forced oscillations, coupled oscillators, waves, interference,
diffraction, and dispersion.

The Best Textbooks to Use

Vibrations and Waves by French (essential) and Vibrations and Waves

by King (essential). These two books complement each other very
well, and contain different problems and solutions.

The Math You'll Need To Learn Alongside It

By this point, you should have finished the introductory calculus books
and are ready to move on to more advanced mathematics. You should start
working through Zill's Advanced Engineering Mathematics, which is an
amazing introduction to more advanced topics in mathematics (linear
algebra, complex analysis, real analysis, partial differential equations, and
ordinary differential equations). The new edition is pretty great, but the
older edition is just as good (and a lot cheaper!). The topics in this book are
essential for understanding all of the rest of the topics in Undergraduate
Physics - once you master them, you'll know all the math you need to
know to understand undergraduate physics.

4. Modern Physics

What It's All About

The fourth physics class that most undergraduates take is usually called
"Modern Physics", and it's an introduction to topics in physics that will be
taught in greater detail later in the undergraduate physics curriculum. If
you plan to study the advanced topics on their own, it's possible to skip
this area, but covering these topics now in your independent studies will
allow you to grasp the advanced topics that you hear so much about and
that probably got you into physics in the first place! This is where you'll
learn the basics of thermodynamics, relativity, quantum mechanics, atomic
physics, nuclear physics, particle physics, and cosmology.

The Best Textbooks to Use

University Physics with Modern Physics by Young and Freedman

(essential). Work through the "Thermodynamics" section (chapters 17-
20 in my edition of the book, and the "Modern Physics" section
(chapters 37-44).

The Math You'll Need To Learn Alongside It

Continue working through Zill's Advanced Engineering Mathematics. Once

you have mastered all of the topics in this book, you will know all the
mathematics you need to know to understand undergraduate physics.

5. Classical Mechanics

What It's All About

This is where you learn the real heart of classical mechanics, which you
were introduced to in the very first topic (Introduction to Mechanics).
You'll learn the topics in much greater depth, and learn how to use
different mathematical formalisms of classical mechanics (the Lagrangian
formalism and the Hamiltonian formalism) to solve problems in
mechanics.

The Best Textbooks to Use

Taylor's Classical Mechanics (essential). This is a fantastic

introduction to classical mechanics.
Morin's Introduction to Classical Mechanics with Problems and
Solutions (supplement). Morin's book is a good supplement to
Taylor's, and contains some great problems to work through.
Problems and Solutions in Introductory Mechanics by Morin
(supplement). Even more great problems (with solutions) to work
through, and contains some great problem-solving strategies.
Kibble's Classical Mechanics (supplement). Another great book to
supplement Taylor.
A Student's Guide to Lagrangians and Hamiltonians (supplement).
This book can help you a lot if you get stuck on understanding the
Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms of classical mechanics. You
need to master the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms if you
want to understand quantum mechanics later on!

The Math You'll Need To Learn Alongside It

If you haven't finished working through Zill by now, you should master the
topics in it by the time you finish studying classical mechanics.

6. Electrodynamics

What It's All About

Earlier, you learned about electrostatics: the study of static (non-moving)

electricity and magnetism. By now, you know the mathematics to
understand electrodynamics, which encompasses everything about classical
electricity and magnetism. You'll cover electrostatics again, then learn
about Laplace's equation, multipole expansions, polarization, dielectrics, the
Lorentz Force Law, the Biot-Savart Law, magnetic vector potential,
electromotive force, electromagnetic induction, Maxwell's equations,
electromagnetic waves and radiation, and special relativity.

The Best Textbooks to Use

Griffith's Introduction to Electrodynamics (essential). This is the book

on undergraduate electrodynamics, and one of the very best physics
textbooks ever written. Take great care to work through every single
problem in the book.
Div, Grad, Curl and All That by Schey (supplement). This is a short
textbook on vector calculus that is very helpful when trying to work
with vectors in electrodynamics.
A Student's Guide to Maxwell's Equations by Fleisch (supplement).
Maxwell's equations are essential in understanding electrodynamics,
and this book is the best supplement on the topic.

7. Quantum Mechanics

What It's All About

By this point, you're ready to really dive into the fundamentals of quantum
mechanics and its applications - one of the most beautiful, interesting, and
thought-provoking topics in all of physics. You'll learn to see the world at a
completely new level - the quantum level. You'll learn about the wave
function, the Schrodinger equation, perturbation theory, the variational
principle, the WKB Approximation, the adiabatic approximation, and
scattering.
The Best Textbooks to Use

Griffith's Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (essential). This is,

without a doubt, the book on undergraduate quantum mechanics,
written by the same Griffiths who wrote the Introduction to
Electrodynamics. It's written in the same concise and beautiful style,
and every single problem is worth solving.

8. Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics

What It's All About

Thermodynamics is the field of physics concerned with kinetics (dynamics)

related to heat and energy, while statistical mechanics is all about the
microscopic principles that underlie the Laws of Thermodynamics. This is
where you'll learn about the laws of thermodynamics, entropy, the
canonical ensemble, Maxwell distributions, Planck's distribution, Fermi-
Dirac statistics, Bose-Einstein statistics, and phase transitions.

