Rating: 
Summary: almost clone; easy problems, few vectors, no fields
Review: Why publish a minor tweak of Giancoli, Wilson & Buffa, etc?
It's a competent book - NOT many errors for a 1st edition - and small innovations make up for its weaknesses. The book is based on *algebra*, not *trig components* or *vectors*, so its level is lower than Giancoli's. Like other bio-science-majors textbooks (still in print), there's too much info, and not enough clarity or depth of explanation.
Topic order is almost usual. x, v, a, & vectors are before (physical causes) F=ma, then E; p-impulse is not linked to F=ma, and only 1-d (almost). Rotation (KE & I, then torque, L last) is done before GMm/r^2, but Kepler#2 is still "treated" without L. Finally, oscillations & waves precedes fluids, heat, & thermo. [Vol.II is even closer to usual order.] Phenomena are often treated as disjoint: wave interference is NOT explained by the addition of forces driving the oscillation; deformation moduli, underlying F=-ks and sound, are put off until kinetic theory, so they can't be used in explanations.
This is almost Physics taught from a Physicist perspective. Scaling of physical quantities in biology is ignored; the bio applications are so sparse they are labelled! Geology is also ignored (even earthquakes) - but so is the quantity action! Unit vectors are ignored (oddly, except while deriving v^2/r).
A few concept questions appear in the text [good!], but it's hard to not see the answer that's just below the question. Chapters are padded with a solved example for each problem-type that appears at the end-of-chapter (easy patterns for homework). All odd problems have answers in the back, even the conceptual questions, great if they're complete enough; many have solutions on-line (and in a paper supplement). Very few of the problems are interesting, or challenging, or lead to useful insight.
Walker doesn't strongly distinguish condition from process, nor change from difference, nor introduce field ideas. But then, neither do the others. Partially-worked "active examples", that guide the reader thru a solution, are a good idea, but what's needed is less "surface" ("Equate the vertical force to the tension. Then..."), and more on how to think of this approach.
It's NOT a BAD book - but if you're going to do torque as a vector by right-hand-rule rxF, do that FIRST so practice can be had with simple situations. It's not difficult to re-order the topics, but this sort of inversion is routine in Walker, and his explanations suffer when the effect is treated before the cause. More to the point, why not use a book that's in the RIGHT order? [I can't find one.] Better order: Giancoli, or Kane & Sternheim.
If your students will try the concept questions "blind" first, or if your students get too frustrated with challenging problems, then try Walker.
|
