Physics is a field with popular appeal. Future policymakers, students with majors in the sciences, and students in any field with a curiosity for why and how things work could take a course in physics. Authors create physics textbooks with all of these populations in mind. Instructors teaching these courses face the daunting task of finding textbooks that can explain highly technical concepts. Using popular textbooks at some of the top U.S. universities as a guide, instructors can find accessible and academically intensive texts.

Popular Theoretical Physics Textbooks

Instructors at major universities in disciplines related to physics often assign theoretical textbooks in addition to computational textbooks, especially for introductory courses. Professors for classes in applied physics may only use theoretical, non-computational textbooks, especially for general education liberal arts students. These textbooks generally fall into historical, non-technical, and technical textbooks.

History of Physics

Introductory and applied physics instructors can use historical physics textbooks to explain the primary innovations and controversies in physics without using technical language. It is also a way to engage students from the humanities in a general education requirement.

The Soul of Genius: Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, and the Meeting that Changed the Course of Science by Jeffrey Orens

The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics by Leonard Susskind

Non-technical Physics Theory Textbooks

Non-technical theoretical textbooks provide the foundational and major theories of the field without needing a background in physics. As many students do not take physics in high school, these non-technical book options can make applied physics more accessible. Instructors for introductory physics, applied physics, and public policy can find these useful.

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli

Physics and Technology for Future Presidents: An Introduction to the Essential Physics Every World Leader Needs to Know by Richard Muller

How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel

Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines by Richard Muller

The Physics Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

Letters from an Astrophysicist by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Technical Physics Theory Textbooks

Instructors of introductory physics with students in the sciences should use textbooks that include jargon from the field while incorporating practical and understandable examples. These textbooks used in leading universities do just that. All of these work in introductory and applied physics courses.

The Evolution of Physics by Albert Einstein and Leopold Infeld (Stanford and Washington University)

Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum by Leonard Susskind and Art Friedman (NYU and Stanford)

The Theoretical Minimum: What You Need to Know to Start Doing Physics by Leonard Susskind and George Hrabovsky (NYU and Stanford)

Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher by Richard Feynman, Robert Leighton, and Matthew Sands (NYU, Stanford, and Washington University)

Relativity: The Special and the General Theory by Albert Einstein (Stanford and Washington University)

Summary and Analysis of Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution by Carlo Rovelli (NYU, Stanford, and Washington University)

Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction by David Wallace (NYU, Stanford, and Washington University)

Introductory Computational Physics Textbooks

Course instructors with students majoring in physics or other science and engineering fields should make sure to assign textbooks that have a mathematical component while providing a survey of the concepts of physics. These physics textbooks used at top universities combine computations, formulas, and concepts while using examples and exercises for students.

University Physics with Modern Physics by Hugh Young and Roger Freedman (RPI and NYU)

University Physics with Modern Physics, Global Edition, by Hugh Young and Roger Freedman (RPI and the University of Chicago)

Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics by Randall Knight (Rice University and the University of Chicago)

Mathematical Methods for Physicists by George Arfken, Hans Weber, and Frank Harris (USC and Yale)

Advanced Physics Textbooks

There are many different types of advanced physics courses, from experimental physics to quantum physics and more. Universities provide these courses for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. These textbooks serve both student populations and feature heavy mathematical components. Instructors should select from these textbooks for advanced students only.

Experiments in Modern Physics by Adrian Melissinos and Jim Napolitano (RPI and MIT)

Optics by Eugene Hecht (USC and Tufts University)

An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory (Frontiers in Physics) by Michael Peskin and Dav Schroeder (Yale, the University of Chicago, and MIT)

A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics by John Townsend (the University of Virginia, Rice University, and Brandeis)

Quantum Physics: A Fundamental Approach to Modern Physics by John Townsend and Laurel Muller (RPI and Stanford)

Concepts in Thermal Physics by Stephen Blundell and Katherine Blundell (RPI, Washington University, and the University of Pennsylvania)

Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics by Frederick Reif (the University of Virginia and Stanford)

Statistical Physics of Particles by Mehran Kardar (Brandeis University, USC, and MIT)

Introduction to Elementary Particles by David Griffiths (RPI, Brandeis, and MIT)

An Introduction To Error Analysis: The Study Of Uncertainties In Physical Measurements by John Taylor (RPI, Northwestern, the University of Chicago, and MIT)

Modern Condensed Matter Physics by Steven Girvin and Kun Yang (Harvard and MIT)

Linear Systems and Signals by B.P. Lathi and Roger Green (RPI and USC)

Introduction to Solid State Physics by Charles Kittel (RPI, MIT, and Tufts University)

Solid State Physics by Neil Ashcroft and David Mermin (Brandeis and MIT)