By the time you've finished this topic, you'll have mastered all of the
fundamentals of undergraduate physics!

The Best Textbooks to Use

Introductory Statistical Mechanics by Bowley and Sanchez (essential).

This is a really amazing, concise, and clear introduction to
thermodynamics and statistical mechanics - the best I've found so far!

9. Advanced Electives in Physics

What It's All About

No physics education is complete without learning about fun additional

topics in physics, including (but not limited to): astronomy (the study of
the galaxies, stars, and planets), astrophysics (the application of the
principles of physics to astronomy), cosmology (the origins of the
universe), electronics, particle physics (the study of the fundamental
particles of the Standard Model), and string theory (a theory that supposes
that two-dimensional objects called "strings" are the fundamental building
blocks of the universe).

You can pick and choose what you'd like to learn about based on your
interests. This is the most exciting part: you understand all of the
fundamentals of undergraduate physics, and you can pick up advanced
books in other topics of physics and will be able to understand them! You'll
also be able to read (and understand) some papers on the arXiv, which is
the place that almost all physics research papers are published.

The Best Textbooks to Use

Astronomy: The Cosmic Perspective by Bennet and Donahue. A

wonderful, fun, well-written introduction to astronomy that can be
understood by anyone who has studied the first topic in
undergraduate physics (Introductory Mechanics).
Astrophysics: An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics by Carroll
and Ostile. A super comprehensive introduction to modern
astrophysics for students who are studying the undergraduate
curriculum in physics.
Cosmology: Ryden's Introduction to Cosmology. My favorite
introductory cosmology book!
Electronics: Basic Electronics for Scientists and Engineers by
Eggleston. Accessible to anyone who has worked through the basics
 of electrodynamics.
Particle Physics: Griffith's Introduction to Elementary Particles.
Written by the same Griffith who gave us the Introduction to
Electrodynamics and Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, this book
is the perfect introduction to the fundamentals of particle physics and
is a joy to work through!

Graduate Physics

Overview
Graduate-level study in physics requires mastery of every topic within the
Undergraduate Physics curriculum as covered above, and can be split into two
categories: (i) the core courses and (ii) specialized coursework. Graduate
students typically take the core courses first, which cover the areas learned
in undergraduate courses but in much greater depth and with far more
mathematical rigor, and then choose more specialized courses depending
on their area of research in physics.

The graduate physics core is comprised of:

1. Mathematical Methods in Physics

2. Electrodynamics
3. Quantum Mechanics
4. Statistical Mechanics
5. General Relativity
6. Quantum Field Theory

I'll cover each of these in the sections below. (Note: many students are
required to take a course in classical mechanics as part of the graduate core,
but if you've mastered the material in undergraduate classical mechanics
there is no need for this).

1. Mathematical Methods in Physics

What It's All About

Studying electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, and stat mech in more

depth at the graduate level requires a greater level of mathematical rigor.
To prepare for studying physics at the graduate level, you'll need to learn
the following in greater detail: Fourier analysis, tensors, ODEs, PDEs, real
analysis, complex analysis, algebra, and group theory (to name a few).

The Best Textbooks To Use

Mathematical Methods for Physicists by Arfken, Weber, and Harris

(essential). This book covers the essentials of everything you'll need to
know for the mathematical rigor demanded by the graduate core.
Visual Complex Analysis by Needham (supplement). A light, fun
summary of complex analysis that's concise, clear, and easy to read.
Serves as a great supplement to the primary text when used along
with Fisher's Complex Analysis (see below).
Tolstov's Fourier Series (supplement). The best book on Fourier
Analysis ever written. Complements the main text very well.
Complex Analysis by Fisher (supplement). Best when used along with
Needham's Visual Complex Analysis to supplement the main text.
Zee's Group Theory in a Nutshell for Physicists (supplement). A
brilliant introduction to group theory for physicists.

2. Graduate Electrodynamics
What It's All About

Graduate-level electrodynamics covers the same topics as undergraduate

electrodynamics but with greater mathematical rigor.

The Best Textbooks To Use

Classical Electrodynamics by Jackson (essential). This is the bible of

classical electrodynamics, and everyone who works through either
loves it or hates it (I loved it). If you can master everything in this
book and work through every problem, you'll have mastered
electrodynamics.

3. Graduate Quantum Mechanics

What It's All About

Graduate quantum mechanics is far more advanced than quantum

mechanics at the undergraduate level. There are many things that you
won't be able to understand about quantum mechanics at the
undergraduate level that, after a little more mathematical training, you'll be
able to understand once you get to this point. Here you'll learn, in great
depth, all there is to know about quantum mechanics, including quantum
dynamics (the Schrodinger equation, the Heisenberg picture, propagators,
and Feynman path integrals), angular momentum, symmetries and
conservation laws of the quantum world, perturbation theory, scattering
theory, relativistic quantum mechanics, decoherence, and interpretations
of quantum mechanics (the Copenhagen vs. Many-Worlds interpretations).

