I am a theoretical astrophysicist, and my professional work requires a foundation in classical mechanics and fluid dynamics, and it then draws on statistical mechanics, relativity, and quantum mechanics. How is a student to see the underlying connections between these vast subjects? Professor Pranawa Deshmukh's book ‘Foundations of Classical Mechanics’ (FoCM) provides an excellent exposition to the underlying unity of physics, and is a valuable resource for students and professionals who specialize in any area of physics.

It was 2011 and I was Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). An important global trend in education is internationalization: the effort to increase the international mobility of students and faculty, and increase partnerships in research and teaching. The present-day leading universities in the world are the ones that long ago figured out the benefits of academic mobility and exchanges. As part of our internationalization efforts at UWO, I was keen on building ties with the renowned Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campuses in India. I invited Professor Deshmukh of the IIT Madras to come to UWO to spend a term in residence and also teach one course. That course turned out to be Classical Mechanics. How enlightening to find out that Professor Deshmukh had already developed extensive lecture materials in this area, including a full videographed lecture course ‘Special Topics in Classical Mechanics’ that is available on YouTube. Not surprising then, the course he taught at UWO was a tour-de-force of classical mechanics that also, notably, included topics that are considered to be ‘modern’, including chaos theory and relativity. Many of our students appreciated, highly, the inclusion of special relativity and, for example, to be able to finally understand a resolution to the mind-bending Twin Paradox. We were lucky to have Professor Deshmukh bring his diverse expertise to Canada, and UWO in particular, and it established personal and research links between individuals, and more generally between UWO and the IITs, which continue today.

The FoCM book is a further extension of the broad approach that Professor Deshmukh has brought to his teaching. This is not just another book on Classical Mechanics, due to both its approach and extensive content. The chapters are written in a conversational style, with everyday examples, historical anecdotes, short biographical sketches, and pedagogical features included.