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An example of fake ratings at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Analytical-Dynamic
This is a book on theoretical mechanics. I've read significant parts of this book a while ago, and so I can judge how helpful the reviews are.
Amazon gives two editorial reviews and 15 customer reviews.
The two editorial reviews are helpful and to the point, except for implying that the derivation of the equations of point mechanics from the Gauss principle is a "new approach". What is new in this book is the emphasis on using the Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse matrix as the main computational tool.
The 15 customer reviews are split into two groups: 14 reviews are in the first group, and one review is in the second group.
The first group is all five-star, glowingly positive reviews ("oustanding", "spectacular book", "brilliant" etc.) None of the reviews in the first group have any comments or come from people who purchased the book. Hundreds of people "found those reviews helpful." However, none of these reviews goes into any depth about the subject matter of the book, - the only special term the reviewers ever use is "analytical dynamics". Many of the reviews are filled with lavish personal accolades about one of the authors (Firdaus Udwadia).
The second group (consisting of a single one-star review) is titled "incomplete and disappointing book" and comes from a person who actually purchased the book. The person was disappointed because they expected a book about "analytical dynamics" in general, while this book only presents one particular area of dynamics. This single review has 7 comments, all to the point, and 12 out of 18 people "found this review helpful".
Here is the full text of all these reviews and the comments, for reference.
Editorial reviews:
1. Review
"Based on a fresh concept of the Moore-Penrose generalized inverse of a matrix, this textbook gives a non-traditional description of only one, but a very important, topic of analytical dynamics, namely, the derivation of the equations of motion of a constrained discrete mechanical system from the differential Gauss principle. The clear exposition with many interesting detailed examples and suggestions for further reading makes this book useful for 'the average college senior in science and engineering' as well as for any specialist in mechanics." A. Sumbatov, Mathematical Reviews
2. Book Description
Constrained motion is of paramount importance in the design and analysis of mechanical systems and central to the study of analytical dynamics. This book offers a fresh, new approach to the subject. It is written as an introduction, with an emphasis on fundamental concepts in mechanics. The book begins with a description of the motion of a particle subjected to constraints and presents explicit equations of motion that govern large classes of constrained mechanical systems with refreshingly simple results. Examples and carefully formulated problems are included in each chapter.
3. Positive reviews
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Book
By Doug Miller
on August 9, 2010
Format: Paperback
This is a one-of-a-kind book written by two world-class experts in mechanics. The book gives fresh and original views of mechanics, and though it is an easy read, it has unusual depth, clarity, and simplicity. I have not found the material in this book in any other that I have read or taught from. The book gives new insights that are not only totally astonishing but of great practical value in modeling complex mechanical systems.
I whole-heartedly recommend this short book to students, teachers, and researchers interested in the general area of mechanics as a 'must read.' They will find it a treasure trove of new and fascinating material. The other reviewers who also think the book to be outstanding are more than accurate in their assessment.
63 of 66 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Professor, Outstanding Book
By Stephen Martin
on May 13, 2006
Format: Hardcover
This is the best Professor I have ever had in my entire college education. He is just a wonderful person, extremely erudite, a superb mathematician, physicist, and a man steeped in the liberal arts. His teaching style is unforgettable. He is very clear in what he says, and he knows how to emphasize the key aspects in any given material.
He struck me as an unusually humble person, always willing to learn from his students, which is something very refreshing to see. It is only when he starts to speak that you realize that this guy is a completely different type of person from the average university professor. His knowledge is amazing: philosophy, history, art, science, literature, it is simply baffling. I don't think I have ever met a man like him.
What impressed me most were his human qualities: integrity, humility, and kindness. I think transferring these qualities to students is what education should be most about.
USC's School of Engineering is one lucky place to have a guy like him on its faculty. His book is a mild reflection of him; his course is something more than that, because I am certain he puts in a lot of effort in preparing every lecture, and this results in 'teaching at its best.'
72 of 76 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Man-O-Man this Udwadia Chap is Outstanding!
By John Singer
on December 16, 2005
Format: Hardcover
There is a lot said about this book already in the comments given by others, so I won't waste your time saying the same thing: THE BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE. GET IT, READ IT, AND ENJOY!
What I want to say is that Udwadia's course is a million times better than his book. He is about the most well-read man I know. As a person he is just awesome! He is an excellent listener, unusually humble, ready to acknowledge a mistake (catch a Prof. doing that!), and has a spontaneous sense of humor that is difficult to match. His facility with the English language left most of us in the class just dumbfounded! He can weave words together like I haven't seen before. He is a mathematician, a scientists, a historian, a philosopher, and indeed an artist in the way he teaches. USC sure is lucky to have a guy like him on their teaching faculty.
114 of 117 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
More on Udwadia's Book and Course on Analytical Dynamics
By Johnson
on January 30, 2005
Format: Hardcover
I took the course offered by Udwadia last semester because of the rave reviews I saw on the web. I thought they were too good to be true. So I was 'cool' to him at the start. But I was wrong, dead wrong! This guy is in fact even better than what the reviews say about him. He is SIMPLY SUPERB.
