Book Description

Since the publication of the first edition over 50 years ago, Introduction to Solid State Physics has been the standard solid state physics text for physics students.The author's goal from the beginning has been to write a book that is accessible to undergraduates and consistently teachable. The emphasis in the book has always been on physics rather than formal mathematics. With each new edition, the author has attempted to add important new developments in the field without sacrificing the book's accessibility and teachability.

* A very important chapter on nanophysics has beenwritten by an active worker in the field. This field is the liveliest addition to solid state science during the past ten years
* The text uses the simplifications made possible by the wide availability of computer technology.Searches using keywords on a search engine (such as Google) easily generate many fresh and useful references ... Read more

Reviews (31)

An Ok book
I used this book in a Senior-level Solid State course, and believe it is OK, but not as great as Thermal Physics by Kittel. Though the homework problems at the end of the chapter are the same level of difficulty, i.e., easy.

His proofs are a bit lacking on clarity and there really arent many of them, so you might want Ashcroft & Mermin instead if you like to see them.

However, the course I took wasnt big on the math, and was more conceptual, and here Kittel does things simply enough for you to learn the material and make a good grade.

But if this is your research area, you probably wont like this book.

comprehensive but not well explained
It covers more stuff than the other books I read. But there are too many conclusions without clear explanations. It's not a good book for the newcomers in this field. It's tough to read. It may help you get something new if you've already studied SS. I think Ashcroft&Mermin and Ibach&Luth's books are much much better.

Introduction to Hell
This book is terrible.It is pedantic in parts handwaving in others.I recommend you drop the class you are buying it for.

This is THE classic text in Solid State!
I've taken solid state as an undergrad physics student, a grad at CSUF, a grad at University of Denver, and again as a grad at University of Washington. I have figured out why I just don't seem to grasp Solid State; I've always used this book! ;-) (Different editions) My prof agrees, there are better books out there.

IMHO, the presentation is choppy and not coherant. Concepts are just thrown out and the student is left wondering, "What was THAT all about?!" It makes a GREAT reference if you already know solid state. I think thatis why it is used so often.

Not an Intro book
This book is an awful introduction to solid state physics.I would recommend Ashcroft and Mermin's version.Kittel dives right into equations without deriving them at all and assumes prior knowledge of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and E&M.I am a senior engineering college student at the school Kittel taught (UC Berkeley) and we are forced to use his book because it's a "classic" in the field but it is just a terrible book to try to learn from. ... Read more

Book Description

Through four editions, Arfken and Weber's best-selling Mathematical Methods for Physicists has provided upper-level undergraduate and graduate students with the paramount coverage of the mathematics necessary for advanced study in physics and engineering. It provides the essential mathematical methods that aspiring physicists are likely to encounter as students or beginning researchers. Appropriate for a physics service course, as well as for more advanced coursework, this is the book of choice in the field.

* Provides the essential mathematical methods that aspiring physicists are likely to encounter as students or beginning researchers
* *Serves as both text and useful reference for students of physics and applied mathematics
* *Throughout the text the physical relevance of the mathematics is constantly reinforced ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A physicists handbook for mathematics -- not a textbook
The lecturer of our undergraduate Mathematical Methods for Physics course said that he recommends Arfken's book because it will be useful also later as a reference book. Hearing those words, I could not help but to think "this is one of *those* books". And indeed, although Arfken's and Weber's book covers quite a wide range of mathematics, it does so by being very concise, e.g. there is usually only one example per topic. This is one example of why it is not a good textbook. Not following Arfken's course, I will give another example: there are no answers and no solutions for any of the problems, making it very undesirable from the viewpoint of the person who cannot attend all the lectures. Finally, text itself is quite concise, and often it stops at telling the things rather than explaining them also. I guess I have to admit that I am not one of the excellent students mentioned by a reviewer, for I liked Kreyszig's Advanced Engineering Mathematics much more. As a contrast to Arfken's book, it offered many examples and helped to understand what the thing was all about. Unfortunately, it does not cover nearly all of the topics covered by Mathematical Methods for Physicists. If Mathematical Methods for Physicists is going to be your first introductory text to these topics and if you are not supported by very good lectures I can only say that may God have mercy on your soul.

