There are many good fluids books out there, so I though I’d share some of my thoughts on them in order to help you decide which textbook to buy.
Fluid Mechanics for Engineers by David Chin
| Depth of theory | Rigorous, detailed, comprehensive focus on both theory & applications |
| Problem level | Advanced; relevant to industry and research |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng., Civil Eng. |
| Target students | Students who want to specialize in fluid mechanics. |
| Prerequisites | Strong understanding of Calculus, Differential Equations Undergraduate courses in Thermodynamics, Statics, Dynamics |
| Accessibility | Price – $225 Language Level – college student Visual – images for most topics and problems Format – modern textbook style |
Fluid Mechanics by Frank White
| Depth of theory | Rigorous focus on theory; Basic focus in applications |
| Problem level | Advanced; relevant to research |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng., Civil Eng. |
| Target students | Students who want to have a well rounded introductory education in fluid mechanics that opens the door to future specialization in the field. |
| Prerequisites | Strong understanding of Calculus, Differential Equations Undergraduate courses in Thermodynamics, Statics, Dynamics |
| Accessibility | Price – $120 Language Level – college student Visual – high quality images for most topics and problems Format – modern textbook style |
Fundamental Mechanics of Fluids by I. G. Currie
| Depth of theory | Rigorous, detailed focus on theory |
| Problem level | Intermediate; mathematical in nature |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng., Physics |
| Target students | Students performing research in fluid mechanics or a related field or those who |
| Prerequisites | Strong understanding of Calculus, Differential, Equations, Physics, Tensors Undergraduate courses in Fluid Mechanics |
| Accessibility | Price – $125 Language Level – upper-level undergraduate or graduate Visual – very few black & white images for some topics Format – reader style |
Elementary Fluid Mechanics by John Vennard
| Depth of theory | Rigorous, detailed focus on theory |
| Problem level | Advanced; relevant to research |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng., Chemical Eng. |
| Target students | Students who want to have an understanding of fluid mechanics beyond the typical undergraduate requirements of today. |
| Prerequisites | Strong understanding of Calculus, Differential Equations Undergraduate courses in Statics, Dynamics, and Chemistry |
| Accessibility | Price – $35 Language Level – upper-level undergraduate or graduate Visual – some hand drawn images for some topics Format – reader style |
Fluid Mechanics with Engineering Applications by Joseph Franzini
| Depth of theory | Detailed focus on applications |
| Problem level | Intermediate; relevant to industry |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng., Civil Eng. |
| Target students | Students who plan on working in industry after graduation and want to have an in depth knowledge of fluid mechanics applications in various industries, especially the energy and infrastructure industries. |
| Prerequisites | Undergraduate courses in Calculus, Differential Equations, Statics, and Dynamics. |
| Accessibility | Price – Out of print. Around $85 used. Language Level – college student Visual – images for most topics Format – modern textbook style |
| Note | Newer editions authored by Robert Daugherty and/or E. John Finnemore |
Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications by Çengel & Cimbala
| Depth of theory | Balanced focus on theory and applications |
| Problem level | Intermediate; relevant to industry and research |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng. |
| Target students | Students who want to have a well rounded introductory education in fluid mechanics that opens the door to future specialization in the field. |
| Prerequisites | Undergraduate courses in Calculus, Differential Equations, Statics, and Dynamics. |
| Accessibility | Price – $180 Language Level – college student Visual – high quality images for most topics & problems Format – modern textbook style |
| Note | Part of McGraw Hill’s Çengel series in engineering. Best when used with other books in the series (Differential Equations for Engineers & Scientists, Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, Introduction to Thermodynamics & Heat Transfer, Heat & Mass Transfer, Fundamentals of Thermal-Fluid Sciences) |
Introduction to Fluid Mechanics by Fox & McDonald
| Depth of theory | Balanced focus on theory and applications |
| Problem level | Intermediate; relevant to industry |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng., Civil Eng. |
| Target students | Students who want a balanced introduction to fluid mechanics for use in the engineering field. |
| Prerequisites | Undergraduate courses in Calculus, Differential Equations, Statics, and Dynamics |
| Accessibility | Price – Out of print. Around $50 used. Language Level – college student Visual – images for most topics Format – modern textbook style |
| Note | Newer editions authored by Philip Pritchard |
Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics by Munson, Young, & Okiishi
| Depth of theory | Balanced focus on theory and applications |
| Problem level | Intermediate; relevant to industry and research |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng., Civil Eng. |
| Target students | Students who want a balanced introduction to fluid mechanics for use in the engineering field. |
| Prerequisites | Undergraduate courses in Calculus, Differential Equations, Statics, and Dynamics |
| Accessibility | Price – $125 Language Level – college student Visual – images for most topics Format – modern textbook style |
| Note | Newer editions authored by Wade Huebsch, Alric Rothmayer, Philip Gerhart, Andrew Gerhart, and/or John Hochstein |
Engineering Fluid Mechanics by Roberson & Crowe
| Depth of theory | Balanced focus on theory and applications |
| Problem level | Intermediate; relevant to industry and research |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng. |
| Target students | Students who want a balanced introduction to fluid mechanics for use in the engineering field. |
| Prerequisites | Undergraduate courses in Calculus, Differential Equations, Statics, and Dynamics |
| Accessibility | Price – $105 Language level – college student Visual – images for most topics Format – modern textbook style |
| Note | Newer editions authored by Donald Elger and Barbara Williams |
Mechanics of Fluids by Potter, Wiggert, & Ramadan
| Depth of theory | Balanced focus on theory and applications |
| Problem level | Intermediate; relevant to industry |
| Best majors | Mechanical Eng. |
| Target students | Students who want a balanced introduction to fluid mechanics for use in the engineering field. |
| Prerequisites | Undergraduate courses in Calculus, Differential Equations, Statics, Dynamics. Course in Thermodynamics and Chemistry. |
| Accessibility | Price – $95 Language level – college student Visual – images for most topics Format – modern textbook style |
Fluid Mechanics by R. C. Hibbeler
| Depth of theory | Basic focus on theory and applications |
| Problem level | Easy; relevant to industry |
| Best majors | Civil Eng. |
| Target students | Students who do not plan on focusing on fluid mechanics but need to complete the course for their engineering degree. Preferably those who plan on focusing in structural engineering. |
| Prerequisites | Undergraduate courses in Calculus and Statics |
| Accessibility | Price – $210 Language level – high school or college student Visual – images for most topics Format – modern textbook style |
| Note | Part of a series of engineering books by R. C. Hibbeler. Best when used with other books in the series (Statics, Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials) |