His book is awesome! What I enjoyed most was the simplicity with which things are put. Each idea is presented as a simple, near-obvious idea, but the sum total of all these thoughts is amazing. What was most impressive was that Udwadia thinks in just the way he writes. He thinks along simple patterns. But there have been so many reviews of his book that there is little I can add to them, except that it truly, truly is an OUTSTANDING book. Those working in dynamics who have not read it are missing something, for sure.
So let me tell you about the guy, a bit. He is the first Professor that I have met who had a welcoming look on his face when a student went to see him. Most of them can't wait for students to leave their offices! He has a tremendous sense of humor, in class he often took us from humor, to history, to philosophy, to math, to dynamics, along one continuous thread of thought. The guy is a genius, I think. I was continually bowled over by the breadth and depth of his knowledge, so unlike an Engineering Prof.
I realized as the course progressed that the guy is deeply dedicated to teaching and helping students. He gave each student/student-group a 'semester project,' suggested the topic to most of us, and actually worked with each group of students on their projects. He even debugged my computer program. It took me quite a while to get over that because I have never had a Professor do that for me. I eventually wrote a manuscript with his constant help that I planned to send out for publication, and I naturally put his name on it. He removed his name, saying that it was I who did the work. What a shocker, from a guy who I know must survive in a 'publish or perish' environment.
As I got to know him during our meetings I realized that this was an unusual person of the most unusual kind: exceedingly well-read, unusually helpful, a superb listener, and a person with enormous grace and dignity. He has standards of integrity that far exceed mine, and I suspect, most others I know. I always felt a sort of comforting presence when I was around him, and, as several others have said, I learned more from him, far more, than just analytical dynamics. He opened my eyes to the way we all should be. And for that, I will always be grateful.
I just wish USC could clone a few more guys like Prof. Udwadia. One last thought: I wonder if he is religious. What religion? Does anybody know? I'd be interested to find out.
180 of 184 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Udwadia's Course on Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on December 1, 2003
Format: Hardcover
I just took the course taught by Professor Udwadia on Analytical Dynamics at USC this semmester. Wow! This guy is not just good, he is TOPS! From the very first lecture I was in amazement with the facility he has in teaching this subject.
I can now see why the book he has written is fantastic. He used it as a text, and then went well beyond it.
He is definitely the best teacher I have ever had. He is a delight to listen to, and was an inspiration to every student in the class. His lectures sparkle, they concentrate on ideas not algebra, and he seemed to have something to say in every lecture that touched me and went well beyond dynamics. The thing that impressed me most is that despite his enormous knowledge of the subject, he is a really humble fellow, a superb listener, a great guy.
For those of you who think the book is superb, you haven't seen nothin' yet until you get to hear this guy speak. Take a ride on his course, he takes you on an incredible journey. It was more than worth my time; and I assure you, you will also find it so.
208 of 212 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Super Book!
By A customer
on December 22, 2002
Format: Hardcover
I recommend that everyone dealing with mechanics get a copy of this gem, and read it! It is the most amazing technical book I have read! I don't want to repeat what others have said in their reviews, and so there is not much more for me to say other than that this book has got to be a classic.
215 of 217 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Book
By A customer
on December 16, 2002
Format: Hardcover
I found this book to be truly exceptional. It is THE best book on Analytical Dynamics on the market. I recommend it highly. The authors have taken all the high-fangled wonder out of analytical dynamics and brought it down to a level that any senior or graduate student can follow. And yet the book is far deeper than any that I have read so far including Whittaker and Watson's book! There is a plethora of new results.
The authors need to be congratulated on this book. This is an example of book that shows that good authors can deal with complex and deep topics and yet be simple and straightforward in their explanations.
Some time in the future I'd like to make a special trip to the University of Southern California just to meet these two gentlemen. As one of the previous reviews says: They show great brilliance!
225 of 228 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Spectacular Book
By A customer
on May 31, 2002
Format: Hardcover
This book is absolutely fantastic! For a student like myself, it is the first book on analytical dynamics that I have read that does not seem to be a copy of numerous others. It is simple, easy to follow, and it is deals with the fundamentals in a manner that I have not found in any other book that I used during my graduate study . . . and I used plenty!
The authors need a round of applause . . . In fact, several rounds of applause! Very rarely does one come across a gem . . . and then you want to read it over and over again. This is that kind of book. It seems to grow in its depth each time I read it.
I often wonder what the guys who wrote this little amazing book look like. It would be great to meet them in person! They are surely brilliant individuals.
269 of 272 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Book On Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on July 8, 2001
Format: Hardcover
This short book is about the best book that has emerged in analytical dynamics in the last 30-40 years. The material is entirely new and it is laid out with great originality. The book is deep in its detailed description of analytical dynamics, though the reader is taken along seemingly simple and straightforward lines of thought.
I congratulate the authors on a stunning achievement!
In my opinion, this book is destined to be a classic in the field. I think it will supplant the usual current texts that concentrate more on how to solve problems rather than on a deeper understanding of analytical dynamics. It is a 'must-read' for anyone interested mechanics. It has managed to change my entire perspective on analytical dynamics, and I suspect that it will do the same for other experts in the fields.
