Presented here in seriatim, are basic introductions to a number of isolated and completely unrelated topics in physics. Compared to the "REA Problem Solver on Physics;" the old standby, the "Schaum Outline Series on Physics;" or indeed my favorite on these topics "The Transnational College of LEX series," the DeMYSTiFieD Series is comfortably pulling up the rear.
After having read seven of the series, so far, all of the signs are that the material in them seems to have been "culled" from the bottom of better summary and introductory sources.
But giving credit where some is surely due, at least this volume has some very good and useful graphics and diagrams that tend to bring home the most basic points of some of the key elements of physics.
That of course is all to the good. However, in trying to make the substance "overly" accessible, the author has reached so low as to bleach out everything but the most elementary of the basic concepts and ideas.
As Einstein is reputed to have said about theorizing: "We should make it simple, but no simpler than necessary." Here, Physics has been made much simpler than necessary. So much so that one loses any sense of wholeness to the subject matter itself.
What's the point of studying physics if you can't ever hope to understand its more advanced concepts like Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, etc.? This volume starts so low, that even when it ends it is still well off the low end of the charts. This is especially unforgivable in an era where there is so much excitement in the field of physics. Too much time is spent providing background on elementary mathematics, which is never shown to be useful later on anyway.
There are easy ways to introduce difficult materials, just as there are difficult ways to avoid introducing them. The DeMYSTiFieD Series seems to have chosen the latter approach.
If as is the case in most of the DeMYSTiFieD Series, the subjects are only intended to be the most basic and elementary of introductions, the authors should say so up front.
Again, I am thoroughly disappointed, but two stars for the graphics. |
Physics Demystified : A Self-Teaching Guide (Demystified) Books In Print, Audio Books.