--- product_id: 184875143 title: "Teach Yourself Physics: a travel companion" price: "£17.96" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/184875143-teach-yourself-physics-a-travel-companion store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Teach Yourself Physics: a travel companion **Price:** £17.96 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Teach Yourself Physics: a travel companion - **How much does it cost?** £17.96 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/184875143-teach-yourself-physics-a-travel-companion) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Buy Teach Yourself Physics: a travel companion on desertcart.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders Review: Outstanding book for self-learners - This is a great book. I repeat, this is a GREAT BOOK! I wish I had encountered this book or one like it 30 years ago. I had always thought that self-learning was deficient when compared to classroom instruction; however, the author makes the point that there are some definite advantages to self-learning. So the first great thing about this book is its inspirational quality, instilling in the reader the idea that the reader is smart enough to do this, and that with the proper approach, self learning can take place at an impressive speed. The second great thing is his his idea that it's best to start with an overview book, and then progress to more specific and technical books once you have an idea about what's really going on in this subject. The author breaks physics down in to several sub-areas. For each area, he recommends one or more general overview books, and also lists some books that go more deeply into that area. I was happy to see that I already owned many of these books; I just haven't taken the right approach in the past to using those books for self-learning. He also has an interesting discussion explaining the difference between a widely taught textbook, and a book that is effective for self-learning. That brings me to the third great thing. The book contains some strategies and tactics for effective self-learning. I don't have a catchy name for his recommended approach, but it reminds me of water flowing downhill. If you put an obstacle in the way of flowing water, the water doesn't just stop in front of the obstacle. It flows around the obstacle; it finds another path. In this way, there's no need to be frustrated if you can't understand something you read in a book. It may be that you just need it explained in a different way, so switch to another book that until you find the explanation that makes sense to you. Based on this book, I'm going to restart my quest for deeper understanding of physics. Review: Great book - If you search for "teach yourself physics" guides, you'll mostly come across long lists of dry, dense textbooks accompanied by such encouragements as "you must know all of *this* before you can know any of *that*". One gets the impression that physics is some kind of trial by exhaustion. Yet, as Schwichtenberg points out, physicists such as Einstein and Feynman have always strived for simple and approachable explanations. Why then, are these guides so dauntingly monolithic? My impression is that Schwichtenberg believes this is (partially) a downstream effect of expediency within the university system (aren't so many things?) and my own experiences resonate with this. So what does Schwichtenberg offer instead? What he gives you is an incredibly rich tapestry of resources, tools, advice, guidance, and - most importantly - a map and broad overview. Crucially, the overview provides a large number of launching points for deep exploration. This book will undoubtably make a great travel companion and I hope to return to it for many years. PS: On a side note, I think books like this are going to become more common. When so much is being written, knowing what is actually *worth reading* becomes more and more important. And I'm not convinced that AI algorithms recommendation algorithms are particularly great at this. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #331,507 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #100 in Science for Kids #1,750 in Physics (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (254) | | Dimensions | 6 x 0.57 x 9 inches | | ISBN-10 | 3948763003 | | ISBN-13 | 978-3948763008 | | Item Weight | 13.1 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 251 pages | | Publication date | January 31, 2020 | | Publisher | No-Nonsense Books | ## Images ![Teach Yourself Physics: a travel companion - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61LgihkMy-L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Outstanding book for self-learners *by D***N on July 17, 2020* This is a great book. I repeat, this is a GREAT BOOK! I wish I had encountered this book or one like it 30 years ago. I had always thought that self-learning was deficient when compared to classroom instruction; however, the author makes the point that there are some definite advantages to self-learning. So the first great thing about this book is its inspirational quality, instilling in the reader the idea that the reader is smart enough to do this, and that with the proper approach, self learning can take place at an impressive speed. The second great thing is his his idea that it's best to start with an overview book, and then progress to more specific and technical books once you