311 of 312 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Short Review
By A customer
on February 5, 2001
Format: Hardcover
I came across this book surfing the web. The customer reviews seemed excellent, so I bought it. Since I don't like long book reviews, I'll be brief.
My Opinion: The book is EXCELLENT! The authors know analytical dynamics inside-out, and that is why their explanations are so simple and aesthetic.
My Research: I was curious to know how this book came about . . . it seemed to come like out of the blue. So I did some research. The authors are active researchers. They have published numerous papers in the most prestigious journals over the last 2 decades, and they continue to present new research on the fundamentals of analytical dynamics. That explained a lot to me! Especially the high quality of the book.
Recommendation: Read it, and enjoy! Read it again, and enjoy some more!
About other reviews: I agree with the previous reviewers . . . this is a book that should be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in mechanics, students and researchers alike.
320 of 322 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Outstanding Bookon Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on September 4, 2000
Format: Hardcover
This is the best book I have read on the fundamentals of analytical dynamics. Though I have been teaching the subject and been active in research in this field for nearly 30 years I find most of the results in it to be new to me.
The book presents a novel, revolutionary approach to the subject. The authors are careful to introduce the material slowly and systematically. The numerous new results that they develop are indeed surprising, though they appear to fall out quite simply from their new approach, in a straightforward way. The manner and depth of presentation is unique and like no other book that I have read on the subject.
The most important contribution of the book to the field of analytical dynamics is in the realm of new ideas that it presents--no small matter in field as mature as this. The authors show a touch of genius in recasting the field of analytical dynamics from a compeletely different and innovative perspective. I found this both exciting and extremely thought provoking.
The book certainly stands in a class by itself, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. It is a deep book, written with great style and simplicity. Its revolutionary approach will change the way we think about analytical dynamics and will, I hope, engender from its readers even more amazing results than those provided here by the authors.
325 of 327 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A New Classic in Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on September 3, 2000
Format: Hardcover
This short book is written with a style and clarity that can only come from individuals who understand analytical dynamics both deeply and well. The book is in many ways utterly brilliant. The authors take on perhaps the most difficult problem in analytical dynamics-- the problem of constrained motion that has been worked on by such individuals as H. Poincare-- and they provide a solution that is new, elegant, simple, and marvelous.
Though it starts from simple beginnings, from the very first chapter one realizes that this is a book of a very different caliber from those currently available on the subject. Almost imperceptibly, the authors lead the reader across a vast landscape in analytical dynamics. The topics are covered incrementally, and in excellent pedagogical order. Problems at the end of each chapter are well thought out. The authors' style is engaging, their explanations are remarkably clear, and their results simply amazing. The physical insights they provide are beautiful, novel, and new.
I consider this book to be a truly original contribution to the field of analytical dynamics; for, there is little in it that I have ever come across in any other book on the subject. Not only is its approach new, as its title says, but most of the results developed in it are also new-- something I would never have imagined finding in a mature field like mechanics.
There is little doubt that this book will have a lasting impact on the field of analytical dynamics. In eight short chapters it says more about the fundamentals of analytical dynamics than most other books that are three times its size. I believe that its uniqueness may well, in time, make it a classic.
I very strongly recommend this book to all students and researchers in the field. I plan to use it as a text for the course that I teach on the subject.
320 of 321 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Remarkable Book on Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on November 19, 2000
Format: Hardcover
This is possibly the most remarkable text that has appeared in the last 30-40 years on the fundamentals of analytical dynamics. I think it will soon find its place on the bookshelf of every engineer, physicist, and mathematician who is interested in this subject. Engineers, researchers, and experts in areas like robotics, mutibody dynamics, spacecraft dynamics and control, and motion-tracking (and many other application areas that I am not directly familiar with) will have a 'field day' with the results that the authors have provided here.
I very strongly recommend this book to the community at large, and especially to students. It is an excellent text. It is simple enough for a novice to read and understand; it provides numerous new insights and new results that will most certainly surprise the expert. It has all the makings of a classic.
To my astonishment, I found the book to be totally original, something very rare for a book in this field. The authors present a fundamentally new approach. They tie together linear algebra and mechanics in a new and delightfully imaginative way. But in a mature field like analytical dynamics, originality is not enough; the results generated must be useful. And it is here that the book, in my opinion, far exceeds any that I have so far read. The authors develop numerous remarkable and new fundamental results. Every chapter has several of them.
There is no book that I have come across in analytical dynamics that is comparable to this short book. For me, its uniqueness lies in three key elements: usefulness of results, originality of approach, and simplicity in presentation.
I have now read the book several times, and each time the results that it contains seem to get more and more exciting. But, for me, reading it the first time around was indeed an unforgettable treat! Looking at some of the previous reviews of this book, I am sure many first-time readers must have also felt that way.
310 of 311 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Superb Book On Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on April 24, 2000
Format: Hardcover
This is an excellent book on the fundamentals of Analytical Dynamics. It deals with the essentials of Lagrangian mechanics in an altogether new and imaginative way. It is a 'must read' for beginners as well as experts, for it contains a wealth of new information and new results. Though short (only about 250 pages), it sparkles with brilliance and promises to become, like Goldstein's book, a classic text in the field.
