Book advice needed (physics related)

[Vorago]

I'm looking for a book to give as a Christmas present to my brother, who is in his first year of a Ba in Physics.

So, something physics related, interesting, but not'popular scientific', I want it to be a book which will keep him interested for several years.

So for instance a book on Quantum Physics (or something else) that contains both a general introduction & some more specific formula's, etc. Different levels and all that.

I was looking at a textbook on Astrophysics for first year & second year students, but they are kinda pricey

Any ideas?

[Kahooli]

Is he interested at all in electronics?

Semiconductor (solid state) physics books are very useful - fun if he's into that sort of thing. I'd start there.

[Jim Nazium]

This is one of my favorites: it explains the weirdness of quantum mechanics in very accessible language, without "dumbing it down" excessively.
http://www.amazon.com/Search-Schr%C3...ef=pd_sim_b_24

This one I haven't actually read, but everyone says it's really good. Richard Feynman was a Nobel-winning physicist with, by all accounts, a great sense of humor.
http://www.amazon.com/Surely-Feynman...1230846&sr=8-1

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Quantum by Manjit Kumar (Poular Sciency, but good)



Quantum Physics - Alastair Rae



Quantum Mechanics - Alastair Rae (more textbook-ish)


As a budding physicist he might also get a crack out of this:

Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman - Richard Feynman


I've listed mainly quantum mechanics based books, are there any other aspects he is more interested in? Physics being such a wide reaching subject.

If he has a sense of humour:

(there are a few Physics books in the For Dummies range)


Edit - see I was beaten to the Feynman one!

[bassybill]

This is a great read - the science is awe inspiring and the people doing it are real people with real lives.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Holes-...1231361&sr=8-1

[L-A]

I think it would be interesting if you found a book on the mechanics and motivations behind researching (see Adam Savage's Maltese Falcon), or another subject that is related to his field, but I would hold up on the gift of what he's going to ram his head in for the years to come.

[Selta]

An oldie but a goodie is In Search of Schrodinger's Cat, by John Gribbin.
Anything by Michio Kaku should be on his bookshelves for sure as well.

[aborgman]

I recommend:

Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics By Its Most Brilliant Teacher by Richard Feynman

and

Six Not-So-Easy Pieces: Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, And Space-Time by Richard Feynman

[KJung]

My favorite two physics related books that aren't the typical 'quantum mechanics for the masses' type books (I like those also!):

1) The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes... a wonderful history of applied physics... amazing book.

2) Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Gleick. Beautifully written biography/technical book.

IMO!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

An oldie but a goodie is In Search of Schrodinger's Cat, by John Gribbin.
Anything by Michio Kaku should be on his bookshelves for sure as well.

Gribbon is wonderful, and that book is a must read for anyone interested in the topic of Quantum Mechanics.

[ehque]

As a physics undergrad i enjoyed Feynman's Lectures on Physics as well as Serway's Physics for Scientists and Engineers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fey...res_on_Physics
http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Scient.../dp/0030317169

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by ehque

As a physics undergrad i enjoyed Feynman's Lectures on Physics as well as Serway's Physics for Scientists and Engineers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fey...res_on_Physics

Note - the previously mentioned "six easy pieces" and "six not so easy pieces" are 12 of the chapters of Feynman's Lectures on Physics.

[Chebass88]

Feynman's Lectures on Physics.

[tonesponge]

When I was getting my physics degree, the professors encouraged us to read the masters. For example, you could start with:

http://www.amazon.com/Principia-Math...1262403&sr=1-1

In future years, you could gift the great texts from others, like Kepler, Watt, Maxwell, Einstein, Bohr, Feynman, etc.

But if you really want to give him something he will use for years, I suggest giving him his own copy of the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. That's something that's really needed and used frequently.

http://www.amazon.com/CRC-Handbook-C...1262654&sr=1-3

[Vorago]

All good advice, many thanks!

[karrot-x]

Hookers and blow?

That's what I would need if my major was Physics!

[Vorago]

I went with the 'Surely you're joking Mr Feynman' & '6 Easy Pieces' books. A nice total of 15 euro.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I'm sure he'll enjoy them