have an idea about what's really going on in this subject. The author breaks physics down in to several sub-areas. For each area, he recommends one or more general overview books, and also lists some books that go more deeply into that area. I was happy to see that I already owned many of these books; I just haven't taken the right approach in the past to using those books for self-learning. He also has an interesting discussion explaining the difference between a widely taught textbook, and a book that is effective for self-learning. That brings me to the third great thing. The book contains some strategies and tactics for effective self-learning. I don't have a catchy name for his recommended approach, but it reminds me of water flowing downhill. If you put an obstacle in the way of flowing water, the water doesn't just stop in front of the obstacle. It flows around the obstacle; it finds another path. In this way, there's no need to be frustrated if you can't understand something you read in a book. It may be that you just need it explained in a different way, so switch to another book that until you find the explanation that makes sense to you. Based on this book, I'm going to restart my quest for deeper understanding of physics. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book *by A***N on September 15, 2022* If you search for "teach yourself physics" guides, you'll mostly come across long lists of dry, dense textbooks accompanied by such encouragements as "you must know all of *this* before you can know any of *that*". One gets the impression that physics is some kind of trial by exhaustion. Yet, as Schwichtenberg points out, physicists such as Einstein and Feynman have always strived for simple and approachable explanations. Why then, are these guides so dauntingly monolithic? My impression is that Schwichtenberg believes this is (partially) a downstream effect of expediency within the university system (aren't so many things?) and my own experiences resonate with this. So what does Schwichtenberg offer instead? What he gives you is an incredibly rich tapestry of resources, tools, advice, guidance, and - most importantly - a map and broad overview. Crucially, the overview provides a large number of launching points for deep exploration. This book will undoubtably make a great travel companion and I hope to return to it for many years. PS: On a side note, I think books like this are going to become more common. When so much is being written, knowing what is actually *worth reading* becomes more and more important. And I'm not convinced that AI algorithms recommendation algorithms are particularly great at this. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An inspiring work for an unmotivated Ph.D. *by L***H on May 10, 2020* Give my story here, might be quite irrelevant. I'm working as a graduate research assistant in the material science department for more than 3 years now. I started to read physics textbooks/research because of my own research. Oftentimes I found physics book confusing, and I can hardly learn any physical theory effectively. As a guy who needs to publish at least one paper a year, my frustrating self-learning process creates tensions, sometimes friction between me and my advisor. Politely speaking, I know the physical details in my paper is not as clear as it should be, but I literally don't have effective way to use my limited time to learn physical theories. My advisor doesn't understand my concerns and asked me why am I not on board. But all I did for the last three years is trying to get on board and embark on more meaningful research, rather than get all the seemingly correct results and argue with reviewers of my papers. The day before I bought this book I was talking to a recently-graduated Ph.D. friend about quitting my program. The central piece of advice my friend gave me was: just say you're sorry and stick to what your advisor told you to do. Does that mean I have to follow the lead from a faculty member whose Ph.D. training is centered around a topic totally irrelevant to what I am doing? He doesn't even have the patience of letting me finish my research ideas these days. I feel hopeless after that talk. Got the book yesterday and finish it today, just wanna give myself another thrust to get motivated (i.e. trying to find the meaning of my life). And Jakob did a great job of explaining how a layman could study physical theory more effectively by using a top-bottom method along with good sources. Some of the advice he gives is already my daily practice which means I am not as hopeless as I thought I was. I'm a big fan of his no-nonsense series, and now this book will definitely secure a permanent position on my bookshelf. I don't give 5-star because it lacks book recommendations on stat mech, which is most relevant to my research. And I probably should start writing blogs for things I newly learned too... Anyway, thank Jakob for reviving a walking-dead Ph.D. candidate. ## Frequently Bought Together - Teach Yourself Physics: a travel companion - A Student's Guide to Maxwell's Equations (Student's Guides) - A Student's Guide to Waves (Student's Guides) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/184875143-teach-yourself-physics-a-travel-companion](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/184875143-teach-yourself-physics-a-travel-companion) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-06-04*