Far from a dry re-hash of material taken from other books, as is commonly the case with books on this subject, this book takes a truly novel and exciting tack--just like its title says. It explains the basic concepts in Analytical Dynamics in a new, thorough, yet simple, way. The material is extremely well-crafted and carefully presented in a systematic manner; the power of the new results provided by the authors is astounding, as illustrated by the numerous examples in the book.
The authors show their mastery of the subject by leading the reader on, with unusual clarity, into deeper and deeper realms of the subject with each successive chapter. The book provides amazing insights into Lagrangian mechanics, constrained motion, multi-body dynamics, Gauss's Principle, etc., along with an incredible economy of words, and a stunning level of simplicity.
The material in especially the later chapters that deals with elimination methods and the Gibbs-Appell equations, to the best of my knowledge, is all new. The problems at the end of each chapter appear to be carefully chosen and instructive for students. Each chaper ends with a section entitled "For Further Reading," that I found interesting. The format of the book is such that it could be easily used as a text for a course on the subject.
The authors have written a truly outstanding text that can be read and enjoyed by an advanced university junior or senior, a graduate student, or an expert in the field. It is one of the VERY FEW technical books that I have come across that I just could not put down, once I started reading it.
I heartily recommend this book to the science and engineering community.
4. The only negative review and its 7 comments
12 of 18 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Incomplete and disappointing
By Peter Marlton
on October 1, 2009
Format: Paperback
Verified Purchase
I ordered the book because I'm interested classical and analytical mechanics for years, and the book had 14 reviews - all with five stars. It supposed to be modern and innovative; I could not wait to get it in my hands. What a great disappointment! Out of 262 pages 70 is not even on the subject; they are devoted to linear algebra (vectors and matrices). Out of modern Analytical Dynamics it essentially covers only one subject: Lagrange equations. The partial list of absolutely essential topics missing from the book includes: Hamiltonian function, Hamilton equations, Poisson brackets, canonical transformations, variational principle, Noether theorem, Hamilton-Jacobi equation!!! As a trained physicist, I completely failed to understand what constitutes the advertized novelty of the book. It is also deeply puzzling how such an incomplete text could possibly receive so many highest reviews.
7 comments
Far-from-Equilibrium
1 year ago
Good luck finding Gauss' principle of least constraint in Goldstein or any other physics texts. In fact, Goldstein argues physicists need not bother too much with constraints as they simply don't arise in many topics of current physics research. Engineers, however, live in a world of constrained rigid bodies. Gauss' principle has been virtually absent from engineering dynamics before this book. Udwadia presents a unifying view of nonholonomic mechanics for an engineering audience. Most nonholonomic dynamics books in the engineering community circle around confusion concerning quasi velocities (which Poincare fixed over 100 years ago but engineers still haven't discovered) as well as Kane's re-discovery of the Gibbs-Appell equations. Udwadia takes a step in the right direction to set engineering dynamics straight. This is the value in the book. It never claims to be a traditionalist classical mechanics text. In fact, it stresses this in the preface. The review above was written after a skim of the book without any reading.
Peter Marlton
2 years ago
To Joshua Ashenberg: You might be into something. Isn't that interesting that out of 14 five star reviewers:
(1) 5 admit to be author's students,
(2) an unusually high number (10) use the nickname Customer,
(3) all of those who disclosed their location are all from California, and finally
(4) none is a verified purchaser?
Peter Marlton
2 years ago
To Eric C. Brown: If you do think that you learned to `simulate the motion of any constrained system', you are fooling yourself. Just check some classic analytical mechanics textbooks.
Xiaobo Li
3 years ago
This book is just about a very limited, or just one approach of treatment of classical and analytical mechanics, Lagrangian Equation. It is not for physicists.
All 14 reviewers who gave highest review must be from engineering, and this book help them to understand the approach, "Lagrangian Equation". They can use it to build the equation of motion for mechanical system and solve the problem. This book serve them well enough.
Therefore it raise a very interesting question: is it expected to a breakthrough or flourish in engineering fields given physicists bring and convert what they learned to engineering, just as this very simple approach book help engineers A LOT.
Joshua Ashenberg
4 years ago
I agree. It is all about Gauss's principle and general inverse of matrices (A new approach ...), and this concept is repeated ad nauseam, there is basically nothing else in this book, it is redundant and could be easily shrunk to twenty pages. It is restricted to Cartesian coordinates, the examples are trivial, and the level is very low. Unless I miss something, it is a great mystery how he got those 5 stars review (I would give it 2 stars). I suspect that those great reviews are by his students, maybe a class requirement ...
This book has thought me a lesson - always read the bad reviews.
Jacek Pawlowski
4 years ago
Thank you for this review.
Eric C. Brown
5 years ago
What is great is that I could write a Mathematica program to simulate the motion of any constrained system, and I learned this in less than 100 pages. I struggled though Goldstein and I can't do anything practical with that material.
http://www.amazon.com/Analytical-Dynamic
This is a book on theoretical mechanics. I've read significant parts of this book a while ago, and so I can judge how helpful the reviews are.
