Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems

This book is for a course I'm taking in spring. The textbook promises a great semester. The layout is very clean, the many examples are clearly set off from the rest of the text, the font is easy on the eyes, and figures are well labeled and explained in the text.

I didn't expect to receive the book so quickly, but delivery was prompt and the book was in GREAT condition!

I really like this book a lot. I never went to class for both quarters of my upper-division undergraduate mechanics class, and instead read Thornton and Marion religiously. I've heard friends express their dislike for it, but I think it is very clear and provides excellent perspective and insight. It is very mathematically rigorous, which I appreciate but others may not. The proofs given are typically very readable, although I often skipped over the sort of "obvious" things that the book shows in exquisite detail. Lots of great sections and topics, much interesting material covered, in addition to the basics. Highly recommended.

Whether knowingly or unknowingly, most of the physics text reviews that I have read may be divided into two categories:- those who loved or hated the book because it was not written to teach physics through a conceptual framework.- those who loved or hated the book because it was not written to teach physics through the development of skills.Then the reviews may be divided again into two categories:- those who loved or hated the book because it conveyed an exclusively classic and/or historical treatment of physics.- those who loved or hated the book because it conveyed a modern treatments of physics.Therefore, I will write my review within the same framework that everyone else seems to...I loved this book because it was written to teach physics through the development of SKILLS; I loved this book because it did so through a CLASSIC TREATMENT of physics.Now I will explain why...The study of physics is FAR MORE than an extraction of information from a book, the way that, say, reading an encyclopedia entry is. The study of physics, rather, is a MENTAL DISCIPLINE, that takes 10,000 hours of intensive mental effort just to become a 'fairly skilled beginner', and at least half a lifetime of intensive mental effort to become an expert in just one, very small, sub-sub-field. It is a journey in which one must tavel the same mental footsteps that the great physicists of the past did before one is ready to travel the new and original mental footsteps of their own research activity. Along the way, one must start with easy treatments, must progress through the intermediate treatments, and must one day tackle the tremendously difficult advanced treatments, of every sub-field of study. Early in the study of a new stage of such a sub-field, one must obtain a solid understanding of every concept, and after this, they must move on from mere concepts, and must develop an exceptional skill set. And one day, if one has been utterly dedicated and unwavering, and if one has worked harder than they ever thought would be necessary when they stood at the beginning of the road... one WILL find that they have reached a higher realm.I am utterly convinced that this book is the ideal written work that one should study at the time and place in the journey that it is usually encountered on this road.

It's good for those who have no idea to start the calculation.