The Best Textbooks To Use

 Sakurai's Modern Quantum Mechanics (essential). This is my favorite
textbook on quantum mechanics, and the one I used to learn
quantum mechanics for the very first time. It's a wonderful, elegant,
simple book with clear and understandable problems. Try to work
through all of the problems - if you do, you'll understand quantum
mechanics very well.
Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals by Feynman (essential).
Sakurai's coverage of Feynman's Path Integral formalism of quantum
mechanics doesn't do it justice. Working through this text (written by
Feynman himself) is not only useful, but incredibly fun.
Principles of Quantum Mechanics by Shankar (supplement). A great
supplement to Sakurai for more information about each topic. A bit
too dense to serve as a primary text, it works best as an addition or
reference.
Decoherence and the Appearance of a Classical World in Quantum
Theory (supplement). This book is very complex and you may not
understand all of it even after working through Sakurai, but
understanding decoherence is essential to understanding how the
classical world arises from the quantum.
Principles of Quantum Mechanics by Dirac (supplement). Dirac was
one of the founding fathers of quantum mechanics and quantum field
theory. This book is important historically, and also will open your
eyes to the need for quantum field theory.
The Everett Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: Collected Works
1955-1980 (supplement). Very few books have been written on
interpretations of quantum mechanics, and reading through this
volume helps to understand the limitations of our interpretations as
well as the complexities and details of Everett's Many-Worlds
interpretation.

4. Graduate Statistical Mechanics

What It's All About

Now that you have a more solid mathematical background and understand
all of the fundamentals of quantum mechanics, it's time to approach
graduate-level statistical mechanics. You'll revisit the Laws of
Thermodynamics, and then pick up from where you left off in
undergraduate statistical mechanics.

The Best Textbooks To Use

Statistical Mechanics by Pathria and Beale (essential). This book is,

admittedly, a bit frustrating, but it's worth suffering through because
if you make it all the way to the end and work through the majority
of the problems, you'll know stat mech like the back of your hand.
Huang's Statistical Mechanics (supplementary). This is a great book to
supplement the main text and bridge the gap between undergraduate
thermodynamics and statistical mechanics and Pathria.

5. General Relativity

What It's All About

By now you'll have a very deep understanding of Einstein's special theory of

relativity, but, as you may have noticed, general relativity (GR) - the theory
of gravitation - hasn't yet been mentioned. That's because GR is a
mathematically demanding topic - not only do you need to know all of the
math you've learned so far, but you'll need to learn differential geometry in
order to make sense of how gravity works. Here, you'll revisit special
relativity and the intricacies of spacetime, then learn the basics of
differential geometry, how to deal with curvature, the essentials of
gravitation, how black holes work, and the basics of cosmology.

The Best Textbooks To Use

Spacetime and Geometry by Carroll (essential). This is the book on

general relativity, and Carroll does a phenomenal job of introducing
the essentials of differential geometry and general relativity.
Wald's General Relativity (supplement). Wald's book is a very abstract,
high-level overview of general relativity, and makes a great
supplement to Carroll's book. Go to Carroll for the overview, look it
up in Wald for the high-level abstractions, and then look in the apple
book for the dirty details.
Gravitation by Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler (supplement). Also
known as the "apple book" thanks to the apple gracing its cover, this
book goes into the nitty-gritty details of general relativity in ways
that no other book does. A very important supplement to Carroll's
book.
Weinberg's Gravitation and Cosmology (supplement). Weinberg is one
of those rare physicists who has not only been at the forefront of
every major field in physics, but has written about each of them as
well. His books tend to be inaccessible to beginners, however, and
this book is no exception. It does make a good supplementary
reading, but I'd advise reading it after you've worked through the
rest.
A Comprehensive Introduction to Differential Geometry by Spivak
(supplement). For more hardcore differential geometry, Spivak's series
is necessary. These books are truly wonderful and comprehensive.

6. Quantum Field Theory

What It's All About

Quantum Field Theory (QFT) is the heart of all modern high-energy
physics: the Standard Model of particle physics is a QFT. The whole idea
behind QFT is that we are doing quantum mechanics on classical fields,
and it works remarkably well. Along with GR, QFT will be the most
challenging part of your physics education, but perhaps the most rewarding
(I know it was extraordinarily rewarding for me!). It may take many, many
years to master. You'll learn about how to quantize fields, Feynman
diagrams, quantum electrodynamics (QED), renormalization, non-Abelian
gauge theories, quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the Higgs mechanism,
the Glashow-Weinberg-Salam theory of electroweak interactions, the
symmetries of particle physics, and spontaneous symmetry breaking.

