Then check out Head First Physics: A Learner's Companion to Mechanics and Practical Physics (O'Reilly, $29.99). Using the unique and highly effective visual format that has turned Head First titles into runaway bestsellers, Head First Physics takes the stress out of learning the mechanics by providing an engaging experience.
Full of brain-friendly visuals and activities, this fun, engaging, and inspirational book brings physics to life through real-world scenarios, simple experiments, and hypothetical projects.
"Physics textbooks generally present you with all the facts you might need to know, in quick-fire style. In Head First Physics, you explore and make your own discoveries. The book is interactive and you directly play a part. For example, you'll spend 44 pages exploring vectors in a treasure hunt competition rather than having the 'facts' thrown at you in the space of three pages. It's the exploration that makes things stick—and makes the book different," explains author Heather Lang, who has a physics degree, along with an immunology PhD.
"There are two main audiences for Head First Physics," adds Lang. "Students who are studying for AP Physics B or A Level Physics... and anyone who's interested in how stuff works. The book covers the mechanics topics of these courses, plus how to investigate physics practically using experiments. There's a mixture of learning physics concepts, and learning how use what you already know to work out what you don't know (yet)."
With Head First Physics, you'll quickly discover that physics isn't a dry subject. It's all about the world we live in, encompassing everything from falling objects and speeding cars, to conservation of energy and gravity and weightlessness, and orbital behavior.
This book:
- Helps you think like a physicist so you can understand why things really work the way they do
- Gives you relevant examples so you can fully grasp the principles before moving on to more complex concepts
- Is designed to be used as a supplement study guide for the College Board's Advanced Placement Physics B Exam
- Introduces principles for the purpose of solving real-world problems, not memorization
- Teaches you how to measure, observe, calculate—and yes—how to do the math
- Covers a full range of principles—scientific notation, SI units, vectors, motion, momentum conservation, Newton's Laws, energy conservation, weight and mass, gravitation and orbits, circular motion and simple harmonic motion, and much more
So if "Myth Busters" and other TV programs make you curious about our physical world—or if you're a student forced to take a physics course—now you can pursue the subject without the dread of boredom or the fear that it will be over your head. Head First Physics comes to the rescue with an innovative, engaging, and inspirational way to learn physics!
For a review copy or more information please email peyton@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.
Heather Lang is a jack of all trades, with a physics degree, an immunology PhD, and international caps at both chess and cricket.
Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596102371
Heather Lang
ISBN: 9780596102371, 940 pages, $29.99 USD, £18.50 GBP
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