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Don't panic: A guide to introductory physics for students of science and engineering
702 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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August 29, 2013
Don’t Panic
Life, the Universe and Everything … in One Semester
Don't Panic: A Guide to Introductory Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Mechanics is written for Serious Students of Science and Engineering.
Mechanics is volume one of the three volume series. The second volume is Electricity and Magnetism, and the third volume is Thermodynamics and Optics. I have copies of all three books in my attic. The books are nothing short of brilliant essays on natural philosophy, and each one puts metaphysicians to shame.
Once upon a time, there were those who thought Math was the Language of God. In those hallowed days of Myth and Lore, teachers believed the student was there to master the coursework for further study – and for profound as well as practical purposes. Great Scientists believed they were engaged in an experience no less spiritual or less important than the study of Scripture, meditation upon God’s nature, or prayer to or worship of the Divine Power that Created the Universe. They gave their lives so that we might share in the Music of the Spheres.
Dr. Bassichis is just such an old-school scientist. Whether he was or is as devout as he seemed thirty years ago, he knew the history of science – and he honored the giants upon whose shoulders he stood.
Buy Don’t Panic:
Amazon US - Hardback 2005
Amazon UK - Hardback 2005
Thirty years ago, I enrolled at Texas A&M University (TAMU) to pursue a Chemical Engineering degree. TAMU offered a great education, but I chose it because it was the school I could afford. My goal was to complete my degree, and enroll in the M.D. program run by the University of Texas. My hope was to go into radiology or neurology, and, if possible, study the development of non-invasive, remote diagnostic technology.
My inspiration was Deforest Kelley, a one-time actor who once made his living portraying tough guys in moralistic, television westerns in the 50’s. If you don’t recognize the name, and you’re reading my blog, shame on you Gentle Reader (I’m kidding of course). Deforest earned his place in the canon of Twentieth Century Performing Arts as the immortal, Dr. Leonard McCoy, better known as ‘Bones.’ Dr. McCoy traveled the stars with his friends, Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock. My favorite memory of him is a scene from Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home.
I met Dr. Bassichis on the first day of my second semester physics course: Electricity and Magnetism. The assigned text was Don’t Panic: Volume II, Electricity and Magnetism. Essentially, as he explained, we would begin where Newton left off, and end with the incredible work of Sir James Clerk Maxwell.
Maxwell demonstrated through mathematics that electric and magnetic fields travel through space as waves. Maxwell originally published A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field, http://www.amazon.com/Dynamical-Theory-Electromagnetic-Field/dp/1579100155, in 1865. Maxwell changed the world for good. True, after Maxwell the world was never the same, but Maxwell also worked for the good of all mankind. This is why we study his work to this day – while studiously forgetting anything and everything about the Great Scientist and his beliefs.
Don’t Panic, if you can handle Don’t Panic, you will be extremely well prepared to understand Professor Maxwell’s profound work. If you cannot understand Don’t Panic … well, never mind.
Dr. B began the first class by explaining that to understand physics, the student must understand the math. He thought mastering the basic grammar, terms, and ‘words’ of the Language of Math was essential for scientists and engineers. To Dr. B, math was the key to understanding anything about Life, the Universe, and Everything .
Naturally, Don’t Panic relies heavily on math and especially Calculus. In my daughter’s language: Duh. You cannot understand anything without the math, and if you don’t know the math, you don’t know anything about physics. Don’t Panic begins by reviewing the math.
By no means does Dr. B go overboard. Don’t Panic is subtitled: A Guide to Introductory Physics for Students of Science and Engineering. If you are not a Serious Student of Science and Engineering, that’s okay. You’re okay, I’m okay. We’re all okay, and we all have special talents and different gifts. But Dr. B offers the simplest possible coverage of a topic required for the basic mastery of the minimum information necessary for a professional education. The idea that Dr. B’s book is too much is outrageous. Don’t Panic is a book for those students who want to change the world, those who want to teach the next generation, those who want to make the world a better place, and those who ought to know better. As the subtitle says, Don’t Panic is A Guide to Introductory Physics.
Later, I relied on Mechanics to survive the Dynamics class I took under a cocky, arrogant graduate student from Pakistan.
During the last lecture, Dr. B walked us through Maxwell’s equations. It was the climax of the class, and I remember the moment vividly. After reprising Maxwell’s I was the only one who stood and offered a standing ovation. No, not because of Dr. B’s brilliant lecture, but in honor of the legendary ovation offered to Sir Maxwell by his colleagues and students when he presented his work for the first time. Dr. B not only recognized the reference, but explained it to the class and added details of which I was unaware.
After completing Don’t Panic, deriving Maxwell’s equations from first principles was mere child’s play.
Don’t Panic prepared me to take honors in Chemical Engineering, and eventually a Master’s in engineering degree and graduate studies in engineering. I’ve never had any trouble with the technical aspects of engineering or understanding any basic concepts in physics.
Ranking:
As always my ranking takes the target audience into account.
Don’t Panic is a textbook for Serious Students of Science and Engineering: It is not a text for activists, party-goers, privileged legacies, or fear-mongers’ of any kind.
