This is a ``lecture note'' style textbook, designed to support my personal teaching activities at Duke University, in particular teaching its Physics 41/42, 53/54, or 61/62 series (Introductory Physics for potential physics majors, life science majors, or engineers respectively). It is freely available in its entirety in a downloadable PDF form or to be read online at:
and will be made available in an inexpensive print version via Lulu press as soon as it is in a sufficiently polished and complete state.
In this way the text can be used by students all over the world, where each student can pay (or not) according to their means. Nevertheless, I am hoping that students who truly find this work useful will purchase a copy through Lulu or Amazon when that option becomes available, if only to help subsidize me while I continue to write inexpensive textbooks in physics or other subjects.
Although I no longer use notes to lecture from (having taught the class for decades now, they are hardly necessary) these are `real' lecture notes and are organized for ease of presentation and ease of learning. They do not try to say every single thing that can be said about each and every topic covered, and are hierarchically organized in a way that directly supports efficient learning.
As a ``live'' document, these notes have errors great and small, missing figures (that I usually draw from memory in class and will add to the notes themselves as I have time or energy to draw them in a publishable form), and they cover and omit topics according to my own view of what is or isn't important to cover in a one-semester course. Expect them to change without warning as I add content or correct errors. Purchasers of any eventual paper version should be aware of its probable imperfection and be prepared to either live with it or mark up their own copies with corrections or additions as need be (in the lecture note spirit) as I do mine. The text has generous margins, is widely spaced, and contains scattered blank pages for students' or instructors' own use to facilitate this.
I cherish good-hearted communication from students or other instructors pointing out errors or suggesting new content (and have in the past done my best to implement many such corrections or suggestions).
A lecture note style textbook series intended to support the teaching of introductory physics, with calculus, at a level suitable for Duke undergraduates.
A lecture note style textbook intended to support the second semester (primarily the dynamical portion, little statics covered) of a two semester course of graduate Classical Electrodynamics.
An online classic for years, this is the print version of the famous free online book on cluster engineering. It too is being actively rewritten and developed, no guarantees, but it is probably still useful in its current incarnation.
ISBN: 978-1-4303-2245-0
Web:
http://www.phy.duke.edu/
rgb/Lilith/Lilith.phphttp://www.phy.duke.edu/ rgb/Lilith/Lilith/php
Lilith is the first person to be given a soul by God, and is given the job of giving all the things in the world souls by loving them, beginning with Adam. Adam is given the job of making up rules and the definitions of sin so that humans may one day live in an ethical society. Unfortunately Adam is weak, jealous, and greedy, and insists on being on top during sex to ``be closer to God''.
Lilith, however, refuses to be second to Adam or anyone else. The Book of Lilith is a funny, sad, satirical, uplifting tale of her spiritual journey through the ancient world soulgiving and judging to find at the end of that journey - herself.
ISBN: 978-1-4303-2732-5
Web:
http://www.phy.duke.edu/
rgb/Gods/Gods.phphttp://www.phy.duke.edu/ rgb/Gods/Gods/php
A straight-up science fiction novel about an adventurer, Sam Foster, who is forced to flee from a murder he did not commit across the multiverse. He finds himself on a primitive planet and gradually becomes embroiled in a parallel struggle against the world's pervasive slave culture and the cowled, inhuman agents of an immortal of the multiverse that support it. Captured by the resurrected clone of its wickedest agent and horribly mutilated, only a pair of legendary swords and his native wit and character stand between Sam, his beautiful, mysterious partner and a bloody death!
Original poetry, including the epic-length poem about an imagined end of the world brought about by a nuclear war that gives the collection its name. Includes many long and short works on love and life, pain and death.
Ocean roaring, whipped by storm
in damned defiance, hating hell
with every wave and every swell,
every shark and every shell
and shoreline.
More original poetry with a distinctly Zen cast to it. Works range from funny and satirical to inspiring and uplifting, with a few erotic poems thrown in.
Chop water, carry
wood. Ice all around,
fire is dying. Winter Zen?
All of these books can be found on the online Lulu store here:
The Book of Lilith is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other online bookseller websites.