The Best Textbooks To Use

Zee's Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell (essential). This is my

favorite physics book of all time, and the most beautiful introduction
to QFT ever written. You'll walk away understanding the basics of
QFT and with a deep understanding of the fundamental nature of the
universe.
An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory by Peskin and Schroeder
(essential). This is the bible of QFT, but its far too terse and
encyclopedic to work through on its own and must be studied
alongside Zee. Covers everything you could possibly want to know
about QFT. Try to work through the problems, but be aware that
mastery of QFT will take a very, very long time.
Weinberg's The Quantum Theory of Fields, Volume 1 (supplement).
Another great volume by Weinberg, who was one of the most
important physicists in the history of particle physics. This book
should be used only as a supplement, and preferably not read until
Zee and Peskin and Schroeder have been completed. It's not a book to
learn from, but one to gain additional understanding of QFT through
after you've mastered all of the basics.
Lie Algebras in Particle Physics by Georgi (supplement). This is an
 incredibly fun and wonderful book that dives into the details of Lie
Algebras in QFT.

In Physics Tags learning physics, physics, book reviews

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Randi 8 months ago · 1 Like

What do you recommend for physics after the standard model? I.e.
Supersymmetry,string theory, GUT's,Quatum Gravity and general
frontier level physics that would get you to the level of
understanding the latest theories and reading the latest papers on
the Arxiv?
Sally 9 months ago · 0 Likes

Dear Susan,
Thank you so very much for taking the considerable time involved
in writing this unique article. A long time ago, I was forced to drop
out of a physics degree course after one year due to mental illness,
which I am glad to say I have now overcome. Although I was never
to become a college graduate, I have retained a life-long love of
physics and have often made many attempts to continue my
learning through self study. These have all been unsuccessful as I
could never find books to bridge the gap from the simplified
freshman texts (which I fully understood) and the more advanced
undergraduate textbooks I was buying. I found the math in these to
be completely inaccessible, so I constantly hit an invisible ceiling as
a result.
Your article is the only one I have ever found that addresses this
phenomenon and I must say that your clear and empathetic writing
style has really inspired me to try again with gusto! Only, this time,
with the right books.
Thank you so much.

Sally
Devon, England

Fernando rabago 10 months ago · 0 Likes

Thank u so much for this!, i just have one question, can you tell me
onw of your bwst mathematical textbooks you know for
undergraduate students ?.
Im about to start my undergraduate career in agust and im very
excited.
Thank u from Mexico :D
Keegs 10 months ago · 0 Likes

A typo: "Astrophysics: An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics by

Carroll and Ostile" should be "Astrophysics: An Introduction to
Modern Astrophysics by Carroll and Ostlie." Gotta do justice to the
authors of the Big Orange Book : ) An awesome list though!

Yash Chaudhary 10 months ago · 0 Likes

Thanks for this list.

Souradeep Choudhury 11 months ago · 0

Likes

Thank you so much for all this help. I am a graduate student

studying solid state physics and was looking for sources to study GR
and QFT. Thank you for providing so many sources, with your
useful tips

Suresh A year ago · 0 Likes

Hi Susan,
I was just wondering if you have a list of homework problems to
work through for each of these books. I don't think I'll have the
time to do all of the problems in the books but if you have for
instance your assigned hw problems for each book that would be
really helpful. Thanks!
Kristen Fowler A year ago · 0 Likes

Thank you for writing such a clear and concise list. I'm hoping to go
back to school and major in Physics, so I'm beginning to brush up on
my math skills by taking courses at a community college before I go
back to a four year program. It's been some time since I was in
school, and since then I've developed a love of the subject. At times,
though I'm excited by the idea of maybe one day working in this
field, it can seem very overwhelming; so I'm grateful for this clear
layout and general advice you've given out. Running into things like
this helps keep me inspired. I was also pleased to find some things
I'm already familiar with, at least in the popular reading list. The
Feynman Lectures absolutely live up to the high regard in which
they're held, in my opinion. What I found fascinating about those is
that when you read about what happened sort of behind the scenes
when he was giving those lectures, it seems he was so worried the
whole time that he wasn't doing a good job. Anyway, thanks again!

Linnea Olson A year ago · 0 Likes

Thank you. Oh, thank you. :)

RAS A year ago · 0 Likes

Any recommendations for secondary school students?

M S Roy A year ago · 0 Likes

It would be more wholistic to include Graduate level Condensed

Matter Physics section too..
Thanks for the rest of the suggestions!

tupac A year ago · 0 Likes

people in the comments trying to sound smart asf r

Carl A year ago · 0 Likes

Brilliant. I passed three semesters of College Physics, all 'As.'

I got my degree in Mathematics, and a degree in Economics. ( from
being extraordinary at Math. )

You lead off with your first book at Feynman? Magnificent. I spotted
those on my first professors bookshelf, and read them all at least
three times in 4 years. Its their approach. ( Yes. I spent at least 70
hours a week in the Library for more than 8 years ). I have since
read every book about Feynman.

