Introduction to Classical Mechanics: With Problems and Solutions

Taylor’s Mechancis is exceptionally well written as compared to the other popular mechanics books at about this same level (Kleppner, Morin). However, the book is unrigorous in both its use of mathematics (after all, it's a physics book!) and its treatment of physics, especially angular rotation and the variational dynamics. That makes it a good follow up to something like Halliday for students who are content to use math and do physics heuristically; that is to say, for most engineering and science students, this book makes for a good, gentle introduction to advanced topics in dynamics. However, Taylor is not suitable as a either and introductory or intermediate text in mechanics for students interested in graduate studies which will depend on this material. Kleppner rigorously derives the classical physics theorems in limited cases, using rigorous but elementary calculus, making it a more suitable introduction to the subject. Morin unrigorously derives the classical physics theorems in generality using huristic vector calculus, making it a much more suitable follow up to Kleppner and prerequisite to Goldstein (which is the standard doctoral text). Notice, though, that Taylor covers significantly more topics than Kleppner and Morin combined. This is in the nature of things: heuristic examples are easier to explain than theorems and proofs, which affords Taylor the time to introduce some amazing applications of the theory, for example nonlinear dynamics and fluid dynamics. If you are looking for a cohesive introduction to these tangential topics, and are content to do things heuristically, there might not be a better book than Taylor. I scored Morin 4/5 because it is the only book at this level which provides a rigorous accounting of physics of angular dynamics in the general case. However, the chatty style--not just the random poems, but also in the excessive number of casual “remarks” throughout--detracts from the physics. In particular, the chapter on Lagrangian Mechanics is terribly written. There again, the treatment is more correct but less clear than in Taylor, but in this instance the line of argumentation is nearly unintelligible on a first reading. However, it should be noted that almost no books prove, in the special cases where such a proof is possible, that Newtonian and Lagrangian physics are equivalent. They all, for whatever reason, simply argue the “if” or the “only if” part of the correspondence. In reality, Morin should probably deal with Lagrangian physics as he does angular physics: break it into two chapters, the first dealing with the most important special case (Cartesian degrees of freedom), the second dealing with the general case (generalized degrees of freedom). As it stands, none of the introductory Lagrangian Mechancis books, including Goldstein, do this--however, Goldstein is at least explicit enough with the definitions so that the untreated correspondence can easily be worked out by a student on a first reading. Furthermore, it should be noted that the treatment of Special Relativity follows the “curious paradox” line of reasoning, rather than the “homomorphic equations” line of reasoning. This is the standard, but by definition it is unintuitive. Since physical--in particular, mechanical and electrical--intuition is of paramount importance in the study and application of physics, I also think this standard treatment is rather useless. Physics Professors seem to insist on treating Special Relativity after Classical Mechanics but before Classical Electromagnetism, which precludes the line of argumentation which seemed to inspire Einstein in the first place: that Maxwell's Equations, including the constant factors, ought to have the same form under suitable changes of coordinates. For this reason, I think the best treatments of special relativity can be found in books like Griffiths and Jackson, rather than books like Morin and Taylor. (Indeed, Taylor explicitly refers the reader to Griffiths, which is ridiculous since both books deploy the same mathematical machinery).

One of my favorite textbooks on classical mechanics. I enjoy this textbook because it doesn't shy away from the derivations of the equations used and it has a lot of insightful footnotes. Some of them point out common misunderstandings of the concepts presented, and others are just interesting ways of looking at the topics presented. I wouldn't recommend this as a first college textbook on classical mechanics, though. I think it functions better as a second read on classical mechanics. David Morin's book will help you flesh out the fine details of classical mechanics and really solidify your knowledge. The chapters themselves are very good, but the problems at the end of the chapters are my favorite part. David Morin did a fantastic job collecting what you would call "cute" problems. The problems will really help you build your problem solving skills. You will be forced to be creative (figuring out how to correctly set up the problem), and systematic (checking limits and such). I repeat, the material itself is introductory classical mechanics, but the problems are tougher and not "plug and chug" problems and, in my opinion, should be attempted after already learning from an easier textbook and doing easier problems from another textbook. To reiterate once again...A lot of reviews might complain about this book and give it less stars because they feel like it isn't introductory. However, the material really is standard classical mechanics. The low reviews are, in my opinion, by people who are frustrated by some of the tougher problems and who don't have as strong problem solving skills as they initially thought they did. Buy this book if you are looking to really work out your problem solving skills and are aiming to become a physicist. Those who simply want to learn classical mechanics and do simple "plug and chug" problems will have to look elsewhere.

This is a very well written book. Good problem sets that build student knowledge along with thorough solutions provided after the problem sets. This would not be a good book for either first year physics students or first year honors physics students. They may be using this for first year honors at Harvard, but it is doubtful that the students are absorbing more that 50% of the information. There may be the exceptional student who is already grounded in Calculus and intro diff eqns along with a well developed AP physics, but most first year honors will be in over their heads. With that said, this would be a very good third year mechanics course text. The only real shortcoming is it is missing information on Hamiltonian, non-linear, chaos and such, but that could easily be supplemented during second semester. This treatise is much much better that Taylor's Classical Mechanics which is overly verbose, introduces other nomenclature at the same time it is introducing mechanics (no need to add to student's burdens by using different nomenclature than they are used to). Taylor's examples, problem and answer sets are very weak and add little value to that text. This particular text should be strongly considered for third year physics mechanics along.

So I have used Taylors book as an undergraduate as well as Goldstein and the Marion/Thornton books for graduate courses. What makes this book so attractive is the wealth of fully worked examples of problems that are unusual and interesting. Most other text books seem to rework the standard problems without deviating too much away from those. Morin adds entertaining twists and variations that are genuinely thought provoking. This book is definitely pitched at undergraduates...for instance while there is a section on Lagrangian mechanics, the related Hamiltonian and its canonical transformations are not. But a graduate student can still get a wealth of deeper conceptual understanding, which may help with the dreaded qualifying exams. If you are into mechanics and need a great learning resource, this is highly recommended.