Needs elaboration: Add 5 pages per page.
I am convinced that the author of this book has made the assumption that the reader has had pretty significant exposure to most of this already. Therefore, this is nothing more than a "all in once place" reference on math methods for physicists. The reason for the diverse range of opinions on this book is due to the various backgrounds of students. For most physic undergrads now taking a grad level math methods course, our exposure to differential eqns, complex functions, tensors, group theory, etc. is superficial. Here is a good entrepreneurial idea for an accomplished physicist that can relate to us mere mortals. For each page that Arfken has provided on a topic, ELABORATE (add 5 pages per page to it and now you have a useful textbook that every graduate student in physics should have). It would save us a fortune in buying the many additional supplemental texts required if you are stuck with Arfken.

Not good to learn from
I used this book in a Math Methods 1st year Graduate Physics course, and I dont think I really learned anything from it.
It doesnt do well at TEACHING you anything, you'll have to buy another book with examples or find them somewhere, and that itself can be difficult.

I found myself referring to Mary Boas' book for a few examples if I wanted to learn anything, but when you get to Group Theory you'll end up lost because the professor will run right over the material and textbooks on that subject arent that great.

If i'm looking for an equation or a mathematical rule, this book is great. Ive used it for Quantum and Jackson E&M quite a bit.

A salad of typos
I have had the misfortune to teach from several editions of this pathetic textbook. The later printings of the 3d edition, by Arfken alone, were quite free of mistakes and of typos. But the early printings of the 5th edition by Arfken and Weber are loaded with typos and have some errors. Most of these typos are in equations that were correct in the 3d edition.

My students have had a hard time learning from this book.

Also, the binding of this $99 book is cheap cardboard -- the hardcover edition does not really have a hard cover. All in all,
this is a typical Elsevier product: inferior and expensive.

Great text for reference and learning
I noticed that most student reviews seemed to disparage this book as a textbook, so I am writing this to provide an alternative veiwpoint. My intermediate Math Methods class used this book and I have not yet enountered a math problem in any of my grad classes that I couldn't use this book as an aide to solve. The book is clear yet concise, which allows for a large breadth of material to be covered in one semester effectively. Yes, some material is not covered with great depth, but I think that Mathematical Methods Books by design are not meant to be thourough, mathematically rigourous books but rather books that will present the method of solving, if not the exact solution, of most problems one might encounter in the physical sciences.

I reccomend this book. Like all other Math Methods books I have seen it will require other texts as supplements if one wants a reference for every problem one could encounter. ... Read more

Book Description

THE CRAFT OF SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS provides a score of examples from contemporary and historical scientific presentations to show clearly what makes an oral presentation effective. It considers presentations made to persuade an audience to adopt some course of action (such as funding a proposal) as well as presentations made to communicate information, and it considers these from four perspectives: speech, structure, visual aids, and delivery. In keeping with technological innovations, it discusses computer-based projections and slide shows as well as overhead projections. In particular, it discusses ways of organizing graphics and text in projected images and of using layout and design to present the information efficiently and effectively.

Unlike other books that discuss technical presentations, this book anchors its advice in the experiences of scientists and engineers, including such successful presenters as Robert Oppenheimer, Richard Feynman, Niels Bohr, and Rita Levi-Montalcini, as well as currently active laboratory directors, scientists, and engineers.

In addition to examining successful presentations, Alley also discusses the errors that cause many scientific presentations to flounder, providing a list of ten critical errors to avoid. The insights and tools in this book will guide readers to deliver outstanding presentations.

Praise for Michael Alley's THE CRAFT OF SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS:

"Alley has revamped the way our research center makes presentations-particularly the way we design our presentation slides." DANIEL J. INMAN, DIRECTOR CENTER FOR INTELLIGENT MATERIAL SYSTEMS

"This book fills a void by illustrating key issues and difficulties in oral presentations with the experiences of others." CHRISTENE MOORE, COMMUNICATION INSTRUCTOR UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A must have for anybody in the science or engineering field
It's well worth every penny!

