Advanced Physics (Advanced Sciences)

First of all - if you're looking for a 'quick' guide to physics, I suggest trying to find something else. This textbook is definitely not suited for that purpose due to the sheer breadth of information contained inside. Arguably not something to try and read so you can cram before an exam. I *highly* suggest going though the preview of the first edition to see if this book suits your needs. Still interested in this book? You might want to read the reviews for the first edition as well as the same excellent material carries over. There are some new exam questions in this 2nd edition and some additions - e.g. a chapter titled 'New Frontiers' that deals with some of the latest discoveries in physics such as the Higgs boson. Pertaining to the introductory comment about this not being a 'quick' guide to physics, this book truly shines if you want to learn and understand physics at AS and A2 level. This is in stark comparison to other books - for example, my AQA Physics A AS: Student's Book is OK for learning physics, but learning does not mean that one understands it. Being able to understand it opens so many doors and in my limited experience of AS Level physics so far, it greatly lowers the difficulty of the learning process. Due to the amount of information in this book, I sometimes find myself opening it just to read it for pleasure just to find out more about physics, with particular emphasis on things not covered in the AQA syllabus. I have to admit I was initially put off by the price of the book - at £40, it is roughly double the price of other physics books, but you have to factor in that it contains AS, A2 and maybe a little bit more as well. If you consider the example of the AQA textbook linked above at £20, to get both AS and A2 books would be the same price as this book; would there be a point in getting the AQA if both options are the same price? ADDENDUM - March 2014: I feel that having owned and used this textbook over the last few months, I am compelled to revisit this review and add some extra information to it. Firstly - the sheer breadth of information in this book is a doubled edged sword at times. Finding the right information that your Physics A-Level spec needs does take a little longer than opening the textbook that is 'exam board certified' (i.e. contains what the spec lays down) and at times, I opt for the latter approach for convenience. Annoyingly, the publisher, OUP, used to provide a page on their website listing what pages were applicable to your specific course for the previous edition; this has since been taken down. I have contacted OUP in the hope that they will provide such a page in the future. I have also found that due to the general nature of the book, some elements of my AQA course are missing (ex: the AQA book has a section on 'two support problems in moments'). Arguably, both textbooks compliment each other, and it would be foolish to purely rely on one textbook for learning physics. However, despite this, I still stand by my original statement that the information in the book is excellent.

Excellent quality and value.

Excellent content, well written and very well presented. I bought this for my daughter for her A level Physics and now I am using it as I'm about to start my PGCE course as a secondary school physics teacher. This book takes over where Nelkon & Parker left off.

Recommended by fellow Physics teachers as a bit of additional reading for a relative newcomer to the subject. Very useful. I regularly refer to it and recommend to anyone else who is a little uncertain on any topics, including new teachers and a-level students who want a bit of extra info.

great for real understanding of A level physics