I finally got around to reading this book I bought several years ago. Not only did I find it the best (for me) 'introductory' book on classical mechanics, I also find it to be one of the best physics books I have had the pleasure of reading. I put 'introductory' in quotes as it is non-trivial but the material is there if you are willing to put in the time. In my case, the author seemed to be reading my mind and answering all the questions I might have before I get a chance to ask them.

Excellent coverage and hand-holding explanations of what will be, for most undergrad physics majors, their first truly difficult class. Morin knows from the outset what things will be confusing and tells you not to worry, the full meaning/import of a definition or equation will come later in the chapter or else he just explains right there after introducing it. Compared to Marion and Thornton and Goldstein, Morin does the best job of introducing Lagrangian mechanics, angular momentum, special relativity, and orbital mechanics I've seen, even if at the time I was taking my undergrad CM the material seemed REALLY REALLY difficult! The examples in the book help you solve the end-of-chapter problems. Many of the worked-out problems are very good preparation for graduate preliminary exams for CM. It is essential to understand every example problem and worked-out example, and to be able to solve a lot of the solution-less problems as well. When I took CM as a grad student this book came in very handy. It's somewhat more advanced than the more common undergrad CM texts, and introduces a lot of concepts that Goldstein covers in a very obtuse, formalism-laden way. I think this book is very very good preparation for Goldstein. Even if you are past your undergrad class and about to take a Goldstein-based CM class, buy this book and refer to it often. It's only real weakness is the less in-depth coverage of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics as compared to Goldstein. There is a freely-downloadable extra chapter on Hamiltonians on the author's web site, which helps to make up for this a bit.

Not for book itself. The one I got is restricted South Asia edition and it is clearly printed on the cover that circulating outside of these territories is unauthorized and illegal. But I am in US. So has to return. Check before you buy.

This is an exceptional textbook for statics and dynamics. I regret not purchasing it when I was taking the course, because it is vastly superior to the recommended textbook we used. Unlike the required book, it is concise and succinct. The problem sets are one of the best features of this book. They're challenging. Each problem is given 1 to 3 stars to denote the difficulty level, and the three star problems definitely are difficult. However, there are well written solutions to a large number of the problems included, which is a nice touch. I would highly recommend getting this textbook as a supplement when taking this class, even it if it is only for the extra problems. This book also has a sense of humor. There are limericks throughout the book, as well as conversational asides that provide clarifications and helpful hints. For example, the section explaining linearity and the superposition principle includes: "For equations with one main condition (Those linear), you have permission To take your solutions, With firm resolutions, And add them in superposition."

This is a fantastic book, very helpful. I just wish there would also be problems on Hamiltonian mechanics.

It is a good book with modern languages and examples.

Taylor’s Mechancis is exceptionally well written as compared to the other popular mechanics books at about this same level (Kleppner, Morin). However, the book is unrigorous in both its use of mathematics (after all, it's a physics book!) and its treatment of physics, especially angular rotation and the variational dynamics. That makes it a good follow up to something like Halliday for students who are content to use math and do physics heuristically; that is to say, for most engineering and science students, this book makes for a good, gentle introduction to advanced topics in dynamics. However, Taylor is not suitable as a either and introductory or intermediate text in mechanics for students interested in graduate studies which will depend on this material. Kleppner rigorously derives the classical physics theorems in limited cases, using rigorous but elementary calculus, making it a more suitable introduction to the subject. Morin unrigorously derives the classical physics theorems in generality using huristic vector calculus, making it a much more suitable follow up to Kleppner and prerequisite to Goldstein (which is the standard doctoral text). Notice, though, that Taylor covers significantly more topics than Kleppner and Morin combined. This is in the nature of things: heuristic examples are easier to explain than theorems and proofs, which affords Taylor the time to introduce some amazing applications of the theory, for example nonlinear dynamics and fluid dynamics. If you are looking for a cohesive introduction to these tangential topics, and are content to do things heuristically, there might not be a better book than Taylor. I scored Morin 4/5 because it is the only book at this level which provides a rigorous accounting of physics of angular dynamics in the general case. However, the chatty style--not just the random poems, but also in the excessive number of casual “remarks” throughout--detracts from the physics. In particular, the chapter on Lagrangian Mechanics is terribly written. There again, the treatment is more correct but less clear than in Taylor, but in this instance the line of argumentation is nearly unintelligible on a first reading. However, it should be noted that almost no books prove, in the special cases where such a proof is possible, that Newtonian and Lagrangian physics are equivalent. They all, for whatever reason, simply argue the “if” or the “only if” part of the correspondence. In reality, Morin should probably deal with Lagrangian physics as he does angular physics: break it into two chapters, the first dealing with the most important special case (Cartesian degrees of freedom), the second dealing with the general case (generalized degrees of freedom). As it stands, none of the introductory Lagrangian Mechancis books, including Goldstein, do this--however, Goldstein is at least explicit enough with the definitions so that the untreated correspondence can easily be worked out by a student on a first reading. Furthermore, it should be noted that the treatment of Special Relativity follows the “curious paradox” line of reasoning, rather than the “homomorphic equations” line of reasoning. This is the standard, but by definition it is unintuitive. Since physical--in particular, mechanical and electrical--intuition is of paramount importance in the study and application of physics, I also think this standard treatment is rather useless. Physics Professors seem to insist on treating Special Relativity after Classical Mechanics but before Classical Electromagnetism, which precludes the line of argumentation which seemed to inspire Einstein in the first place: that Maxwell's Equations, including the constant factors, ought to have the same form under suitable changes of coordinates. For this reason, I think the best treatments of special relativity can be found in books like Griffiths and Jackson, rather than books like Morin and Taylor. (Indeed, Taylor explicitly refers the reader to Griffiths, which is ridiculous since both books deploy the same mathematical machinery).

