Reddit mentions of Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences

If your goal is to understand basic concepts without the math, then a highschool physics book would most likely be the best place to start, as the highest math used is usually Algebra/Pre-calc.

That being said, without at least a calculus background it's hard to grasp some of the concepts beyond basic kinematics. Wikipedia might get you somewhere so it's a good place to start, but it could also lead you through a rabbit hole to pages upon pages of background.

I'd say if you want to tackle more advanced physics concepts then you need at least some background in math, so I'd try Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences by Mary Boas, a book that explains the physics and math somewhat side by side, or The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe by Roger Penrose. Neither is a light read, if you don't have a head for math don't even try Penrose as he uses arguments that assume a reasonable mathematical background. The Boas book is technically a mathematics textbook, so you would do well to supplement it with a College Physics textbook (I used one by Tipler in my university courses).

Amazon Links Below:
Penrose: http://www.amazon.com/Road-Reality-Complete-Guide-Universe/dp/0679776311/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404248577&sr=1-1&keywords=the+road+to+reality+roger+penrose

Boas: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mathematical-Methods-Physical-Sciences-Mary/dp/0471365807/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404248599&sr=1-1&keywords=boas

Tipler: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Physics-Scientists-Engineers-Modern/dp/1429202653/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1NX3QE9FG7XGKWQ15NQ4

Hope this helps, good luck!

I've found Riley, Hobson and Bence and Boas to be really good applied textbooks. The Bence is more of an introduction and the Boas goes more in-depth. If your morals are less than scrupulous then you can easily find a pdf of both online for free