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It's because most are very dry and poorly written. There are some real gems out there though. So maybe we can list some here?

Here's some of my favorites:

- Statistical Rethinking : Richard McElreath (also great Twitter and online lectures)

- Introduction to Quantum Mechanics: Griffiths (anything he writes is good)

- Classical Dynamics of Particles and System : Stephen Thornton




One to add, which entirely shaped the trajectory of my career, would be The Art of Electronics by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill.

I was convinced that I wanted to go into aerospace, mechanical, or software engineering before I read this book. They all made logical sense, within their layer of abstraction, compared to electronics which seemed closer to a dark-art. Granted I still sometimes see it that way, but with much less fear. No-one I knew could concisely explain how electronics worked to me (outside of some very rudimentary explanations), so this book felt like I was reading occult material.

I devoured it cover-to-cover in the space of a few of months, completed every exercise, and either simulated or built all the circuits that I thought to be interesting or useful. I still have a shelf full of stripboard circuits from that time that I still reference for projects. The local dump workers knew me by name, as I was there every weekend to scavenge old toasters and microwaves and gut them for parts. To this day it's still some of the most fulfilling engineering work I think I've ever done, and my personal edition is now dog-eared like a good Christians' bible.


+1 to Horowitz & Hill. Get the lab manual thing too!


+1 for Griffiths.

His Electromagnetism book was also really good.


What is this thing called Science? : Chalmers




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