One of my favorite textbooks on classical mechanics. I enjoy this textbook because it doesn't shy away from the derivations of the equations used and it has a lot of insightful footnotes. Some of them point out common misunderstandings of the concepts presented, and others are just interesting ways of looking at the topics presented. I wouldn't recommend this as a first college textbook on classical mechanics, though. I think it functions better as a second read on classical mechanics. David Morin's book will help you flesh out the fine details of classical mechanics and really solidify your knowledge. The chapters themselves are very good, but the problems at the end of the chapters are my favorite part. David Morin did a fantastic job collecting what you would call "cute" problems. The problems will really help you build your problem solving skills. You will be forced to be creative (figuring out how to correctly set up the problem), and systematic (checking limits and such). I repeat, the material itself is introductory classical mechanics, but the problems are tougher and not "plug and chug" problems and, in my opinion, should be attempted after already learning from an easier textbook and doing easier problems from another textbook. To reiterate once again...A lot of reviews might complain about this book and give it less stars because they feel like it isn't introductory. However, the material really is standard classical mechanics. The low reviews are, in my opinion, by people who are frustrated by some of the tougher problems and who don't have as strong problem solving skills as they initially thought they did. Buy this book if you are looking to really work out your problem solving skills and are aiming to become a physicist. Those who simply want to learn classical mechanics and do simple "plug and chug" problems will have to look elsewhere.

This is a very well written book. Good problem sets that build student knowledge along with thorough solutions provided after the problem sets. This would not be a good book for either first year physics students or first year honors physics students. They may be using this for first year honors at Harvard, but it is doubtful that the students are absorbing more that 50% of the information. There may be the exceptional student who is already grounded in Calculus and intro diff eqns along with a well developed AP physics, but most first year honors will be in over their heads. With that said, this would be a very good third year mechanics course text. The only real shortcoming is it is missing information on Hamiltonian, non-linear, chaos and such, but that could easily be supplemented during second semester. This treatise is much much better that Taylor's Classical Mechanics which is overly verbose, introduces other nomenclature at the same time it is introducing mechanics (no need to add to student's burdens by using different nomenclature than they are used to). Taylor's examples, problem and answer sets are very weak and add little value to that text. This particular text should be strongly considered for third year physics mechanics along.

So I have used Taylors book as an undergraduate as well as Goldstein and the Marion/Thornton books for graduate courses. What makes this book so attractive is the wealth of fully worked examples of problems that are unusual and interesting. Most other text books seem to rework the standard problems without deviating too much away from those. Morin adds entertaining twists and variations that are genuinely thought provoking. This book is definitely pitched at undergraduates...for instance while there is a section on Lagrangian mechanics, the related Hamiltonian and its canonical transformations are not. But a graduate student can still get a wealth of deeper conceptual understanding, which may help with the dreaded qualifying exams. If you are into mechanics and need a great learning resource, this is highly recommended.

I finally got around to reading this book I bought several years ago. Not only did I find it the best (for me) 'introductory' book on classical mechanics, I also find it to be one of the best physics books I have had the pleasure of reading. I put 'introductory' in quotes as it is non-trivial but the material is there if you are willing to put in the time. In my case, the author seemed to be reading my mind and answering all the questions I might have before I get a chance to ask them.

Excellent coverage and hand-holding explanations of what will be, for most undergrad physics majors, their first truly difficult class. Morin knows from the outset what things will be confusing and tells you not to worry, the full meaning/import of a definition or equation will come later in the chapter or else he just explains right there after introducing it. Compared to Marion and Thornton and Goldstein, Morin does the best job of introducing Lagrangian mechanics, angular momentum, special relativity, and orbital mechanics I've seen, even if at the time I was taking my undergrad CM the material seemed REALLY REALLY difficult! The examples in the book help you solve the end-of-chapter problems. Many of the worked-out problems are very good preparation for graduate preliminary exams for CM. It is essential to understand every example problem and worked-out example, and to be able to solve a lot of the solution-less problems as well. When I took CM as a grad student this book came in very handy. It's somewhat more advanced than the more common undergrad CM texts, and introduces a lot of concepts that Goldstein covers in a very obtuse, formalism-laden way. I think this book is very very good preparation for Goldstein. Even if you are past your undergrad class and about to take a Goldstein-based CM class, buy this book and refer to it often. It's only real weakness is the less in-depth coverage of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics as compared to Goldstein. There is a freely-downloadable extra chapter on Hamiltonians on the author's web site, which helps to make up for this a bit.

Not for book itself. The one I got is restricted South Asia edition and it is clearly printed on the cover that circulating outside of these territories is unauthorized and illegal. But I am in US. So has to return. Check before you buy.

This is an exceptional textbook for statics and dynamics. I regret not purchasing it when I was taking the course, because it is vastly superior to the recommended textbook we used. Unlike the required book, it is concise and succinct. The problem sets are one of the best features of this book. They're challenging. Each problem is given 1 to 3 stars to denote the difficulty level, and the three star problems definitely are difficult. However, there are well written solutions to a large number of the problems included, which is a nice touch. I would highly recommend getting this textbook as a supplement when taking this class, even it if it is only for the extra problems. This book also has a sense of humor. There are limericks throughout the book, as well as conversational asides that provide clarifications and helpful hints. For example, the section explaining linearity and the superposition principle includes: "For equations with one main condition (Those linear), you have permission To take your solutions, With firm resolutions, And add them in superposition."

This is a fantastic book, very helpful. I just wish there would also be problems on Hamiltonian mechanics.

It is a good book with modern languages and examples.

Amazing problems

This is a great book for upper level physics students. His limericks are the best part and is the only thing that got me interested in reading a text book.

I used this book as the primary textbook for UChicago's freshman honors mechanics course. If you're planning on using Morin, I'd really suggest getting your hands on some other supplemental texts. Some things to note: Different reviewers have said different things about the amount of math needed. Honestly, as long as you know basic calculus, that's enough for 80% of the book. For the rest, if you put in some effort to learn a bit of vector calculus, you should be set. Morin is needlessly wordy and long-winded in his explanations and often skips steps in his math that leave the reader going back and trying to figure out what he did. Often, I'd end up referring to other physics textbooks (especially Kleppner and Kolenkow) that would explain the same material, but in clearer terms and half the space. As a lot of previous reviewers have stated, the problems in the book are tough, with some nigh-on impossible. The nice thing is that for the first half of the problems, Morin explains from scratch how to set up and solve the problem, which often gives a lot of guidance on how to solve the later problems. Of course, some of these explanations are a little confusing and leave out steps. But perhaps most importantly, this textbook is really entertaining. The physics limericks and some of Morin's digressions are really fun to go through. (How many people can say they can find the moment of inertia of fractals?!)