Textbook that is actually interesting
I give about a dozen technical presentations a year at trade shows, and I learned a lot from this book. I am changing my Powerpoint slides using many of the tips in this book, including complete sentence in the headline. I had designed my slides to help me remember my points. I should have been designing them so the audience could understand them. Besides giving me a better understanding of what I am trying to accomplish, the book was a fun read with numerous stories from the famous and not so famous. There were times it was actually hard to put the book down.

a great book that kept my interest
This is the first of Michael Alley's books that I have read and I'm ordering his other two "The Craft Of..." books tonight. He is terrific at getting technical information across in an engaging and entertaining way. The book is full of short stories about scientists (some famous, like Einstein, Feynman and McClintock) and incidents, which he uses as examples to get his points across. A critical resource for anyone who gives technical presentations. I'm buying copies for each of my graduate students. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Simplifing A Complex Field Through A Consistent Approach
Having read the reviews thus far, I can't find anything I disagree with. It's the best technical text I've ever read. Many of the strengths have been mentioned already: intuitive approach, clear and concise, wide range of interesting illustrative examples, etc.

In addition, the consistent use and discussion of trajectories, phase space, stable points, etc. throughout the entire text allows the reader to incrementally build from each previous lesson. Though other books on nonlinear dynamics use these same tools, the vivid explanations and repetitions with incremental differences greatly enhanced the comprehensibility of these topics. I especially appreciate these consistent methods applied to the consolidation of the material in this text after reading books and papers from various authors using different jargon and methods of illustrating the same concepts.

Perfect introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos
If you have read about Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics and you wish to delve deeper into the mathematics behind the theories then this is the book for you. Strogatz is an excellent writer with an uncanny ability to make advanced concepts seem amazingly simple. The exercises and examples make this book perfect for the motivated self-learner. I must warn you however that you had better be at least somewhat familiar with ODE before you dive into this text. I strongly recommend this book!

Chaos on a plate
Strogatz's approach to Nonlinear Dynamics is suitable for anyone equipped with a good basic understanding of ordinary differential equations. He allows the reader to gradually build-up their understanding through a series of illustrations and examples - this is the sort of book that will be indispensable the night before a final year undergraduate Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics exam. Not excessively mathematical, contains solid explanations and encourages the reader to learn more about this fantastic area of physics.

thanks to Dr. Strogatz!
It is an essential book for everybody who wants to learn nonlinear dynamics. It is writen by the master in the field in a very clear and understandable language.

Great book but...
This is a great book - clear explanations, lots of examples and exercises and helpful references and index. However, answers to selected exercises is really annoying - when will publishers insist on a full set of solutions?

Having programs to plot the figures in the book would have helped in understanding the material. If you want Mathematica programs - see Wolframs "The Mathematica Book". For Maple and MATLAB programs, see Lynch's Dynamical Systems books.

Strogatz's Sync book is a marvelous read. ... Read more

Book Description

Beginning students of quantum mechanics frequently experience difficulties separating essential underlying principles from the specific examples to which these principles have been historically applied. Nobel-Prize-winner Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and his colleagues have written this book to eliminate precisely these difficulties. Fourteen chapters provide a clarity of organization, careful attention to pedagogical details, and a wealth of topics and examples which make this work a textbook as well as a timeless reference, allowing to tailor courses to meet students' specific needs.
Each chapter starts with a clear exposition of the problem which is then treated, and logically develops the physical and mathematical concept. These chapters emphasize the underlying principles of the material, undiluted by extensive references to applications and practical examples which are put into complementary sections. The book begins with a qualitative introduction to quantum mechanical ideas using simple optical analogies and continues with a systematic and thorough presentation of the mathematical tools and postulates of quantum mechanics as well as a discussion of their physical content. Applications follow, starting with the simplest ones like e.g. the harmonic oscillator, and becoming gradually more complicated (the hydrogen atom, approximation methods, etc.). The complementary sections each expand this basic knowledge, supplying a wide range of applications and related topics as well as detailed expositions of a large number of special problems and more advanced topics, integrated as an essential portion of the text.
... Read more

Reviews (25)

This book is simply amazing!
Complete, pedagogical, and beautiful. These volumes have it all! Now, they might seem disorganised at first, but once you read the "Introduction" and the "Directions for Use" page you will learn how to navigate the book. Don't be intimidated by the thickness of these two volumes; most of it is due to chapter complements, which are wholly optional.

It is highly recommended that you have some previous experience with elementary quantum physics before hitting Cohen-Tannoudji. Eisber and Resnik or French and Taylor (MIT series) are both good starts.

quantum mechanics by claude cohen-tannoudji, vols I and II
After years of searching for a really good book on non-relativistic quantum mechanics, I found it in this book. The beginning student can easily understand it and it's comprehensiveness will appeal to the more advanced student. It's use of the Dirac notation makes for a clean and concise treatment. The book is FAR better than most other quantum mechanics books found in university libraries, in my opinion.