This question was asked:

"Hey, the calculus book by Thomas is over a thousand pages long,

how long do you think it should take to finish that book?"
It should take most students a year and a half, with the remaining
half year getting facility at vector calculus.
Yes, I took that book of Thomas ( I personally think it, of the 4 Calc
books used across the united states, that Thomas is the very best. ),
and read every single page, every single problem at least twice.
Calculus is hard, it always was, and always will be, even for me, I
got a 'F' on my first test, and it almost finished my academic carrier.
I laughed, I cried, and cried some more. I sensed a menical pattern:
Most of the questions were merley the same questions in the book,
and all I had done is made every mistake. How was I going to get
good? Well, if Math was the basis for Physics, Economics, Algebra,
Mechanics... I had better find that out. The only thing I figured out
was: the only way to get seriously good was two fold: The first was
do every single problem in the book, examples, simple problems,
medium problems, and hard problems, I reworked every single page
I had covered. The second was I went over my failed attempt and
rewrote all my answers in terms of (mark in red) my mistakes, what
was the rule ( mark in blue ), and the 'tool' that I used... ( mark in
green ).

After two weeks in class, I noticed that the questions I asked at the
end of class, the professor would snicker a bit... ( He later admitted
to seeing someone who went from a slacker to very hard working
student ). I was also using a prodigious amount of paper, amost two
reams a semister. I noticed someone who was only doing 1/2 the
problems doing as well as I was. "How do you do it?" His answer: "I
have aready taken this class twice before, I just need to refresh my
memory ..."

From failing, I went to being the absolute speed king. I could spot
mistakes made by the professor. I studied at a normal speed, and
worked the problems and worked the problems, and worked the
problems. I switched colleges to take even a harder math program. (
it was a bit more work a week ), but I was able to excel rather
quickly.

I got a 'B' on my second test, and for the next two years, I got A
after A after A. I could finish most tests in under 20 mins. ( well, I
had done problems similar, in the book, very many times. ). I made
minor mistakes, and learned from every one.

I became a speed king at math, from nothing but practice. You

practice, and practice, and you will notice your speed increasing,
especially in the most important aspect: sizing a problem up.
When I took on Physics a year later, I was far ahead of everyone in
Math. I could concentrate on the Physics, and basically fly through
the Math. I started helping other students with their Math, and got
a job in the Math tutor center.

I took every Math and Physics class my college offered. Only a few
fellow students were bold enough to ask: "How is it that you are so
very fast?" and my answer was always the same: "I have two simple
ways: practice, and reworking my tests. I do every single problem in
the book, every single problem."

Steven Evans A year ago · 0 Likes

Great list. I've bookmarked it. I presume in amongst this lot,

especially in the Feynman books, are the following points which
even some well-known physicists and "philosophers" of science don't
seem to understand:
1) Physics is essentially a list of carefully made observations. A
theory is not an accepted physical model unless it is connected to
the physical world by observation. So the Higg's field is physics
because the related boson was observed. String Theory, Inflationary
Theory, The Many Worlds interpretation of QM, the multiverse
theory and fine-tuning are all speculation and have not been shown
to be true by observation (some of these theories are coherent with
observations but not yet falsifiable). None of them are accepted
physics, though because they are recent and exciting ideas they are
often mentioned in science programs.
2) Physical models/theories can be superceded, but observations
remain. Just because Einstein improved on Newton's model of
gravity, apples didn't suddenly stop falling from trees. People
(particularly "philosophers" and those fond of primitive
superstitions) are always pointing out that the findings of physics
are contingent, but it is the models that are coarse rather than
contingent, and the observations can be relied on according to the
precision and care of the observation. Quantum behaviour of the
electron is confirmed trillions of times a second by a computer
whose functioning depends on that behaviour. Quantum Mechanics
may be superceded in the future by a more precise theory, but
computers will still work based on the quantum mechanical
behaviour of the electron.
3) The Big Bang Theory is a collection of observations, even though
it's called a "theory". As Brian Cox once said, "You cannot claim that
there was not a Big Bang, because you can f***ing see it."
4) It is the peer-reviewed record of physics that is credible, not the
musings of individual physicists. It doesn't matter what Einstein
said or Fred Hoyle said off the record, what counts is what is on the
physical record. I have seen "philosophers" of science write that they
are convinced by the Many Worlds interpretation, or professional
physicists state they believe in actual fine-tuning - but these simply
haven't been shown to be physics by observation, so what anyone
feels about them is irrelevant.

There are lots of facts that can be learned in physics, but if the basics
aren't understood you end up with the insane situation where 100s
of smart physicists have wasted their time doing String Theory
PhDs, despite the fact no connection has ever been made between
String Theory and reality. All desperate to find the TOE, but
forgetting to check in with reality every now and then.
"tenured philosophy professors who want to learn physics so that
they can make significant and informed contributions to philosophy
of physics"
Where a "philosopher of physics" is someone who doesn't understand
enough physics to be a physicist. If, for example, an accepted
interpretation of quantum mechanics is found, it will be found by a
physicist not a "philosopher of physics". Someone who only has 1/10
of the information is unlikely to do better than someone with all
the information. It is the ultimate irony that "philosopher" means
lover of wisdom.

