0

I'm a philosophy student whose knowledge of physics is fairly piecemeal - I've read a few books (prominently Rovelli's Reality Is Not What It Seems) but want to know more. I don't currently have the time (or the means) to enrol in an actual physics course or to devote all of my time to the study of physics, but I want to develop an understanding that I can build upon at a later date. Many of the books I've looked at thus far have either been too immediately technical or assume more familiarity with maths than I'm comfortable with.

Does anyone have any recommendations of introductory books, lectures, podcasts, etc. that will help me to reach a stage of proficiency so that I can navigate more complex terrain unaided? Introductions to classical physics and the history of physics are appreciated, as are exercise books or introductions to the mathematics required. Please assume as little prior knowledge as possible - I have some formal maths training, but it's somewhat hazy, and my grasp of algebraic equations and so on is very loose indeed!

Qmechanic
  • 201,751
wondering
  • 1
  • Hewitt's Conceptual Physics is a good read. It's mostly about classical physics with a little introduction at modern physics in the end. The maths involved are highschool level, but as the name suggests, it's emphasis is on the concepts and not on mathematical proofs. – ErickShock Jan 29 '19 at 17:05
  • The main resource everyone (but me) seems to like is Feynman's Lectures. Caltech has made them freely available online. I suspect that Penrose's "The Road to Reality" would also be up your alley. He develops pretty complicated math, but claims that it should be accessible to "the layman". (Personally, I much prefer Penrose's approach to physics.) – Mike Jan 29 '19 at 18:02

0 Answers0