Format and Writing:
My books are mid-80’s editions, but I doubt there are any significant changes in the style or instructional method. Contrary to popular opinion most of the advances in the fundamentals have been sequestered behind the closed doors of our military research labs. … Can I say that?
Don’t Panic incorporates an extensive review of Math and Calculus as necessary to complete the course.
Don’t Panic is designed for a professional course for science and engineering students and covers the material accordingly.
Recommendation:
If you are studying Science or Engineering, Don’t Panic should strike you as a breath of fresh air. Remember, I read this book before the first For Dummies book was written. In those days, professors dropped pearls in the middle of paragraphs three pages before trying to explain the topic, and two chapters away from explaining the related calculations.
If you are a Serious Student who intends to be a Professional Engineer, Scientist, Doctor, Patent Attorney, or any other similar professional, e.g. Radiologist, Rocket Scientist, or CIA Analyst… get this book and devour it!
Read Don’t Panic until you dream of the calculations in your sleep! It doesn’t get any easier than this – not even Schaum’s outlines.
Are you a high school student? Get the first book after you finish your Calculus course.
Are you a home-school student? Get the first book immediately before your Calculus course and use it as a substitute for your Physics curriculum. Then take your Calculus course – you will be so far ahead you will count physics and math as a cake walk.
If Don’t Panic is not assigned, buy the first book and study it before classes start!
If you are working part-time during the summer, and you do nothing else, Don’t Panic will take about half to all of your spare time during the summer depending on how well prepared you are. If you are home-schooled, it should be easy to get through the first two books during your academic year.
If you want to be a world class scientist, the Don’t Panic series will give you an introduction into the Language of Calculus and prepare you to attend the world’s most challenging universities.
About the author:
When I knew him, Dr. B. was an observant Jew. As an unbeliever at the time, I had great respect for him and his religious views. He was able to defend and explain the Universe in a way few individuals can. That was a clue …
Reviewed by:
Dan Knight
This is a review of mid-80’s editions purchased for coursework in Chemical Engineering.
Life, the Universe and Everything … in One Semester
Don't Panic: A Guide to Introductory Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Mechanics is written for Serious Students of Science and Engineering.
Mechanics is volume one of the three volume series. The second volume is Electricity and Magnetism, and the third volume is Thermodynamics and Optics. I have copies of all three books in my attic. The books are nothing short of brilliant essays on natural philosophy, and each one puts metaphysicians to shame.Once upon a time, there were those who thought Math was the Language of God. In those hallowed days of Myth and Lore, teachers believed the student was there to master the coursework for further study – and for profound as well as practical purposes. Great Scientists believed they were engaged in an experience no less spiritual or less important than the study of Scripture, meditation upon God’s nature, or prayer to or worship of the Divine Power that Created the Universe. They gave their lives so that we might share in the Music of the Spheres.
Dr. Bassichis is just such an old-school scientist. Whether he was or is as devout as he seemed thirty years ago, he knew the history of science – and he honored the giants upon whose shoulders he stood.
Buy Don’t Panic:
Amazon US - Hardback 2005
Amazon UK - Hardback 2005
Thirty years ago, I enrolled at Texas A&M University (TAMU) to pursue a Chemical Engineering degree. TAMU offered a great education, but I chose it because it was the school I could afford. My goal was to complete my degree, and enroll in the M.D. program run by the University of Texas. My hope was to go into radiology or neurology, and, if possible, study the development of non-invasive, remote diagnostic technology.
My inspiration was Deforest Kelley, a one-time actor who once made his living portraying tough guys in moralistic, television westerns in the 50’s. If you don’t recognize the name, and you’re reading my blog, shame on you Gentle Reader (I’m kidding of course). Deforest earned his place in the canon of Twentieth Century Performing Arts as the immortal, Dr. Leonard McCoy, better known as ‘Bones.’ Dr. McCoy traveled the stars with his friends, Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock. My favorite memory of him is a scene from Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home.
“My God man! Drilling holes in his head is not the answer! The artery must be repaired! Now put away your butcher knives and let me save this patient!” Dr. Leonard McCoy
I met Dr. Bassichis on the first day of my second semester physics course: Electricity and Magnetism. The assigned text was Don’t Panic: Volume II, Electricity and Magnetism. Essentially, as he explained, we would begin where Newton left off, and end with the incredible work of Sir James Clerk Maxwell.
Maxwell demonstrated through mathematics that electric and magnetic fields travel through space as waves. Maxwell originally published A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field, http://www.amazon.com/Dynamical-Theory-Electromagnetic-Field/dp/1579100155, in 1865. Maxwell changed the world for good. True, after Maxwell the world was never the same, but Maxwell also worked for the good of all mankind. This is why we study his work to this day – while studiously forgetting anything and everything about the Great Scientist and his beliefs.
Don’t Panic, if you can handle Don’t Panic, you will be extremely well prepared to understand Professor Maxwell’s profound work. If you cannot understand Don’t Panic … well, never mind.
Dr. B began the first class by explaining that to understand physics, the student must understand the math. He thought mastering the basic grammar, terms, and ‘words’ of the Language of Math was essential for scientists and engineers. To Dr. B, math was the key to understanding anything about Life, the Universe, and Everything .