Taylor A year ago · 0 Likes

Thank you! This is invaluable information to me since I don’t learn

best in schools. I would have had no idea how to teach myself, and
here it all is!

jon A year ago · 0 Likes

"but be aware that mastery of QFT will take a very, very long time" -
-- according to you.

Vishal A year ago · 0 Likes

'Lose the forest for the trees'

This happens so much. A lot of us (like me) get into physics reading
books like Stephen Hawking and watching amazing documentaries
that intrigue us. Studying physics in a university though, the focus
becomes so specialized. A lot of time is spent learning the 'tools', and
I really feel the broader picture is missed out on almost always.
A balanced approach, one that does not kill the student's intuition
and imagination while learning all the technical stuff is what is
needed.

Vishal A year ago · 0 Likes

Excellent work Susan!

Not only is this so likably presented, it is incredibly useful! Most

importantly I find your book choices to be very apt.

One suggestion I would like to give is to add more books under

Undergraduate Quantum Mechanics. Griffiths is right up there in
the books that help introduce you to 'solving problems' in Quantum
Mechanics but his philosophy of teaching by throwing Schrodinger's
equation at your face on Page 1 without any sort of background is
questionable. Some find it fine, I did not. However you are right, it
is an essential in the sense that whatever is required to start doing
Quantum Mechanics is in there. I would add some supplements in
there too. While I cannot yet commit that these are good books, I
have ordered them and looking forward to reading them (I will add
a comment later when done) and they look like they might fill in
those gaps:

1. Quantum Mechanics by Eugene Merzbacher

2. Quantum Physics by Stephen Gasiorowicz

Angel 2 years ago · 0 Likes

The farthest I ever went in mathematics is Algebra. How do I go

about learning calculus? Are there any books/text that you would
recommend to brush up on math before calculus?

Anupam Shaw 10 months ago · 0 Likes

Pick up Calculus by James Stewart. The diagnostic tests at the

beginning of the book worked perfectly for me.

Scottie McGrath A year ago · 0 Likes

Calculus is entirely based on Algebraic principles. You should

be fine just jumping into calculus.

Lincon Ribeiro A year ago · 0 Likes

Try Stewart's Calculus Vol I, it is a good introduction.

Alex A year ago · 0 Likes

I highly recommend khan academy if you're serious about

learning. They have really solid videos on everything from
algebra all the way up to calc.
qwerty A year ago · 1 Like

Try "Calculus made easy". It is free book. Just google it

nothing A year ago · 0 Likes

You'll need to have a good grasp on both Algebra and

Trigonometry. Khan Academy will be a good place to get
started.

Alex A year ago · 0 Likes

I think that, as a start, Khan Academy would be great for you

Brian A year ago · 1 Like

I think it depends on where algebra lies in your education. A

difficult task is to self assess your current abilities accurately.
For instance, you just learned how to play your first song on
the piano and then tell everyone you know that you "know"
how to play piano. Obviously you do not really understand
piano yet and are not ready to dig into more advanced pieces.
Fortunately, many calculus textbooks, i.e. Stewart's Essential
Calculus: Early Transcendentals, offer an assessment at the
beginning to gauge your abilities in several areas of
mathematics. There are also great resources, like Khan
Academy, that help review old skills and teach new skills. If
you need practice problems (practice is 100% necessary for
learning!) try out Wolfram's Problem Generator. This problem
generator is broken up into many distinct sections and three
 difficulty settings. Learning the surface level of calculus is not
too difficult (just memoring rules and applying them) but
going deep into understanding what limits mean and how
solving problems with differentials can greatly enhance your
abilities to solve and think through complicated questions.
Very basic knowledge is required for the surface level, perhaps
brushing up on properties of functions, notations, and graphs.
Though the more geometry, trigonometry, algebra, etc... you
know will help you solve and think clearly about harder
problems. Working through Stewart Calculus will certainly
help you (or Thomas Calculus), so long as you work through
the example problems after reading the text, take notes on the
text, work through examples with covered solutions, and GET
STUCK so that you are forced to think about what the next
steps are before peaking at it in the solution. I hope this helps.

Mausam 2 years ago · 0 Likes

A question for you, How do you manage to read 52 book a year? And
How do you keep yourself updated with technological advancements
and learn those technologies along with your extra reading,
bloggings.

I am really inspired by your way of living life. It would be grateful of

you if you guide me on starting book reading, bloggings, reading and
learning Software Development skills (As I am also a Software
Developer).
tanmayb17 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Hey, you've left out Condensed Matter Physics. It's an important

branch of Physics too!

Vendy 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank you very much for this thorough list of courses in Physics. I
can very well see what the next four years of my life look like on
this blog.

Abhishek Roy 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank You so much!!!! Great Work

Ravi Shankar Upadhyay 2 years ago · 0

Likes

Hi, susan fowler i am prince at age of sixteen. I don't know much

about maths and physics but I love to take knowledge more so I
thought that I have to take knowledge of physics. So can you teach
me physics .