Amazon gives two editorial reviews and 15 customer reviews.
The two editorial reviews are helpful and to the point, except for implying that the derivation of the equations of point mechanics from the Gauss principle is a "new approach". What is new in this book is the emphasis on using the Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse matrix as the main computational tool.
The 15 customer reviews are split into two groups: 14 reviews are in the first group, and one review is in the second group.
The first group is all five-star, glowingly positive reviews ("oustanding", "spectacular book", "brilliant" etc.) None of the reviews in the first group have any comments or come from people who purchased the book. Hundreds of people "found those reviews helpful." However, none of these reviews goes into any depth about the subject matter of the book, - the only special term the reviewers ever use is "analytical dynamics". Many of the reviews are filled with lavish personal accolades about one of the authors (Firdaus Udwadia).
The second group (consisting of a single one-star review) is titled "incomplete and disappointing book" and comes from a person who actually purchased the book. The person was disappointed because they expected a book about "analytical dynamics" in general, while this book only presents one particular area of dynamics. This single review has 7 comments, all to the point, and 12 out of 18 people "found this review helpful".
Here is the full text of all these reviews and the comments, for reference.
Editorial reviews:
1. Review
"Based on a fresh concept of the Moore-Penrose generalized inverse of a matrix, this textbook gives a non-traditional description of only one, but a very important, topic of analytical dynamics, namely, the derivation of the equations of motion of a constrained discrete mechanical system from the differential Gauss principle. The clear exposition with many interesting detailed examples and suggestions for further reading makes this book useful for 'the average college senior in science and engineering' as well as for any specialist in mechanics." A. Sumbatov, Mathematical Reviews
2. Book Description
Constrained motion is of paramount importance in the design and analysis of mechanical systems and central to the study of analytical dynamics. This book offers a fresh, new approach to the subject. It is written as an introduction, with an emphasis on fundamental concepts in mechanics. The book begins with a description of the motion of a particle subjected to constraints and presents explicit equations of motion that govern large classes of constrained mechanical systems with refreshingly simple results. Examples and carefully formulated problems are included in each chapter.
3. Positive reviews
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Book
By Doug Miller
on August 9, 2010
Format: Paperback
This is a one-of-a-kind book written by two world-class experts in mechanics. The book gives fresh and original views of mechanics, and though it is an easy read, it has unusual depth, clarity, and simplicity. I have not found the material in this book in any other that I have read or taught from. The book gives new insights that are not only totally astonishing but of great practical value in modeling complex mechanical systems.
I whole-heartedly recommend this short book to students, teachers, and researchers interested in the general area of mechanics as a 'must read.' They will find it a treasure trove of new and fascinating material. The other reviewers who also think the book to be outstanding are more than accurate in their assessment.
63 of 66 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Professor, Outstanding Book
By Stephen Martin
on May 13, 2006
Format: Hardcover
This is the best Professor I have ever had in my entire college education. He is just a wonderful person, extremely erudite, a superb mathematician, physicist, and a man steeped in the liberal arts. His teaching style is unforgettable. He is very clear in what he says, and he knows how to emphasize the key aspects in any given material.
He struck me as an unusually humble person, always willing to learn from his students, which is something very refreshing to see. It is only when he starts to speak that you realize that this guy is a completely different type of person from the average university professor. His knowledge is amazing: philosophy, history, art, science, literature, it is simply baffling. I don't think I have ever met a man like him.
What impressed me most were his human qualities: integrity, humility, and kindness. I think transferring these qualities to students is what education should be most about.
USC's School of Engineering is one lucky place to have a guy like him on its faculty. His book is a mild reflection of him; his course is something more than that, because I am certain he puts in a lot of effort in preparing every lecture, and this results in 'teaching at its best.'
72 of 76 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Man-O-Man this Udwadia Chap is Outstanding!
By John Singer
on December 16, 2005
Format: Hardcover
There is a lot said about this book already in the comments given by others, so I won't waste your time saying the same thing: THE BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE. GET IT, READ IT, AND ENJOY!
What I want to say is that Udwadia's course is a million times better than his book. He is about the most well-read man I know. As a person he is just awesome! He is an excellent listener, unusually humble, ready to acknowledge a mistake (catch a Prof. doing that!), and has a spontaneous sense of humor that is difficult to match. His facility with the English language left most of us in the class just dumbfounded! He can weave words together like I haven't seen before. He is a mathematician, a scientists, a historian, a philosopher, and indeed an artist in the way he teaches. USC sure is lucky to have a guy like him on their teaching faculty.
114 of 117 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
More on Udwadia's Book and Course on Analytical Dynamics
By Johnson
on January 30, 2005
Format: Hardcover
I took the course offered by Udwadia last semester because of the rave reviews I saw on the web. I thought they were too good to be true. So I was 'cool' to him at the start. But I was wrong, dead wrong! This guy is in fact even better than what the reviews say about him. He is SIMPLY SUPERB.
