Most physicists and physics students know and love the lecture notes on all things physics from FQxI's David Tong, a theoretical physicist at the University of Cambridge, UK. Tong's notes on classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, condensed matter, fluid mechanics, "something different" (mathematical biology), statistical physics, gravitation and cosmology, quantum field theory, particle physics, and supersymmetry and string theory, have long been freely available. But now, enhanced versions are being released as books by Cambridge University Press, with the first four now on sale, covering Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetism, Quantum Mechanics, and Fluid Mechanics. (If you purchase from these links, FQxI will get a small donation. But the books are available elsewhere.)
Tong is a terrific science communicator (indeed FQxI's report on "Emergence" benefited greatly from his feedback on condensed matter). For reasons as to why you should buy his books rather than just reading the freely-available lecture notes, I think Tong's own words say it best:
- The books have loads more content.
- And better explanations.
- I now spell "Schwarzschild" correctly.
- I convinced the publisher to sell the paperbacks at half the price of most other textbooks.
- They smell nice.
Main image credit: David Tong