The Vitruvian Man 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Hey, the calculus book by Thomas is over a thousand pages long,

how long do you think it should take to finish that book?
In fact please how long do you think one would be able to finish all
of this with say 2hours per day?
 Saranga B A year ago · 0 Likes

Don't mindlessly do all the problems. Once you finish reading

the chapter see if you can do the hardest problems towards
the end. If you can naturally solve them without much effort,
then that's a good indication for you to move on to the next
chapter.

Anonymous 2 years ago · 0 Likes

1. Very nice page in content and organization. Presentation was

very pleasant (just the fonts even). Also, the tone was quite
fresh (in a good way). Attagurl!

2. One thing I find a little missing from the text list and
discussion is comments about what books have answers. I find
that any study, but especially self study requires large amounts
of drill. Having the answer to check is useful pyschologically
(video game reward of right answer). Also, it helps push for
care (catch math mistakes). And sometimes, can be helpful in
finding where you went wrong. [Think perhaps the list should
be more slanted to texts with solutions.]

3. No love for solid state? What about us cavemen who like to

beat on rocks. Shake and bake and make a superconductor!
Rajat 2 years ago · 0 Likes

You are awesome

Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank you Rajat!

Walter Jr. 2 years ago · 0 Likes

For electrodynamics " Introduction to Electrodynamics" by David J.

Griffiths is also good. Personal favourite.

Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Hi Walter! That's a favorite of mine too! It's listed here in the

post under "6. Electrodynamics" :)

Sean Lynch 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Fantastic advice! Thank you for the detailed list. This is just great.

Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thanks Sean! I hope it's helpful :)

 2 years ago · 0 Likes

You give a lot of praise to Young and Freedman's University Physics

with Modern Physics. I find this to be a typical American style of
book made to sell. It features nicely coloured illustrations, high
interest side boxes, and wordy expalantions; all the while it is light
on mathematics. In contrast, Fundamentals of Physics by Resnick
and Halliday (updated in recent editions by Walker) is an
immeasurably superior book in its formal approach, rogour, and the
graded problems supplied. I recommend you run through this book:
get the two volume edition, as the single volume is just too
unweildy. I think you will agree that it is a superior university text
book.

L A year ago · 0 Likes

I've used both Young and Freedman and Resnick and found
Young and Freedman infinitely easier to understand. Resnick
sometimes skips steps that seem "obvious" but can trip you up
if you don't have a teacher to point them out. I've had a
teacher describe Young and Freedman as "the book you use to
learn at home, in spite of your teacher". Resnick has some
really good problems, though, so I would recommend getting
the theory from Young and working on the problems from
Resnick. If you can solve all the problems in Resnick you have
a solid grasp on the subject.
 Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to check it out

some time.

Kyle A year ago · 0 Likes

Out of the two, I had to use Halliday and Resnick for

modern, and I hated it. University Physics to me has
more math rigor in it than the ladder, and is more
logical

Dhanushkar 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Please dear susan or anybody.

I find both the books on waves, vibrations and accoustics so non
beginners'. They are a bit advanced. Help me through it

Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Hi Dhanushkar! I am afraid I can't offer personal help, but if

you work through the textbooks in the order presented here,
you should be able to work through the waves and vibrations
books. Best of luck!
Sohair Abdullah 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Dear Susan,

I would like to add three more great course textbooks for

undergraduate electives.

1) Optics, by Eugene Hecht. This is a great course for people looking

into going in the field of Optics/Optical Engineering/Electrical
Engineering/Quantum Optics/Opto-electronics. It is a great course
for both theoretical and applied Physicists. Light is studied heavily
using the laws of electrodynamics and quantum mechanics.

2) Solid State Physics by Omar: It is a must if you are thinking of

going into research in physics--this course will ultimately teach you
how do transistors work. So yeah, if you are looking into how did
John Bardeen at Bell labs started a technological revolution by the
invention of the transistor, take this course. You will also learn
about other fascinating things like quantum levitation, super
conducting theory etc.
It is a bit hard and dry course though.

3) Introduction to Error Analysis, by Taylor: Essential for every

applied physicist. Teaches you how to use statistical tools to deal
with errors in measurements, and how to carry them forward in
your calcualtions.

Also, do not forget to try out "learning the art of electronics" by

Hayes. A highly intuitive text on electronics. Personal favourite.
After reading it and practicing it in
lab so many times, I now know roughly how does an iphone work.
:)
Best,
Sohair Abdullah

Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thanks Sohair! These are great books. Thanks for the

recommendations!

Andrew Taylor 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thanks for this, Susan. You and your readers might also be
interested in a student-focused text on General Relativity, which has
a second edition now freely available for download. Exploring Black
Holes is a highly accessible but rigorous text that describes the
physics of non-spinning and spinning black holes in plain language
and lots of support. Written by Oersted Medal winner Edwin Taylor
and foremost relativist John Archibald Wheeler, with second-edition
updates from Taylor and Edmund Bertschinger. Check it out:
http://www.exploringblackholes.com/

César 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Hi Susan, great article.