Naturally, Don’t Panic relies heavily on math and especially Calculus. In my daughter’s language: Duh. You cannot understand anything without the math, and if you don’t know the math, you don’t know anything about physics. Don’t Panic begins by reviewing the math.
By no means does Dr. B go overboard. Don’t Panic is subtitled: A Guide to Introductory Physics for Students of Science and Engineering. If you are not a Serious Student of Science and Engineering, that’s okay. You’re okay, I’m okay. We’re all okay, and we all have special talents and different gifts. But Dr. B offers the simplest possible coverage of a topic required for the basic mastery of the minimum information necessary for a professional education. The idea that Dr. B’s book is too much is outrageous. Don’t Panic is a book for those students who want to change the world, those who want to teach the next generation, those who want to make the world a better place, and those who ought to know better. As the subtitle says, Don’t Panic is A Guide to Introductory Physics.
Later, I relied on Mechanics to survive the Dynamics class I took under a cocky, arrogant graduate student from Pakistan.
During the last lecture, Dr. B walked us through Maxwell’s equations. It was the climax of the class, and I remember the moment vividly. After reprising Maxwell’s I was the only one who stood and offered a standing ovation. No, not because of Dr. B’s brilliant lecture, but in honor of the legendary ovation offered to Sir Maxwell by his colleagues and students when he presented his work for the first time. Dr. B not only recognized the reference, but explained it to the class and added details of which I was unaware.
After completing Don’t Panic, deriving Maxwell’s equations from first principles was mere child’s play.
Don’t Panic prepared me to take honors in Chemical Engineering, and eventually a Master’s in engineering degree and graduate studies in engineering. I’ve never had any trouble with the technical aspects of engineering or understanding any basic concepts in physics.
Ranking:
As always my ranking takes the target audience into account.
Don’t Panic is a textbook for Serious Students of Science and Engineering: It is not a text for activists, party-goers, privileged legacies, or fear-mongers’ of any kind.
Format and Writing:
My books are mid-80’s editions, but I doubt there are any significant changes in the style or instructional method. Contrary to popular opinion most of the advances in the fundamentals have been sequestered behind the closed doors of our military research labs. … Can I say that?
Don’t Panic incorporates an extensive review of Math and Calculus as necessary to complete the course.
Don’t Panic is designed for a professional course for science and engineering students and covers the material accordingly.
Recommendation:
If you are studying Science or Engineering, Don’t Panic should strike you as a breath of fresh air. Remember, I read this book before the first For Dummies book was written. In those days, professors dropped pearls in the middle of paragraphs three pages before trying to explain the topic, and two chapters away from explaining the related calculations.
If you are a Serious Student who intends to be a Professional Engineer, Scientist, Doctor, Patent Attorney, or any other similar professional, e.g. Radiologist, Rocket Scientist, or CIA Analyst… get this book and devour it!
Read Don’t Panic until you dream of the calculations in your sleep! It doesn’t get any easier than this – not even Schaum’s outlines.
Are you a high school student? Get the first book after you finish your Calculus course.
Are you a home-school student? Get the first book immediately before your Calculus course and use it as a substitute for your Physics curriculum. Then take your Calculus course – you will be so far ahead you will count physics and math as a cake walk.
If Don’t Panic is not assigned, buy the first book and study it before classes start!
If you are working part-time during the summer, and you do nothing else, Don’t Panic will take about half to all of your spare time during the summer depending on how well prepared you are. If you are home-schooled, it should be easy to get through the first two books during your academic year.
If you want to be a world class scientist, the Don’t Panic series will give you an introduction into the Language of Calculus and prepare you to attend the world’s most challenging universities.
About the author:
When I knew him, Dr. B. was an observant Jew. As an unbeliever at the time, I had great respect for him and his religious views. He was able to defend and explain the Universe in a way few individuals can. That was a clue …
Reviewed by:
Dan Knight
This is a review of mid-80’s editions purchased for coursework in Chemical Engineering.
December 9, 2022
This book is called "Don't Panic" but is written so poorly that it actually causes students to panic.
"Don't Panic" is not friendly towards students, and it is difficult to learn physics from this book. Simple concepts that could be explained in a single page take multiple pages. The format of the book is also not helpful; important formulas and equations are not highlighted or easy to tell from the rest of the text, making it difficult to find them. Also, there are only about 12 practice problems in each chapter, which is not enough, in my opinion.
The only positive thing about this book is that it tries to explain physics (offering derivations of certain formulas), instead of just throwing formulas at you.
If you have a choice, do not use this book to learn physics.
"Don't Panic" is not friendly towards students, and it is difficult to learn physics from this book. Simple concepts that could be explained in a single page take multiple pages. The format of the book is also not helpful; important formulas and equations are not highlighted or easy to tell from the rest of the text, making it difficult to find them. Also, there are only about 12 practice problems in each chapter, which is not enough, in my opinion.
The only positive thing about this book is that it tries to explain physics (offering derivations of certain formulas), instead of just throwing formulas at you.
If you have a choice, do not use this book to learn physics.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews