Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory

This book has become my personal favorite over the last two days. The lucid explanations and wonderful topics do not shy away from using the math to uncover the physics. They go hands on - introducing concepts that I had only heard of, like gauge invariance, Poynting vectors, tensors etc. in a mathematically rigorous yet friendly way. I have never seen a book on electrodynamics derive the Coulomb or Ampere law. They are just stated as 'mathematical' postulates. But the way Lenny and Art build up fundamental concepts using beautiful and elegant logic, it just puts a smile on your face. Also, Groucho, whom I assume to be dog, is safe for now. They haven't figured out how the 'flux of relativistic knowledge' could penetrate a dog.

The book is very interesting and this gotta be the most interesting book I have read in my life the was Leonard Susskind explains is very interesting and the equations make it easy also to understand the concept. And the examples also are understandable. THIS IS A MUST BUY BOOK FOR YOUNG PHYSICISTS AND THIS IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND

The presentation is clear with no short cuts in math exposition. A must read through if you have interest in the subject

5 stars for content minus 1 for paper quality. Penguin's standards have declined over these past few years.

Second half of the book uses Advanced Mechanics to develop the subject matter, make sure you know that before; then proceed.

Good book

Important insights on many physical quantities that will make your physics better and change your way of doing physics . Derivation of Maxwell's equations using relativity, Lagrangian and Action principle is really easy to understand.

Good 👍 product

After retiring and reading several of Brian Greene's books, I decided I wanted a lot more math and physics background.In the last few years I have read or at least skimmed many basic and advanced volumes [including The Theoretical Minimum #1], which prepared me to appreciate the brilliance of the text and presentation of Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory. Perhaps it's the perspective added by Art Friedman that makes this so accessible to the interested but amateur reader.The development and consistent referencing of the lagrangian and action principles are very enlightening, and in a highly entertaining story to boot. A multiverse full of thank yous to Professor Susskind for the time and energy you have devoted to helping your fellow man to appreciate some of the wonders of the physical world.

I used to teach high school physics. Before reading this book, I would never have taken a course in Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory that had me as a teacher. I could do it now, because I've just read the clearest explanations of these topics that I've ever seen. This is the real deal, not a popularization. It even includes some tensor math; the first time I've understood it. A decent math background is needed, but if you have it, a lot of physics will make sense.

Great content and links to on-line lectures.

Tercer título de una magnífica serie de libros dirigidos a los que nos quedan cortas las obras de divulgación científica, pero no tenemos formación en física más allá del bachillerato. Imprescindible.

I hesitated a lot before scoring this book 5*. In fact, the approach, through the least action principle, in special relativity is very original and worth to be read. Now, the book has a very mathematical approach on the one hand and after reading, I still feel the flavor of no rigorous process at stake for finding the Lagrangian of a given situation... There are also some basic questions on which I do not necessarily agree, as usual for books of physics, in particular concerning the equations of Maxwell and their interpretation. It is also a pity that no reference is made to the quantum experiment of Aharonov and Bohm showing the physical reality of the potential vector, and I would have liked seeing a discussion of its implications for gauge invariance...