The following I would like to not go unsaid about this book: 1) The prose is casual and clever. 2) Surprisingly: the disarming prose does not compromise the organization of the principles and material, as I feel Griffiths' texts unfortunately do. 3) Speaking of Griffiths: Morin's problems are just as inviting of creativity (as Griffiths: the principle strength, I feel, of his texts) and encourage real "thinking outside the box" as Griffiths. They are challenging and provoke deep thought, drawing forth the depths of the reader's creativity. 4) The unique addition of physics-limericks: I find them strolling into my mind while poring over a difficult problem. They are funny (or annoying if you are looking for The Way To the Answer amidst equation-jungles (Morin's text does not appear to me as an uninformative equation-jungle)). They actually help reinforce the principles well, and succinctly describe some profound physical-principles. 5) The inclusion of problem-solving advice, and good habits to get into if you want to be a physicist. On that note: I recommend a read of this text even if you've thoroughly-completed your classical mechanics sequence. Morin encourages checking of the limiting case, examining your solution, etc., and other habits that are "in the spirit" of physics. Conclusion: this text is rich, fun to read, inviting of creativity, brimming with clever and informative prose, and will help you be a better physicist. Best of all: plenty of good physics-habits are taught by this book that are beyond the scope of classical mechanics. My heartfelt recommendation.

This is simply one of the best books available on Classical Physics and its extension into Relativity. I would put this on the reading list of any undergraduate physics student.

I purchased this text primarily as a source for solved problems. Unfortunately, the solutions referred to in the title are only for about a third of the problems offered, the rest are only available for an instructor edition which are not available. The text is clear and concise, the solved problems that are available are pretty good, and I'd have been very satisfied if all the solutions were available. But those that are available fail to adequately illustrate the topics or provide sufficient practice for me to feel comfortable with my understanding. As with other books on this subject, I'm left looking for yet another source.

This is an excellent book. It comes with theory, solved problems and even some physics poems. If you are looking for a compilation of mechanics problems, then this book suits for you. But, if you want a theory book, I would recommend another one, such as Taylor or Goldstein. Also, the title says it is an introduction, but I would not recommend it for a freshman. I think it has an aproppiate level for a second year.

great problems

Didnt use this book when I was a student. Bought this as I am curious to compare with textbooks I am familiar with. This book is actually enjoyable and should make an excellent textbook for students interested in material beyond simple freshmen physics.

SOME EXPLANATIONS ARE LACKING CONTINUITY. A BIT HARDER FOR AVERAGE STUDENTS, BUT GOOD PROBLEM COLLECTIONS.

More difficult than it needed to be. ( or maybe I have forgotten a lot) I use it only sparingly

A lot of good problems and exercises to deepen your understanding of how the math applies to the physical reality.

The product is exactly as described in the ad. Only delayed five days in relation to delivery forecast . Brazilian recommendations !

It could have more examples.

The book is really nice, I highly recommend if you are in looking for fun and training for Olympiads and physics contest

I happened to see a few chapters online but it isn't completed. Then I try hard to find this book. I am attracted by the way of thinking and analyzing problems in this book. It starts with phenomena,then it leads you to think about it and try to understand it based on some successful and reasonable methods. You will experience how to discover the knowledge not just accept the knowledge what human beings have. I like this kind of book. I feel like a detector when I read it.. They try to find out the truth from pieces of information. This book really inspired my interest in physical science. Science for me is more like a puzzle game. I like to unravel the mysterity of the nature. I am really happy to have it. I treat it as my favorite novel and put aside my pillow.

This book is taught at a very high level for an intro mechanics textbook (I know people who used it for an "intermediate mechanics" class, it was my very first class in college), which is pretty cool. This thing is overall really poorly written and slow, and constantly has limericks which are very distracting

Review: Quick and accurate..the book is the latest version, in good situation, usefull book, the purchase was perfect...thank you very mach

I had to buy this book for an intermediate-level course on classical mechanics. (Unfortunately, it did not help that the professor was neither insightful nor inspiring but a gesticulating alien in front of the chalkboard.) It seems to me a mess. While the problems are definitely challenging and will suck up a lot of your time and effort, the explanations are not great. It is as if the author tries to go deeper than "Classical Mechanics" by John Taylor and better than the book of the same name by Herbert Goldstein but failed miserably at both. It might be a useful book in between, but if you can possibly avoid it, do so. Taylor and Goldstein will likely serve you better. Also consider "A Student's Guide to Lagrangians and Hamiltonians" by Patrick Hamill. I find it a useful supplement.

The book binding was a little chipped...

I can't help but get the feeling that most bad reviews here are from people who are frustrated with the difficulty of the problems in this book. I was initially shocked by the amount of insights contained in every section! Throughout this book, the author presents various helpful examples with proper commentary. He points out the subtle points and he always shares his -at many instances, unique- insights. He is very verbose but everything he mentions is great and very beneficial for the reader! After Dr. Morin has provided the reader with the proper background to solve the exercises (without ever rushing it), he proceeds to solved exercises. There are lots of them in each chapter (about 20-30 each chapter). After this, the author provides the reader with a lot of unsolved exercises for him to solve alone. So, we now come back to the first sentence of this review. Many complain that the problems are diabolically difficult. Well, after so many worked out examples, I think that having difficult problems (with solutions of course) is a natural extension. The reader starts solving easy exercises, and they gradually get more difficult. Moreover, the problems are themselves very interesting and quite a few of them require creative thinking, which is amazing! Furthermore, for the reviewers who found that the exercises were too difficult, it is not expected by every reader to be able to solve the more difficult exercises. This is a book for everyone: from dumb people to really smart; it's just that the smarter you are, the more exercises you can solve, which is only natural. Mediocre students can skip the various insights and just go over the solved problems and refer to the solutions when they can't solve them. Anybody at a higher level than them can appreciate the insights, try to solve the solved problems and then proceed to the unsolved ones. Of course, as I said, you can't expect to solve everything because some exercises are for the really smart reader. But, it's safe to say that anyone who sticks with this book, no matter what his/her level is, is going to learn a lot about the concepts described here and learn how to solve much more difficult exercises than they thought they would be able to solve. Not being able to solve all of them is only natural for a book that does not assume that its reader is dumb. For me, insightful books like this should be in every physicist's bookshelf.