How much time it took you to read a book like QM by Shankar?

I'm reading it right now and is taking me for ever.

Thanks
 Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Hi Cesar! It will probably take a long time. If I remember

correctly, it took me about five months to work through.

Fuckfeminists 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Fuck you. Whiny bitch. Omg someone wants to have sex with me.

AHD 2 years ago · 0 Likes

The Feynman lectures on physics are available from CalTech as a

web site: http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/

Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank you so much! This is great!

Shibasis 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank You. I am a CS student teaching myself Math and now

Physics. It is possible due to open courses, really brilliant books and
people like you. Thank you.
 Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

That's great to hear! I hope this is helpful. Good luck in your

studies!

Tom K 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Check out Physics for Future Presidents -- especially webcasts /

podcasts from 2009. The class promises a Ph.D. level of
understanding without the math.
http://muller.lbl.gov/teaching/Physics10/PffP.html

Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thanks, Tom! I'll have to check it out.

David 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Hey does anyone have a link to a free pdf download to An

Introduction to Modern Astrophysics?

The Vitruvian Man 2 years ago · 0

Likes

Found it?
 Fred 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Try library genesis

Rory Hartong-Redden 3 years ago · 1 Like

What a wonderful resource! I have fond memories of reading many

of these books in undergrad and grad school. I'd add two textbooks
to your list. First, Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein's General
Relativity by Hartle is a great undergrad textbook. It's an accessible
yet rigorous intro that we used at UCSB where Hartle himself
taught. Second, An Introduction to Mechanics by Daniel Kleppner,
Robert Kolenkow. ("Kleppner and Kolenkow"). This is a physicist's
physics textbook and it sparked my passion for physics! With high-
school calculus under your belt you're ready to go.

Lectures are vital to the teaching of physics -- it's a way of thinking

as much as a series of facts. Fortunately MIT OpenCourseWare
provided some of the best lectures anywhere to everyone for free.
https://youtu.be/X9c0MRooBzQ?
list=PLUdYlQf0_sSsb2tNcA3gtgOt8LGH6tJbr

Susan Fowler 2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank you Rory! These are great!

Aaron Carter 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Im a 16 year old who does ordinary level maths and no science

subjects at the momment but i really like to learn about science by
looking at the internet and stuff
should i pick up physics or would it be too hard to learn?

Derek Xiao 2 years ago · 0 Likes

I'm an undergrad EE Physics double major. I think high school

is plenty early to start learning. Even at UCLA, which is a
pretty decent school, people who come in don't know much
of the physics we learn in class before hand. Any amount of
learning before hand will put you ahead of the curve.

Pablo 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Hi Aaron! I am a teenager as you are, I can tell you that the

Internet is an amazing place to start learning Physics.
Remember, nothing is hard when you like it, and your
mathematical foundations may serve you in the near future.

Lahcene 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Hallo Susan thank you very much for these informations . I have
one question you are talking here from bachelor to master if I
understood right.but my question is what and where should I start
before because I want to start physic at the university but I'm sure
that I will not understand anything knowing that my bachelor was
in literature and humain science and my bachelor is on political
science.i need a structure of the study before I'm very interested in
physic string quantum theory and very interested in physic thanks

Lahcene 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Hallo Susan thank you very much for these informations . I have
one question you are talking here from bachelor to master if I
understood right.but my question is what and where should I start
before because I want to start physic at the university but I'm sure
that I will not understand anything knowing that my bachelor was
in literature and humain science and my bachelor is on political
science.i need a structure of the study before I'm very interested in
physic string quantum theory and very interested in physic thanks.

Christopher Smith 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank you very much for this list ma'am. I have Schroeder's
Thermal Physics (req. for class), but don't really care for it at all so I
went searching for something else. I have most of what's on this list
at the undergraduate level (and have heard great things about all of
your grad recommendations) so I had a good feeling about your
thermo/stat mech recommendation, but nobody else on forums or
Quora was talking about that book. Today I looked at about 6 or 7
stat mech/ thermo books around the campus and Bowley/Sanchez is
what I'll be going with. I almost went with Blundell, but I really
wanted a book with answers. Thanks again.
Al leong 3 years ago · 0 Likes

How does one do it without strong foundation in maths and science

from pre college?
Susan got to be gifted to bridge that gap !

Sho Kuwamoto 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Also, Thermodynamics by Fermi is worth reading (although

probably not sufficient to cover the entire topic, since it's a bit
dated).

Sho Kuwamoto 3 years ago · 0 Likes

The Character of Physical Law is one of my favorite books of all

time! Glad to see it getting the recognition it deserves on your list!

Gene 3 years ago · 0 Likes

I've heard Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday/Resnick/Walker is

also very good. Does anybody have any comments on how that
compares to University Physics.

Lmm3 3 years ago · 1 Like

Halliday and Rednick is my go to book for physics

fundamentals. I can't recommend it enough.
John Ho 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank you so much, Susan!

Regurathi Pandian 3 years ago · 0 Likes

Thank you very much. Now I have to start seriously

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