I want to buy a gift book for someone who will be going to Uni to do Physics in September, anyone got any good suggestions? Something a little left-field or "special" would be good, ie. not just a 1st year textbook!

Cheers!

Personally waste of time guessing.

Which uni are they going to? ask the uni library or year tutor and they will soon tell you.

Also the book will be available to students via the library online PDF.

Books can can cost £80-120.

Maybe they could use that money for something else.

If you want something a little leftfield how about this

That's the sort of thing Mr Ralli – nice one thanks, hopefully they'll keep coming!

Zaskar as per my OP I am not aiming to provide them with a course text, I am looking for something that they won't necessarily think of themselves.

Well… if you are feeling flush then this… or for a more normal budget, anything else by him…

+1 for Feynman!

The Tao of Physics

I always enjoyed this one.

Well other fave ones of mine are

The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra
Wholeness and the Implicate Order by David Bohm
Catching the Light: The Entwined History of Light and Mind by Arthur Zajonc
Quantum Implications: Essays in Honour of David Bohm
The End of Certainty: Time, Chaos and the New Laws of Nature by Ilya Prigogine
The End Of Time: The Next Revolution in Our Understanding of the Universe by Julian Barbour

Galileo's finger, its the top 10 ideas in science, written by a guy thats written a few textbooks, I havent managed to read it all yet, but its quite an interesting read 🙂

I get you're just trying to get a "special book" but they'll never get a chance to read it if his undergrad is anywhere near as busy as my one was. but for a special book(s) that they'll actually read and will be helpfull too I can whole heartedly recommend The three Feynman Lectures on Physics books see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Feynman_Lectures_on_Physics.

+1 for Feynman!

Like this one perhaps??

Brian Greene – The Fabric of the Cosmos.

Absolutely fantastic.

Anything by or about Feynman for me too. Inspirational stuff for a physics undergrad

one thing i would suggest based on my degree, over ten years ago, make sure you are upto speed on maths.

if you can bud I suggest you switch to Biology pronto…

+1 Feynman, The Tao of Physics is entertaining but basically b****x. I enjoyed this one: Physics of the Impossible

"Why does e=mc2?" by Brian Cox.

Had me taking out a pen and writing in the margin and i'm a Chemist. First time in years i've done that.

if you can bud I suggest you switch to Biology pronto…

*BING*

I got that!

Another recommendation here for any of Feynman's books. Also send them this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/feynman/ one of the most entertaining people to listen to.

I also enjoyed a couple of Simon Singh's books, The Big Bang and also Fermat's Last Theorum. Currently reading Why Does e=mc^2 by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw which is really interesting and very mind bending.

I know it's not a book, but Carl Sagan's Cosmos is pretty inspiring. Also pretty damn cheap for a 5 DVD set of possibly the best documentary series ever made.

Also try Yakov/Grigori Perelman's "Physics for Entertainment", some interesing bits and bobs in it!

as a failed (well, not so much failed as lost-interest-and-couldn't-be-bothered, really) physicist, I'd recommend something by those fine chaps at Viz Magazine. It'll brighten up an otherwise dull life.

either that or a "teach yourself a musical instrument" type book… or something really exciting like a book on Marketing

Not Much of an Engineer by Sir Stanley Hooker.

Everything from Spitfires to the RB211, Hooker was involved.
He was at Barnoldswick (land of HOPE) in WW2.
Hooker had an inspirational and incredible career: from boosting the power of the Merlin engine, involved in the pioneering development of the jet engine alongside Frank Whittle, to coming out of retirement to pick Rolls-Royce up off its knees when it went bust in 1971 (the trouble with carbon fibre is that when it goes bust so can companies that rely on it).

The title of the book Not Much…. is what the boss of Rolls-Royce said to him, but if anyone needs an example of how much an exceptionaly talented physicist can achieve and have a rewarding career then Sir Stan is your man.

munkster – Member
That's the sort of thing Mr Ralli – nice one thanks, hopefully they'll keep coming!

Zaskar as per my OP I am not aiming to provide them with a course text, I am looking for something that they won't necessarily think of themselves

Sorry Munkster! thought you meant towards their studies.