His book is awesome! What I enjoyed most was the simplicity with which things are put. Each idea is presented as a simple, near-obvious idea, but the sum total of all these thoughts is amazing. What was most impressive was that Udwadia thinks in just the way he writes. He thinks along simple patterns. But there have been so many reviews of his book that there is little I can add to them, except that it truly, truly is an OUTSTANDING book. Those working in dynamics who have not read it are missing something, for sure.
So let me tell you about the guy, a bit. He is the first Professor that I have met who had a welcoming look on his face when a student went to see him. Most of them can't wait for students to leave their offices! He has a tremendous sense of humor, in class he often took us from humor, to history, to philosophy, to math, to dynamics, along one continuous thread of thought. The guy is a genius, I think. I was continually bowled over by the breadth and depth of his knowledge, so unlike an Engineering Prof.
I realized as the course progressed that the guy is deeply dedicated to teaching and helping students. He gave each student/student-group a 'semester project,' suggested the topic to most of us, and actually worked with each group of students on their projects. He even debugged my computer program. It took me quite a while to get over that because I have never had a Professor do that for me. I eventually wrote a manuscript with his constant help that I planned to send out for publication, and I naturally put his name on it. He removed his name, saying that it was I who did the work. What a shocker, from a guy who I know must survive in a 'publish or perish' environment.
As I got to know him during our meetings I realized that this was an unusual person of the most unusual kind: exceedingly well-read, unusually helpful, a superb listener, and a person with enormous grace and dignity. He has standards of integrity that far exceed mine, and I suspect, most others I know. I always felt a sort of comforting presence when I was around him, and, as several others have said, I learned more from him, far more, than just analytical dynamics. He opened my eyes to the way we all should be. And for that, I will always be grateful.
I just wish USC could clone a few more guys like Prof. Udwadia. One last thought: I wonder if he is religious. What religion? Does anybody know? I'd be interested to find out.
180 of 184 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Udwadia's Course on Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on December 1, 2003
Format: Hardcover
I just took the course taught by Professor Udwadia on Analytical Dynamics at USC this semmester. Wow! This guy is not just good, he is TOPS! From the very first lecture I was in amazement with the facility he has in teaching this subject.
I can now see why the book he has written is fantastic. He used it as a text, and then went well beyond it.
He is definitely the best teacher I have ever had. He is a delight to listen to, and was an inspiration to every student in the class. His lectures sparkle, they concentrate on ideas not algebra, and he seemed to have something to say in every lecture that touched me and went well beyond dynamics. The thing that impressed me most is that despite his enormous knowledge of the subject, he is a really humble fellow, a superb listener, a great guy.
For those of you who think the book is superb, you haven't seen nothin' yet until you get to hear this guy speak. Take a ride on his course, he takes you on an incredible journey. It was more than worth my time; and I assure you, you will also find it so.
208 of 212 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Super Book!
By A customer
on December 22, 2002
Format: Hardcover
I recommend that everyone dealing with mechanics get a copy of this gem, and read it! It is the most amazing technical book I have read! I don't want to repeat what others have said in their reviews, and so there is not much more for me to say other than that this book has got to be a classic.
215 of 217 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Book
By A customer
on December 16, 2002
Format: Hardcover
I found this book to be truly exceptional. It is THE best book on Analytical Dynamics on the market. I recommend it highly. The authors have taken all the high-fangled wonder out of analytical dynamics and brought it down to a level that any senior or graduate student can follow. And yet the book is far deeper than any that I have read so far including Whittaker and Watson's book! There is a plethora of new results.
The authors need to be congratulated on this book. This is an example of book that shows that good authors can deal with complex and deep topics and yet be simple and straightforward in their explanations.
Some time in the future I'd like to make a special trip to the University of Southern California just to meet these two gentlemen. As one of the previous reviews says: They show great brilliance!
225 of 228 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Spectacular Book
By A customer
on May 31, 2002
Format: Hardcover
This book is absolutely fantastic! For a student like myself, it is the first book on analytical dynamics that I have read that does not seem to be a copy of numerous others. It is simple, easy to follow, and it is deals with the fundamentals in a manner that I have not found in any other book that I used during my graduate study . . . and I used plenty!
The authors need a round of applause . . . In fact, several rounds of applause! Very rarely does one come across a gem . . . and then you want to read it over and over again. This is that kind of book. It seems to grow in its depth each time I read it.
I often wonder what the guys who wrote this little amazing book look like. It would be great to meet them in person! They are surely brilliant individuals.
269 of 272 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Book On Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on July 8, 2001
Format: Hardcover
This short book is about the best book that has emerged in analytical dynamics in the last 30-40 years. The material is entirely new and it is laid out with great originality. The book is deep in its detailed description of analytical dynamics, though the reader is taken along seemingly simple and straightforward lines of thought.
I congratulate the authors on a stunning achievement!
In my opinion, this book is destined to be a classic in the field. I think it will supplant the usual current texts that concentrate more on how to solve problems rather than on a deeper understanding of analytical dynamics. It is a 'must-read' for anyone interested mechanics. It has managed to change my entire perspective on analytical dynamics, and I suspect that it will do the same for other experts in the fields.