Like so many colleges and universities these days, this book was assigned as part of a sophomore/junior year long boot camp style physics course and after spending so much time reading and re-reading so many sections of this beast, it's hard to come away feeling bitter about this book. As other reviewers have pointed out, the real meat of it is found in the 'problems' and exercises. One thing I should point out, whether you're a student, physics nerd, teacher, or a masochist, YOU WILL (unless you're smarter than Einstein) have moments where you'll want to burn this book and micturate upon the ashes. But, Morin is truly an excellent teacher and even with the limits of teaching physics through a text book, he manages to share with us several tricks and techniques that can only be acquired through years of experience. Some reviewers have commented that this book is condescending and that Morin is a smug writer, standard criticisms that in fact do appear in text books too often, but honestly, I never once felt this from the author's tone or explanations. What these reviewers might be attempting to point out, is that Morin leaves several mathematical steps unexplained, a trait that increases the deeper in the book one reads. There is a reason for this: it is an expectation that you be fluent enough to keep up with his steps. Why you ask? Because he wants you to be confident in your own skills and not rely on some professor to do all of the work for you. It also prevents the book from being twice as thick, an excellent practical bonus. A few criticisms need to be pointed out. (One) There are a few chapters, mostly toward the end of the book, where both the qualitative and quantitative explanations are lacking a great deal. Particularly the general and special relativity sections. These topics are difficult to master, and both the dialogue and examples are a bit rushed and leave a great deal unexplained. Because of this, I had to rely greatly on outside sources like wikipedia (thank God for wikipedia) and John Taylor's 'Classical Mechanics', which contains excellent explanations of relativity. (Two) Slightly less important is the amount of math you are required to know for this textbook, which could catch you off guard considering the fact that it's called "Introduction to Classical Mechanics". I was lucky enough to have taken advanced mathematics classes before taking the class that required this text and I would have struggled greatly had that not been the case. Morin also suggests in his introduction that this book could be used by advanced high school students, college freshman, or anyone interested in physics that has taken single-variable calculus, which is extremely misleading unless you are one of the few people on Earth that learned differential equations, vector calculus, and linear algebra in high school, all of which are far beyond single-variable calculus. You will also need to know a decent amount about series (usually introduced in Calc III). But, the upside to all of this is, he does provide excellent appendices for this material, though I would caution against treating these sections as an introduction substitute. At the end of the day, if you stick with this text, you will be greatly rewarded with a richer understanding of both math and physics. The mind-numbing, soul-crushing problems will eventually start turning your brain into a very precise laser sharp instrument capable of seeing the world in a different light. I imagine when you've finished this animal, you're mind will feel a lot like Neo after "waking up" from the matrix for the first time. He asks Morpheus, "I can't go back, can I?". Morpheus replies "No. But if you could, would you really want to?"

I enjoyed the book. The chapters would derive everything that was needed but I wouldn't completely understand it until I muddled with the book for a while and did the problems. Beware that the book does assume some physics. I hadn't done physics before and it took me some time to get some of the more basic ideas (i.e. For a coin that is rolling without slipping, what direction does the static friction point? (In the simplest case, Ff == 0)) As for the problems. At first the problems took a while. Then I started to think more and more like a physicist and the problems became easier. Kleppner and Kolenkow is better for getting the physics if you're in a hurry, but with Morin it feels like you are exploring physics. Happy exploring!

However hard I try, I won't be able to tell you just how outstanding this book is. Books like this do not come often. And when they do, they revolutionize the way I understand, learn and teach physics. For me, this book did to mechanics what Griffith's books did to Electromagnetism and Quantum Mechanics. I originally found this book while I was studying special relativity during the first year of studying natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. I was baffled. Special relatively made no sense. I found this book, and started reading. The first thing that strikes you, as you pick up David Morin's work is how enjoyable his writing is. It's conversational, witty, peppered with limericks, and generally quite fun (assuming you like physics, that is :-) More to the point, it just makes sense. As I read through the chapter, things suddenly started clicking in ways they never had before (more on that later). But the best part of the book, without a doubt, are its footnotes. Time and time again, I was reading the book and came across a tricky point I didn't quite understand... And nine times out of ten, all I needed to do was look down and find a footnote answering my question. Uncanny at times, I'll admit. In a broader sense, I think the main attraction of this book lies in the fact Morin builds theories from the bottom up. Where other physics books start with disconnected phenomena and covers seemingly disparate rules governing them, Morin begins from the very basic axioms, and builds a shining edifice out of them. And then delights you with endless unexpected applications and consequences of these principles that will fill you with wonder. This is what physics is about, and this is why his book makes much sense. And obviously, the problems! I have never found a better repository of solved physics problems. Not only are they carefully chosen to be interesting and to progressively illustrate the topics in the chapters, but the solutions don't just solve the problems - they teach you to think. Admittedly, this book is not for those who don't like physics. If all you're looking to do is pass a physics course, this probably isn't for you. If, however, you are looking to gain a deep, real, nuanced, complex understanding of one of the most beautiful theories around, pick up the book - you will not be disappointed.

Great seller! Fast shipment! Book looks completely new! My son was extremely pleased with it! Thank you seller!!

