duohead

Hey, I'm new to CC, so I wasn't sure where to put this. I read Halliday and Resnick and got Goldstein, but it's too advanced right now. I like the math, but it doesn't explain the physics concepts like δr. What is a good intermediate textbook for self study? What books to schools like MIT or CalTech use?

conquerer7

The standard for honors freshman mechanics is Kleppner and Kolenkow. Everybody uses that, except for Harvard, who uses Morin. If you want something harder, Thornton/Marion is a slight step down from Goldstein.

lidusha

The regular, non-advanced version of mechanics at MIT (8.01, as opposed to 8.012) uses University Physics by Young and Freedman. (ISBN 9780321733382). Have fun.