311 of 312 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Short Review
By A customer
on February 5, 2001
Format: Hardcover
I came across this book surfing the web. The customer reviews seemed excellent, so I bought it. Since I don't like long book reviews, I'll be brief.
My Opinion: The book is EXCELLENT! The authors know analytical dynamics inside-out, and that is why their explanations are so simple and aesthetic.
My Research: I was curious to know how this book came about . . . it seemed to come like out of the blue. So I did some research. The authors are active researchers. They have published numerous papers in the most prestigious journals over the last 2 decades, and they continue to present new research on the fundamentals of analytical dynamics. That explained a lot to me! Especially the high quality of the book.
Recommendation: Read it, and enjoy! Read it again, and enjoy some more!
About other reviews: I agree with the previous reviewers . . . this is a book that should be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in mechanics, students and researchers alike.
320 of 322 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Outstanding Bookon Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on September 4, 2000
Format: Hardcover
This is the best book I have read on the fundamentals of analytical dynamics. Though I have been teaching the subject and been active in research in this field for nearly 30 years I find most of the results in it to be new to me.
The book presents a novel, revolutionary approach to the subject. The authors are careful to introduce the material slowly and systematically. The numerous new results that they develop are indeed surprising, though they appear to fall out quite simply from their new approach, in a straightforward way. The manner and depth of presentation is unique and like no other book that I have read on the subject.
The most important contribution of the book to the field of analytical dynamics is in the realm of new ideas that it presents--no small matter in field as mature as this. The authors show a touch of genius in recasting the field of analytical dynamics from a compeletely different and innovative perspective. I found this both exciting and extremely thought provoking.
The book certainly stands in a class by itself, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. It is a deep book, written with great style and simplicity. Its revolutionary approach will change the way we think about analytical dynamics and will, I hope, engender from its readers even more amazing results than those provided here by the authors.
325 of 327 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A New Classic in Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on September 3, 2000
Format: Hardcover
This short book is written with a style and clarity that can only come from individuals who understand analytical dynamics both deeply and well. The book is in many ways utterly brilliant. The authors take on perhaps the most difficult problem in analytical dynamics-- the problem of constrained motion that has been worked on by such individuals as H. Poincare-- and they provide a solution that is new, elegant, simple, and marvelous.
Though it starts from simple beginnings, from the very first chapter one realizes that this is a book of a very different caliber from those currently available on the subject. Almost imperceptibly, the authors lead the reader across a vast landscape in analytical dynamics. The topics are covered incrementally, and in excellent pedagogical order. Problems at the end of each chapter are well thought out. The authors' style is engaging, their explanations are remarkably clear, and their results simply amazing. The physical insights they provide are beautiful, novel, and new.
I consider this book to be a truly original contribution to the field of analytical dynamics; for, there is little in it that I have ever come across in any other book on the subject. Not only is its approach new, as its title says, but most of the results developed in it are also new-- something I would never have imagined finding in a mature field like mechanics.
There is little doubt that this book will have a lasting impact on the field of analytical dynamics. In eight short chapters it says more about the fundamentals of analytical dynamics than most other books that are three times its size. I believe that its uniqueness may well, in time, make it a classic.
I very strongly recommend this book to all students and researchers in the field. I plan to use it as a text for the course that I teach on the subject.
320 of 321 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Remarkable Book on Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on November 19, 2000
Format: Hardcover
This is possibly the most remarkable text that has appeared in the last 30-40 years on the fundamentals of analytical dynamics. I think it will soon find its place on the bookshelf of every engineer, physicist, and mathematician who is interested in this subject. Engineers, researchers, and experts in areas like robotics, mutibody dynamics, spacecraft dynamics and control, and motion-tracking (and many other application areas that I am not directly familiar with) will have a 'field day' with the results that the authors have provided here.
I very strongly recommend this book to the community at large, and especially to students. It is an excellent text. It is simple enough for a novice to read and understand; it provides numerous new insights and new results that will most certainly surprise the expert. It has all the makings of a classic.
To my astonishment, I found the book to be totally original, something very rare for a book in this field. The authors present a fundamentally new approach. They tie together linear algebra and mechanics in a new and delightfully imaginative way. But in a mature field like analytical dynamics, originality is not enough; the results generated must be useful. And it is here that the book, in my opinion, far exceeds any that I have so far read. The authors develop numerous remarkable and new fundamental results. Every chapter has several of them.
There is no book that I have come across in analytical dynamics that is comparable to this short book. For me, its uniqueness lies in three key elements: usefulness of results, originality of approach, and simplicity in presentation.
I have now read the book several times, and each time the results that it contains seem to get more and more exciting. But, for me, reading it the first time around was indeed an unforgettable treat! Looking at some of the previous reviews of this book, I am sure many first-time readers must have also felt that way.
310 of 311 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Superb Book On Analytical Dynamics
By A customer
on April 24, 2000
Format: Hardcover
This is an excellent book on the fundamentals of Analytical Dynamics. It deals with the essentials of Lagrangian mechanics in an altogether new and imaginative way. It is a 'must read' for beginners as well as experts, for it contains a wealth of new information and new results. Though short (only about 250 pages), it sparkles with brilliance and promises to become, like Goldstein's book, a classic text in the field.