The title is somewhat of a misnomer: this book would not serve as an appropriate introduction to classical mechanics. It is not at the same level as Halliday, Resnick, Walker or Serway; it's more advanced and seems to assume one has already completed a mechanics course taught from one of those books. The heart of this book is the problems and exercises at the end of each chapter. They are extremely clever. The author rates them by difficulty and provides full solutions with insightful commentary for about half of them. The hardest one are RIDICULOUSLY hard. If you're addicted to problem-solving or are a physics professor in search of new tortures, this is an excellent resource. If you are actually looking to learn about topics like Lagrangians or Special Relativity, this might not be the best stand alone text. However, its footnotes and commentary accompanying the problems cast a lot of light on aspects of these topics you may not have considered.

I used the preprint version of this book for my mechanics class, and it is excellent. It is not for the faint-of-heart or those who have never been introduced to physics before. This book tackles the problem of teaching physics by an examination of physical phenomenon through intuitive understanding and exploration of limits. It doesn't really help those who want to pass standardized exams, but I think it really helped me to understand mechanics and special relativity (better than I would have otherwise, in any case).

Great Textbook. Very to the point, lots of good problems. This book and Kleppners book are classics.

This is a very good text on mechanics. It assumes that the reader has already been exposed to elementary mechanics,e.g,Halliday & Resnick. The real strength of this book lies in its many solved problems. Many interesting generalizations and limiting cases are discussed, more so than any other mechanics text that I know.

I have taken two physics classes taught by Dr. Morin. The first class was introductory mechanics which is covered in this textbook. The explanations are clear and the problems are abundant. The best feature of this book is definitely the worked exercises at the end of each chapter. The most important lesson I learned from the class is that in order to learn physics, one must solve lots of problems. [...]

I am in a course using this book and I really think it is not a very helpful book. Morin makes a lot of fancy jumps with his math and solves a lot of problems in "slick" ways(i.e. the methods of solution cannot easily be applied to any other problems)that confuse the average student. I think it might be a good book for someone who already knows the stuff well, but in that case I don't think you would need the book. I agree with a previous review in that their are not enough solutions. Morin does provide quite a few solved problems, but he also poses many more difficult ones with no solutions or hints of any kind. I'd get another book if possible.

I am currently using this book for a classical mechanics course and I am having trouble with this book. I will admit that I am not a physics major (I am 3rd year math w/ physics minor) and most likely sub-average to average when it comes to physics but there was a point when I was sitting at a table with a statics, dynamics, Halliday/Resnick, my laptop and this book trying to figure out what was being asked of me... I have always enjoyed physics but this book broke my heart. I agree that this book was a mismatch for my class or at least for me. Maybe in a few years and working through other books I can come back and appreciate this book but for now I fear that I have become a beaten dog and will shy away from anything that says 'Classical Mechanics.' While I am sure this is a good book, I remember looking through when I bought it and feeling excited and impressed with the parts I read but I fear that it will be a long while before I come back to this book once I finish this class. As a final note, if you are thinking about using this book for a class then Id say perhaps to use this as a supplementary text or definitely have one with it, be ready to go further into examples and explain more, but most importantly be READY/PREPARED for your class. So for those of us who aren't Feynmans, Bohrs or Braggs ... we have a chance at appreciating the beauty of physics and don't walk away with this rotten taste in our mouths and welts on our hides.

This book is definitely not a text book - introductory or otherwise. It is appropriate for a special topic class titled something like "Tricks and techniques for solving Classical Mechanics problems"/ "Classical Mechanics: Tricks and techniques for problem solving" or as a supplementary book to the text book. The title of the book is inappropriate because folks who will be drawn towards this book are the ones looking for solutions to problems so that they don't have to stay up till 3 am in the morning - leaving many problems unsolved is appropriate in a text book but not in book that has Problems and Solutions in the title. Finally, there are some good explanations in this book but they are few and far between. A professor teaching Classical Mechanics class must be able to provide similar explanations - not worth the cost of $45 or more.

Incredible presentation. Great way to really learn classical mechanics. The 4 star problems are basically impossible for a student studying this material but they are clearly marked. Clear explanations. Overall it was just a great text.

The bulb arrived on time and in good codition. After proper and careful installation it only lasted for about 1000 hours instead of the expected 5000 hours. I noted this to the company and have heard nothing bak from them.

I cannot deny that this book has a plethora of interesting problems to work through, so if that is what you are looking for, this is the book. In my opinion though, I think if one understands the theory and underlying principles deeply, than any problem is solvable. Unfortunately, I do not get a deep background knowledge from this book. I feel it emphasizes too much on the problems and the mathematics in gory detail. A book only needs maybe 20 problems per chapter (and this is still a lot), not the 100 or so that Morin provides. Ultimately, if a deep understanding of classical mechanics is desired, I would not recommend this book, but if a working knowledge, developed through solving problems is what is wanted, this is your book.

I bought this as a textbook for my class. Everything is very clearly explaned and I have not found a tiny mistake.

At first I thought this book was going to offer a lot of insight into the world of mechanics - wrong. The condescending tone in the preface should have sounded several alarms. I guess I should feel honored that I can use the same book that my future masters at Harvard are using. It is nice that many of the problems include some obscure trick in mathematics in order to solve them. I'll admit that the ways the problems are solved are pretty clever; however, there is often no rhyme or reason why a certain approach was used. I have spent several hours working only to find out that I made a "wrong" assumption in an unrealistic problem. This book is pretty discouraging and probably shouldn't be used as a textbook unless you have David Morin as a professor (see 5 star ratings).

