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- Paul G. Hewitt, Conceptual Physics
- Cutnell and Johnson, Physics
- Raymond A. Serway, Principles of Physics
- Halliday, Resnick, and Walker; Fundamentals of Physics
- Kenneth Krane, Modern Physics
- Hardwick and Bouillon, Introduction to Chemistry
- Darrell D. Ebbing, General Chemistry
- Hamblin and Christiansen, Earth's Dynamic Systems
- Brum, McKane, and Karp; Biology Fundamentals
Paul G. Hewitt, Conceptual Physics, 8th Edition
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(Edition published by Addison-Wesley, July, 1997.)
Paul G. Hewitt, Conceptual Physics,
Edition published by the Longman Publishing Group, December, 1997.
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(I don't know how it differs from the edition named
above. Listed here for completeness (or in case Addison-Wesley
goes out of stock).
Plain English and non-mathematical explanation of all topics in
physics. Everyday items, such as objects found around the house
or in the playground, are taken as the examples wherever possible.
Cartoons are often the media of his messages (Paul Hewitt also
draws physics teaching cartoons for every issue of The Physics
Teacher magazine, the journal of the
American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).
Conceptual Physics
is best text book for a high school general physics course. It is NOT
suitable as the primary text book for a
New York State Regents physics
course, since the Regents required mathematical formulas
are absent.
Since Paul G. Hewitt believes in the method of conceptual
physics, the book is packed full of conceptual questions and
exercises, which physics teachers who have been trained in the
method of constructivism will want to use for classroom
discussions.
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John D. Cutnell and Kenneth W. Johnson, Physics
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Simply the best algebra-based college physics 101 book. Everyday
objects and visual concepts are emphasized throughout.
Cutnell and Johnson in an introductory text. It differs from a
high school physics textbook mainly in that it assumes a slightly
greater proficiency in algebra. It begins with complete coverage
of vector operations in the abstract, whereas a high school
curriculum usually goes right into mechanics and introduces vector
operations as needed. Cutnell and Johnson also includes units on
rotational kinematics, rotational dynamics, and fluid mechanics,
which are omitted entirely from the
New York State Regents curriculum for high school physics,
but are often covered in part by high school teachers in states
other than New York. Cutnell and Johnson is not intended as a
high school text, but as the physics text for college students who
don't require the calculus treatment needed by physics and
engineering majors, e.g., the physics requirement of nursing
students. It is the best book available today for its specific
purpose.
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Raymond A. Serway, Principles of Physics, 2nd edition
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Serway is the best calculus-based college physics book. Not
appropriate for an algebra-based curriculum; e.g., the electric
field produced by nonuniform charge distributions is calculated by
integration.
The edition linked above is the complete text in one volume. The
book is also available in separate
Volume 1
and
Volume 2
editions.
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David Halliday, Robert Resnick, and Jearl Walker;
Fundamentals of Physics, 5th edition (hardcover)
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Calculus-based. Many physics teachers like Halliday, Resnick, and
Walker better than
Serway
, but I feel that Serway is slightly easier to understand.
Students' perception is sometimes that Halliday has "too
many words".
I have linked to the edition that consists of one large volume.
There are also various editions produced in 2-volume and 3-volume
sets.
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Kenneth Krane, Modern Physics
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The best textbook for what's usually a third or fourth course in
college physics, covering everything from quantum mechanics to
relativity to nuclear energy. The student must already know the
basics of calculus. Although the actual derivitives and
integrals needed here are relatively simple, what the equations
mean would be incomprehensible without some knowledge of
calculus. The hardcover first edition has been discontinued;
the second edition is paperback.
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Hardwick and Bouillon, Introduction to Chemistry
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Hardwick and Bouillon take a "one step at a time" approach to
problem solving. How would I figure out how many moles of
O2 are needed to produce 6 grams of H2O?
Brief discussion ... a numerical example ... a few exercises
with solutions provided at the end of the chapter. The factor
label method of converting units is used from the beginning, so
the student always has a systematic way to get from grams to moles
to mole ratios to compound mass, etc.
Everyday examples of substances are used as examples: ethylene
glycol is car antifreeze, a sodium hypochlorite solution is Clorox
bleach, etc. The more abstract concepts, such as the quantized
states of electrons, are developed gradually, and clarified with
color illustrations.
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Darrell D. Ebbing, General Chemistry
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I disagree with those teachers who say this book is suitable for a
first course in chemistry. It moves much too
fast through the basic skills. I would recommend this book if you
already know something about the subject, and if you intend to
continue on later to take organic chemistry. However, if this is
your first exposure to the subject and/or if you intend to stop
after taking chemistry 101-102, you'd be better off with the
Hardwick and Bouillon
text listed above.
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Hamblin and Christiansen, Earth's Dynamic Systems, 8th edition
Suitable for a "physical geology 101-102" course. Gorgeous
high-quality color photographs throughout, in addition to maps,
false-color satellite images, and drawings with the proper degree
of exaggerated dimensions to clarify features. The authors appear
to consider aesthetics to be the primary source of student
motivation, and no one will ever think "differential weathering"
sounds like a dry subject after seeing the spectacular photos of
Bryce Canyon, and several locations featuring buttes and
pinnacles. The approach is one of unification, that is, although
there are entire chapters on vulcanism, the seas, the atmosphere,
etc., these processes are also thoroughly integrated into other
chapters. Everything about the earth is presented as a happening,
perpetually unfolding, rather than something that "is." The
chapter on the environment and global changes contains the
latest knowledge about this important subject. The book closes
with an excellent Chapter 24 about the solar system as a whole,
with more beautiful photos, and a clear presentation of
similarities and differences (for example, Venus has tectonic
features such as folded mountain belts and faults, but their
apparent origin is not in a crust made of tectonic plates). 710
pages, 21 page color-illustrated glossary, 10 page index.
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Brum, McKane, and Karp; Biology Fundamentals
Brum, McKane, and Karp believe in the use of many full-color
illustrations which convey the beauty of life at the same time
they impart technical information. Topics which frequently
confuse students, such as the interrelation of organelles, and the
chemical basis of respiration and photosynthesis, are presented in
a way that ensures an exciting story rather than merely a heap of
facts suitable only for memorization. The authors occasionally
mention issues of "bioethics", the social considerations and
matters of conscience which appear now that we are in an age in
which we can do certain things which perhaps we
shouldn't do. The sections on ecosystems unify everything
that has been previously covered.
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