A book like no other I have read before, ‘Classical Mechanics’ by Leonard Susskind with George Hrabovsky is brilliantly intense. The book aims to give an overview of classical mechanics, to provide the ‘theoretical minimum’ amount of knowledge to understand classical physics. It seems that Susskind and Hrabovsky aim to do this in as few pages as possible and with the maximum exposure to mathematics, as there is rarely a page without some equation, graph or diagram. The final result is a condensed, unique text with no space for fluff covering a range of maths and physics in just over 200 pages.

The book begins with an introduction to the ideas of a system, and what is allowed by the laws of nature and what is not. This is the kind of science which feels like it should be easy and obvious but thinking about it requires a lot more effort. Here, Susskind also explores the ideas of coordinates and graphs, introducing basic ideas like the Cartesian coordinate system and simple trigonometry. Next the concept of motion is considered. There is a brief lesson in differentiation, and how we can use it to model how things move – that is after all what mechanics is, the modeling of the movement of things. Differentiation is quickly followed by its reciprocal, integration, in a chapter focusing on areas and trajectories. Energy, the principal of least action, symmetries and conservation laws are explored next, using the methods of differentiation and integration that were taught in the previous chapters. Some new types of maths are introduced, such as the Lagrangian and the Hamiltonian, and their consequences in classical mechanics are pondered. Finally, drawing together concepts from all parts of the book, Susskind delves into magnetic and electrical fields, a much more real application of all the skills taught in ‘Classical Mechanics’.

‘Classical Mechanics’ is so different to every other book I have read on science because it does not shy away from the maths, rather it actively embraces it. While most books will describe a concept and mention “…with a bit of maths…”, ‘Classical Mechanics’ is solely devoted to explaining that maths, where it came from and how the final result was achieved. The explanations are also wonderfully clear; traditionally difficult problems are laid out well with helpful text describing what is going on. The maths itself is also brilliant. Some of the twists and tricks make you sit back for a moment and wonder how something so complex can be solved so easily. My favourite moments were when I came across something which I knew about before from school, but as it turns out I don’t know the whole thing. An example is when I found the proof for the conservation of momentum, something which I know from school to be true but had never seen the proof of.

Even though I found the ‘Classical Mechanics’ an enjoyable and educational read, I do not think it would be for everyone. The maths is challenging and requires focus; I sometimes got lost keeping a track of what all the symbols represented and had to go back earlier in the book to remind myself. This was especially tricky for situations where the same letter denoted different things, for example L represents both the Lagrangian of a function and angular momentum. Another thing I found frustrating was that in each chapter some of the equations where numbered so that they were easy to reference. However, it became challenging to be constantly flicking through the book to find the correct equation, remember it, then apply it to the situation at hand a few pages later, especially when there were upwards of 20 equations referenced in each chapter, so I was having to find a new equation to remember very frequently!

In conclusion, ‘The Theoretical Minimum: Classical Mechanics’ is a condensed masterclass in classical physics, worth the time of anyone who isn’t daunted by the idea of maths. Be warned though – the book is challenging and requires attention and commitment and is not what you might class as “light reading”. That being said, the results are rewarding, gaining a deeper understanding of the maths and physics of mechanics, and ultimately gaining a deeper understanding to the physical world around us.