(If I could, I would've given this book a negative infinity...) I've been forced to use this terrible book for my upper division, undergraduate classical mechanics course and it is by far the worst book I've ever seen, read, or heard of. The author spends one sentence on Lagrange multipliers, and less than two pages on constraints. In the entire book, he writes more limericks than explanations. The problems are then nothing like the examples he does in explicit detail. I had to ultimately not use this book when doing the problems from the book. I've used half a dozen other graduate level classical mechanics texts to compensate for the terrible presentation of material from this poor excuse of a textbook. The text spends an unbearable amount of time on Newtonian mechanics. We spent the first quarter save the last two weeks on Newtonian mechanics...and the scope of the course was to introduce Lagrangian mechanics, not review Newtonian mechanics applied to neurotic examples! The "proof" of Noether's theorem is a joke, and the author doesn't even mention one of the most critical facts of Lagrangian mechanics: two Lagrangians can differ by a total time derivative. That is not mentioned anywhere in the book. The "derivation" of Lagrangian mechanics is nonexistent, it is just "God given". Most unsatisfying, every other text I've seen has derived it from D'Alembert's principle from statics. Lagrange should be rolling in his grave at an angular velocity that would power all of Europe. His original text, "Analytical Mechanics", written in the eighteenth century is by far an infinitely superior introduction to Lagrangian mechanics than this wretched textbook. A lot of the book seems like magic, not because it's so amazing how the material is presented, but because of a lack of ANY presentation. Everything is "God given", which makes the reader feel incredibly stupid when he or she cannot figure out why this or that constraint works but some other doesn't work. Adding insult to injury, the questions are difficult not because they are hard but because they are poorly worded. My study group spends more time parsing the questions than actually solving the questions. So to summarize: If you are a professor, AVOID THIS BOOK AT ALL COSTS! If you are a student, AVOID THIS BOOK AT ALL COSTS!

The contest two bgook on one, The fist one consisting of text , along with exercises suitable for homework assignemnts. the second one, contains problems and solutions. jaime za April 8, 2021

I can't help but get the feeling that most bad reviews here are from people who are frustrated with the difficulty of the problems in this book. I was initially shocked by the amount of insights contained in every section! Throughout this book, the author presents various helpful examples with proper commentary. He points out the subtle points and he always shares his -at many instances, unique- insights. He is very verbose but everything he mentions is great and very beneficial for the reader! After Dr. Morin has provided the reader with the proper background to solve the exercises (without ever rushing it), he proceeds to solved exercises. There are lots of them in each chapter (about 20-30 each chapter). After this, the author provides the reader with a lot of unsolved exercises for him to solve alone. So, we now come back to the first sentence of this review. Many complain that the problems are diabolically difficult. Well, after so many worked out examples, I think that having difficult problems (with solutions of course) is a natural extension. The reader starts solving easy exercises, and they gradually get more difficult. Moreover, the problems are themselves very interesting and quite a few of them require creative thinking, which is amazing! Furthermore, for the reviewers who found that the exercises were too difficult, it is not expected by every reader to be able to solve the more difficult exercises. This is a book for everyone: from dumb people to really smart; it's just that the smarter you are, the more exercises you can solve, which is only natural. Mediocre students can skip the various insights and just go over the solved problems and refer to the solutions when they can't solve them. Anybody at a higher level than them can appreciate the insights, try to solve the solved problems and then proceed to the unsolved ones. Of course, as I said, you can't expect to solve everything because some exercises are for the really smart reader. But, it's safe to say that anyone who sticks with this book, no matter what his/her level is, is going to learn a lot about the concepts described here and learn how to solve much more difficult exercises than they thought they would be able to solve. Not being able to solve all of them is only natural for a book that does not assume that its reader is dumb. For me, insightful books like this should be in every physicist's bookshelf.

This is an excellent book, a must have. David Morin has the gift of crystal clear explaining things that are usually taken for granted in other books but are needed for a fundamental understanding of the matter. This book is full of very interesting problems from simple to very challenging, that help a lot in truly learning the concepts and creating a solid foundation for other physics courses.

This book is amazing, my only drawback is that some of the methods used are not as well explained as I had hoped. I am stuck going through this book because I have used other methods. This is good in a way as there are different methods for the same problem and this is now making me find out more about the methods used herein.

Great

Excellent

David Morin and David Griffith these 2 davids are the one you want for introduction to various topics , (tho Jackson's classical electrodynamics is good ) but anyways the book maybe over kill for me as a jee adv aspirant the problems are stupendous I am literally in love ,and am willing to solve the book too after my jee ,tho totally overkill for jee , instead I recommend buying physics galaxy for jee , honestly really good book couldn't recommend it enough plus funny too , humour is always a welcome addition I guess David G and David M do humor the best , idk I know maybe I'm being a fan girl but seriously I love this book , sadly I wasn't aware if exams like NSEP ,INPHO ,and IPHO during my school so I couldn't try them out ( cries in the corner ) great book for ipho students too for inpho tho hm the level is not that different for jee adv (leathy problems tho ) so for inpho only go for physics galaxy

The textbook is excellent. There are no two things about it. However, the printing stops me from giving it a 5. The first 20 or so pages have some pages showing the contents of the back page as in the photo.

A very good book for those who have completed 10+2 physics course and want to know more about classical mechanics.students who are keen to learn mechanics at higher level (undergraduate) will surely get benefit from this book.Relativistic mechanics is also described very well including introduction to Lagrangian mechanics but not Hamiltonian.Overall a good book for junior undergraduate students.

O livro oferece uma introdução à Mecânica Clássica em nivel superior e, do ponto de vista da teoria, é razoável, não sendo tão profundo e nem tão completo sob uma perspectiva histórica ou contextual, algumas vezes sendo um pouco prolixo ou repetitivo nas explicações e focando muito mais em técnicas de solução de problemas do que no entendimento do significado das coisas. Para um leitor mais experiente isso pode ser um ponto negativo. Por outro lado, para alguém que está começando a aprender Física em nível superior, essa característica pode ser desejável, caso se pretenda dar um curso com ênfase em técnicas de resolução de problemas. O ponto mais forte do livro, na minha opinião, é justamente a grande coleção de exercícios e problemas, boa parte com resoluções detalhadas.

Thorough treatment of the subject matter. Good for Olympiad students. Couldn't get an answer key of the exercises. Otherwise fine. Concise and crisp theory in mechanics. Not intended to be used if you are new to mechanics. Certainly not for JEE or PMT.

