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Re: [Phys-L] Late Physics Learner -



Here are some additional options to consider:

1) Larry Gonick
_The Cartoon Guide to Physics_
http://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Guide-Physics-Larry-Gonick/dp/0062731009/

Don't be put off by the title. There is a lot of good physics
in this book ... presented in a lighthearted style.

Note that Gonick's _Cartoon History of the Universe_ is amazingly
good. I wouldn't put the physics book in the same category, but
that's not a serious criticism.

2) Khan Academy
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics

One alleged selling point is that the site gives a lot of quizzes
in an effort to determine the level of the student. I don't entirely
agree with the approach, or the results, but "sometimes" it tells
you something you didn't already know about the student.

3) Also note that most people cannot learn physics from a book,
no matter how good the book. There's something "in the air"
in a brick-and-mortar schoolhouse that helps people learn.

So one possibility is to just sign up for Physics 101 at the
local community college.

========================

Related issue: It sounds like this person has not done much math
in recent decades. It is entirely possible that her math skills
have become rusty to the point of nonexistence.

At this point the task becomes significantly more complex: It
requires re-learning (or just plain learning) the math and the
physics.

Doing either one without the other is asking for trouble.

I would like to see a book with the title
_Integrated Math and Science_
_for Beginners of All Ages_

but I don't know of anything that fills the bill. One thing
that is a step in the right general direction is
Philip Keller
_Advanced Math_
_for Young Students_

which is mainly about the math but applies it to more than a
few physics and chemistry examples.

Here's another book I would recommend for somebody who is getting
back together with math after decades of estrangement:
Steven Strogatz
_The Joy of X_
_From One to Infinity_

There's a big difference between watching a baseball game and
actually playing. This book won't actually teach you any math,
but it does a nice job of letting you watch the game, so you
have some appreciation for it, and some clue what you'll get
if you eventually join the sandlot team and start playing.

There is of course a ton of math stuff on Khan Academy.

There is also a Gonick book on Algebra coming out in a couple
of weeks. I know nothing more than that about it, but it's
probably worth the gamble.