<p>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?</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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. :)</p>