Great theory.It is the best book for classical mechanics (easy to read and understand). The author made this book interesting by writing poems for concepts, contacting the students by his sentences. It is the first book of this kind that I have seen. Problems and explaination to every problem is given. If you have studied physics upto (10+2) level,then it should be the book to continue with.

Best textbook for the ones who love mathematics. This book is for those who get exited by seeing mathematics in physics. Almost all the chapters of 11-12 th mathematics is used in this textbook. If you are having a good knowledge of high school mathematics then and only then pick it. If not, then first complete RD Sharma JEE Mathematics and multivariate calculus from Thomas Calculus. Excellent book to feel the mathematical beauty and power of mathematics. Highly recommended for mathematics geeks . PS - For reading this book, you must have good grip on high school physics,for that do HC Verma.

Moderno, molto chiaro, scritto da un autore che dedica diverse parti del libro ad argomenti che -- di solito -- non sono trattati in libri analoghi! Forse non proprio adatto come prima lettura, ma -- in ogni caso -- dà veramente poco per scontato; decisamente adatto anche per corsi non di primo anno! Esercizi molto vari, mai banali e scontati, sempre dal testo ben chiaro! Decisamente consigliatissimo, senza alcun dubbio!!

Il libro espone in maniera estremamente chiara ed esauriente la meccanica abitualmente presente in un corso di Fisica I, ma include anche un'introduzione al formalismo lagrangiano e basi di relatività ristretta. Gli esercizi sono molto vari e mai scontati, e fanno parte integrante dell'esposizione dei concetti. Ne sono presenti anche di notevolmente difficili (con soluzioni). In assoluto il miglior libro sull'argomento che si possa consigliare ad uno studente del primo/secondo anno di Fisica.

Empleado para las asignaturas de Mecánica Clásica de un grado en Física, contiene buenos ejemplos explicados y muchos ejercicios para practicar. Aunque tiene un precio bastante elevado, puedo afirmar que fue una muy buena compra y me fue realmente útil para comprender la materia. Muy recomendable

Ottimo libro di meccanica per studenti del primo anno di Fisica, Ingegneria, ... etc; i concetti sono spiegati davvero bene, si riesce ad andare nel profondo delle questioni fisiche e i problemi sono molto molto interessanti. Utile per andare oltre anche all'insegnamento ordinario. Ottimo esercizio anche per la lingua inglese, vivamente consigliato. Per quanto riguarda la consegna e spedizione il servizio è stato rapidissimo e il libro è nuovo, in ottimo stato.

Un capolavoro che davvero non deve mancare nella biblioteca di ogni appassionato di fisica. Lo consiglio a chiunque voglia addentrarsi in questo mondo affascinante. Scritto in un inglese comprensibile ma necessita di conoscenze di Analisi I.

Excellent book on maths

Very good book as a point of view for Problems. Problems have solutions but diagrams are not there in solutions to imagine the problem. But book is marvellous.

I appeared for INPhO and i can surely tell that this book was very helpful. I bought this book a bit late so i couldnt make it to the International level. But surely its a good book and will make you really learn something.

Not an international edition of book as SHOWN in the picture, in the soft cover.

Great book for people interested in problem solving in physics. Difficulty level is greater than JEE Advanced.

Good theory and great collection of problems.

Uno de los mejores libros en este tema. Sin quieres un buen libro de verdad tiene que estar en inglés y este el el mejor.

Ottimo libro, quasi leggendario, pieno di esercizi, però l'inglese a tratti rende l'approccio non esattamente il massimo della comodità ma è indispensabile comunque sapersi orientare nella materia anche in lingue più internazionali. Consigliato!

Das Buch ist sehr gut geschrieben und deshalb einfach zu lesen. Die wichtigste Punkte sind betont, sowie die nützliche Strategien, um ein bestimmtes Problem zu lösen. Natürlich ist es bemerkenswert, dass es zahlreiche Übungen und gelöste Probleme gibt. Die Limericks gefallen mir nicht, aber das ist eine sehr kleine Schwäche des Buches!

Came earlier than expected and was in perfect condition. The book itself is great as a self-study on the subject and lends you many example problems to push your understanding.

Good, but I think John Taylor's book is far better for this level of reader. I also think Marion/Thornton is the best book of the bunch, however it's not as beginner friendly as Taylor's book.

Contents and their presentation is amazing. Must be put together in the group of some most admiring books of Physics.

This is very good book which cover many topics both in breadth and depth.Highly recommended for Olympiad aspirants.

A comprehensive problem guide. Remember: it takes a lot of time to go through this book.

Amazing book for Inpho.

If you want to learn physics without getting bored, just buy it. This is the best writer I've come across for physical science.

Best book for mechanics on introductory level , and I also want to suggest that it is far far better than klepenner kolenkow mechaincs

Very good book... read and understand it with patience... U will overcome hurdles in mechanics....

Great book loved it

The right newt. mechanics book for undergrad students

Book was damaged from one end and delivery was not on time it was quite late . Else book was nice .

looks like i got a photocopy version, replaced early possible !

Good book for those who need to go a level up rather than typical JEE levels.

Para um aluno de graduação livro é excelente,traz definições incríveis sobre os tópicos de mecânica clássica e a boa escrita do autor ajuda muito os estudantes.

Cannot find reasons why the thing happens? , go for it

Poetry is lovely and it has a lot of humour in it to help for recreation...

This book has excellent problems which is useful for olympaid preparations.

Simply amazing....numerous problems with solutions...the best book for cm

good

Questo libro è ottimo per il corso di Fisica 1 (Corso di laurea triennale in fisica), comprende tutti gli argomenti del corso e li sviscera molto approfonditamente e in modo chiaro. Il livello di inglese necessario per capire il libro è decisamente basso.

This a very good book to learn classical mechanics. It have many examples and their solutions that helps to learn

Excellent text with application level questions

I'm trying to learn physics on my own and I found it helpful.

Needed to buy this for a class and it’s super useful

Best book ever

Very good

The book contains lot of problems with solutions. The theory is also very comprehensive and interesting.

Excellent concepts explained.