Physics books – Self Learning Books For Advanced Physics

Also Read Self Learning Books on Cosmology and Astrophysics   and Rare Finds in Relativity

After I prematurely quit my Physics Ph.D. program (University of Florida), I still attempted to keep up with what I could (alongside a full time job, family).  If you are looking to get back into the exciting world of physics (without skipping the math), here is a list of books.  It took me a good two dozen years to build my physics and math library (which contains several dozen books), but these are the gems that still stand out. I attempt to keep this list up to date with newer releases, and if you have a favorite that you think belongs in this list of self learning physics books, please comment below.

Getting started learning physics

The three books listed below (by Leonard Susskind) are all gems in their own right. With a penchant for understanding what trips up students around key concepts, Susskind is a master teacher (along with being a master physicist). If you skip all the rest, just focus on these three and you will probably KNOW more physics than other self learners.

The Theoretical Minimum Leonard Susskind

Special Relativity and Classical Physics – The Theoretical Minimum – Leonard Susskind

Quantum Mechanics – The Theoretical Minimum

Road to Reality – Roger Penrose

While this will not make you a mathematical wizard, it does try and explain calculus, complex numbers (and quaternoins) as well as a host of mathematical topics in laymen terms. Penrose does not stop there – he moves on to advanced topics such as Riemann Surfaces, Group theory (lie groups),  fiber bundles, twistor theory (to which Penrose contributed heavily ) and other advanced topics. He offers the reader the option of skipping the math and reading the physics applications of the math. For those interested in problem solving, interesting problems accompany most chapters.

His treatment of complex number calculus and his chapter on Quantum Entanglement stand out as above par. If you ever struggled to understand the value of complex numbers or how they simplify actual problem solving, Penrose provides simple and elegant explanations. There is no doubt that a book of such grandiose breadth will attract critics, but overall, the book has more ‘goodies’ than negatives.  It is targeted towards a very large audience – from high school students (with some physics and calculus) to the advanced undergraduate student to the layperson with some mathematical exposure – looking to learn more.

While not an easy read, it is a great starting point for anyone looking to get back into physics  – by approaching it from the mathematical side (Penrose is actually a mathematical physicist  – he holds one of the most prestigious chairs in the world of mathematics).

Quantum Mechanics and QFT – Self Learning Books

Understanding Quantum Physics – A User’s Manual

Understanding More Quantum Physics

David Bohm – Quantum Theory

Quantum Field Theory – Self Learning Books

Elements of Advanced Quantum Theory – A great first book to get into field theory.

Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell

Peskin and Schroeder – Quantum Field Theory

QED and the men who made it. An excellent dive into the sequence of landmark discoveries and papers, along with the personalities involved.

Self Learning Physics books – My favorite Problem Books

Like you can only learn coding by actually coding, you can only learn physics by doing physics. Doing Physics requires the right ‘problem books’. Rather than try to summarize those here, I created a separate post capturing my favorite physics and Math problem solving books.

A Guide to Physics Problems – Parts 1 and 2

These are actual Ph.D. qualifying exam problems. Most problems are short and beautiful – and the solutions are elegant. The problems do not emphasize raw math crunching (solving a god-awful diff equation via series expansion…) – but focuses more on concepts and simple approaches to problems. If you are looking to get back to graduate school physics, chances are you will need to re-take the qualifying exams. This is the best set of books to prepare you for such an exam.

Advanced Problems and Mathematical Topics

Now that you have tested the waters, here are some books that will get you caught up on the advances in mathematical physics.

Selected Mathematical Methods in Theoretical Physics – V.P. Krainov

Perturbation methods, Temporal Green’s Functions and other mathematical methods that are used by practitioners today.

Classical Electrodynamics Third Edition

The best use of this book is as a paperweight (just kidding). The best way to use this book is to google online for solutions to the problems. You see – the problems themselves provide a very thorough grounding in mathematical physics – one that will benefit any area of research that you get into. The book itself is fairly boring as any graduate student can recall. However, the problems are a helpful learning tool.

Approximation Methods in Quantum Mechanics

If an expert mathematical physicist (or two) combined all his lifelong tips and tricks and put them into one volume, this book would be the outcome.  The problems are extremely interesting (approximate the size of a hydrogen atom based purely on dimensional arguments…, Pair formation, Lamb Shift, Photoelectric effect…). These are all solved by using QUALITATIVE  physical arguments (‘small’ perturbations, ‘sudden’ perturbations etc.). Estimating derivatives, integrals and solutions to Differential Equations – are all part of their toolkit.

Summary

By no means comprehensive, t

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