I’m taking some more teacher credentialing tests next month, and on a whim, I signed up for Science (4-8). If I pass, I will be able to teach science at the upper elementary and middle school levels. Now, I’m fairly well versed in biology and geology. My chemistry is rusty, and my physics are non-existant. I need a good solid tome that I can read through to review what I do know and pick up basic concepts plus extras from. Amazon is a little overwhelming. I was hoping that the knowledgeable Dopers could make some suggestions. After all, it worked for finding a new Handel’s Messiah for my bud.
The Cartoon Guide to Physics is a fun and educational read if your physics knowledge is, as you say, non-existant. It’s also good to share with your students.
Paul Hewitt’s textbook, Conceptual Physics, is very good for the beginner. Simple explanations and illustrations. Light on math. I highly recommend this one.
Isaac Asimov’s Understanding Physics is wonderful. It’s much more dense and not quite as “conversational” as the others I’ve listed, but it’s still easy to read and understand.
You might also check the bargain bin at your local Barnes & Noble. They often have science books like these. I’ve picked up The Handy Science Answer Book, and *The Handy Physics Answer Book * for pretty cheap. (they’re on Amazon, too)
Okay, cool. For a similar-in-feel lay-audience survey of a more specific subject, check out Tim Ferris’s Coming of Age in the Milky Way. All about cosmology and astrophysics, with some regular physics thrown in so you understand how stuff hangs together. Very readable and very informative, and a nice companion to Bryson’s book.