The present book is the first volume of a three volume general course in physics.From the Preface:I have done everything in my power to acquaint students with the basic ideas and methods of physics and to teach them how to think physically. This is why the book is not encyclopedic in its nature. It is mainly devoted to explaining the meaning of physical laws and showing how to apply them consciously. What I have tried to achieve is a deep knowledge of the fundamental principles of physics rather than a shallower acquaintance with a wide range of questions.    While using the book, try not to memorize the material formalistically and mechanically, but logically, i.e. memorize the material by thoroughly understanding it. I have tried to present physics not as a science for "cramming", not as a certain volume of information to be memorized, but as a clever, logical, and attractive science. Notwithstanding my desire to reduce the size, I considered it essential to include a number of mathematical sections in the course: on vectors, linear differential equations, the basic concepts of the theory of probability, etc. This was done to impart a "physical" tinge to the relevant concepts and relations. In addition, the mathematical "inclusions" make it possible to go on with the physics even if, as is often the case, the relevant material has not yet been covered in a mathematics course.The present course is intended above all for higher technical schools with an extended syllabus in physics. The material has been arranged, however, so that the book can be used as a teaching aid for higher technical schools with an ordinary syllabus simply byomitting some section