Far from a dry re-hash of material taken from other books, as is commonly the case with books on this subject, this book takes a truly novel and exciting tack--just like its title says. It explains the basic concepts in Analytical Dynamics in a new, thorough, yet simple, way. The material is extremely well-crafted and carefully presented in a systematic manner; the power of the new results provided by the authors is astounding, as illustrated by the numerous examples in the book.
The authors show their mastery of the subject by leading the reader on, with unusual clarity, into deeper and deeper realms of the subject with each successive chapter. The book provides amazing insights into Lagrangian mechanics, constrained motion, multi-body dynamics, Gauss's Principle, etc., along with an incredible economy of words, and a stunning level of simplicity.
The material in especially the later chapters that deals with elimination methods and the Gibbs-Appell equations, to the best of my knowledge, is all new. The problems at the end of each chapter appear to be carefully chosen and instructive for students. Each chaper ends with a section entitled "For Further Reading," that I found interesting. The format of the book is such that it could be easily used as a text for a course on the subject.
The authors have written a truly outstanding text that can be read and enjoyed by an advanced university junior or senior, a graduate student, or an expert in the field. It is one of the VERY FEW technical books that I have come across that I just could not put down, once I started reading it.
I heartily recommend this book to the science and engineering community.
4. The only negative review and its 7 comments
12 of 18 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Incomplete and disappointing
By Peter Marlton
on October 1, 2009
Format: Paperback
Verified Purchase
I ordered the book because I'm interested classical and analytical mechanics for years, and the book had 14 reviews - all with five stars. It supposed to be modern and innovative; I could not wait to get it in my hands. What a great disappointment! Out of 262 pages 70 is not even on the subject; they are devoted to linear algebra (vectors and matrices). Out of modern Analytical Dynamics it essentially covers only one subject: Lagrange equations. The partial list of absolutely essential topics missing from the book includes: Hamiltonian function, Hamilton equations, Poisson brackets, canonical transformations, variational principle, Noether theorem, Hamilton-Jacobi equation!!! As a trained physicist, I completely failed to understand what constitutes the advertized novelty of the book. It is also deeply puzzling how such an incomplete text could possibly receive so many highest reviews.
7 comments
Far-from-Equilibrium
1 year ago
Good luck finding Gauss' principle of least constraint in Goldstein or any other physics texts. In fact, Goldstein argues physicists need not bother too much with constraints as they simply don't arise in many topics of current physics research. Engineers, however, live in a world of constrained rigid bodies. Gauss' principle has been virtually absent from engineering dynamics before this book. Udwadia presents a unifying view of nonholonomic mechanics for an engineering audience. Most nonholonomic dynamics books in the engineering community circle around confusion concerning quasi velocities (which Poincare fixed over 100 years ago but engineers still haven't discovered) as well as Kane's re-discovery of the Gibbs-Appell equations. Udwadia takes a step in the right direction to set engineering dynamics straight. This is the value in the book. It never claims to be a traditionalist classical mechanics text. In fact, it stresses this in the preface. The review above was written after a skim of the book without any reading.
Peter Marlton
2 years ago
To Joshua Ashenberg: You might be into something. Isn't that interesting that out of 14 five star reviewers:
(1) 5 admit to be author's students,
(2) an unusually high number (10) use the nickname Customer,
(3) all of those who disclosed their location are all from California, and finally
(4) none is a verified purchaser?
Peter Marlton
2 years ago
To Eric C. Brown: If you do think that you learned to `simulate the motion of any constrained system', you are fooling yourself. Just check some classic analytical mechanics textbooks.
Xiaobo Li
3 years ago
This book is just about a very limited, or just one approach of treatment of classical and analytical mechanics, Lagrangian Equation. It is not for physicists.
All 14 reviewers who gave highest review must be from engineering, and this book help them to understand the approach, "Lagrangian Equation". They can use it to build the equation of motion for mechanical system and solve the problem. This book serve them well enough.
Therefore it raise a very interesting question: is it expected to a breakthrough or flourish in engineering fields given physicists bring and convert what they learned to engineering, just as this very simple approach book help engineers A LOT.
Joshua Ashenberg
4 years ago
I agree. It is all about Gauss's principle and general inverse of matrices (A new approach ...), and this concept is repeated ad nauseam, there is basically nothing else in this book, it is redundant and could be easily shrunk to twenty pages. It is restricted to Cartesian coordinates, the examples are trivial, and the level is very low. Unless I miss something, it is a great mystery how he got those 5 stars review (I would give it 2 stars). I suspect that those great reviews are by his students, maybe a class requirement ...
This book has thought me a lesson - always read the bad reviews.
Jacek Pawlowski
4 years ago
Thank you for this review.
Eric C. Brown
5 years ago
What is great is that I could write a Mathematica program to simulate the motion of any constrained system, and I learned this in less than 100 pages. I struggled though Goldstein and I can't do anything practical with that material.