Cohen is great, but Wiley & Sons could have done better.
Most of what ought to have been said about this book has been said in previous reviews. It is missing a few crucial topics such as group theory, Lie algebras, and the Bell inequality, but it is extremely well-written, and the treatment of topics which are contained is nothing short of thorough. Reading this book is an illuminating experience.

Wiley & Sons (the publisher) fall short in their treatment of the book. This may read like a modern classic, but it is put together like a telephone book. The paper binding is extremely flimsy (given the size of the book, that is to be expected), and the covers are of such low quality that not only do they scuff, crease, and dent easily, but they stick to surfaces when only a bit of dampness is present, and are impossible to remove without damage.

For the price, one ought to expect more. A book like this deserves to be in a rounded, full-cloth, non-acid edition. At the very least, they could have put it in a textbook binding with sturdy cardboard covers. Timeless references ought to take more abuse than the Yellow Pages.

THE BEST QM BOOK FOR STARTERS
This is the best book on QM that any person can lay his hands on,and it is a shame it is not introduced as a first cource in QM for every science student interested in the subject.Once you go through the book,you may even be able to solve all classical problems quantum mechanically!!

The plus points of this book which other books lack:
complete and elaborate discussion of all mathematical tricks and tools needed in chapter 2,clear layout of the postulates of QM in chapter 3 so that one faces no conceptual difficulty in the remainder of the book,angular momentum addition and clebsch-Gordan coeeffecient calculation in CH.10,electromagnetic interaction with matter in chapter 13(complement),clearly explained probabaility calculation concepts for identical particles ,Ch14.,and a understandable tratment of scattering ,partial traces and the wigner-eckart theorm with applications.

I would recommend this book for any one who wishes to learn QM without laziness(the book is tiringly comprised of 2 volumes)before touching any other book in this subject(others an only lead you astray).the book is self suffecient in all respects and doesnt make a single step jump(no wonder its shear volume).

Good luck!
ganesh

BEST QM BOOK FOR STARTERS
It is a book which every student who needs to master QM sometime should thoroughly read and solve.It is a shame that it is not taught in the very first course of QM that any student comes across in his academic life,since this book clears the very fundamental so much that when you are done with it ,you can even solve any classical problem quantum mechanically yourself.

The second chapter clearly lays down all fundamentalmathematical tricks and tools required to grasp the subject,and chapter 3 has the basic QM postulates so clearly and elaborately explained that one has no problem in understanding the application of quantum mechanical postulates to the problems in the later chapters.

The basic plus points which other popular books lack are,elaborate treatment of angular momentum and Clebsch-Gordan coeffetients,partial traces,scattering,decay of a descrete state resonantly coupled to a continuum of final states and the probabilty calculations when particles are identical.

it is a self consistent book,with exercises which clear the concepts (though not enough always).a major amount of worked out problems with clear explanations for all steps.

it is a book which covers a great deal with no step jumps at all,no wonder it has two tiring fat volumes.
I repeat,a must for any science student willing to learn QM,before he touches any other book of the subject(the rest can only lead you astray).

good luck. ... Read more

Book Description

In this first comprehensive introduction to the main ideas and techniques of quantum computation and information, Michael Nielsen and Isaac Chuang ask the question: What are the ultimate physical limits to computation and communication? They detail such remarkable effects as fast quantum algorithms, quantum teleportation, quantum cryptography and quantum error correction. A wealth of accompanying figures and exercises illustrate and develop the material in more depth. They describe what a quantum computer is, how it can be used to solve problems faster than familiar "classical" computers, and the real-world implementation of quantum computers. Their book concludes with an explanation of how quantum states can be used to perform remarkable feats of communication, and of how it is possible to protect quantum states against the effects of noise. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Good for Research and Self-Study
I think that this book is excellent for self-study, and does provide a significant level of rigour.

I believe that the authors do a significantly good job defining their terms and making sure the reader is "with them." For example, just a few lines up from Equation 5.36 on page 226, in fact immediately after the start of Section 5.3.1, the authors make the comment, "For positive integers x and N, x < N, with no common factors,...". Now I would assume that Equation 5.36 would reference these same variables, and thus the restriction would still apply.

This is admittedly rather a specific example, but it illustrates the point: the authors have a well-developed sense of logical flow, and such flow makes it much easier to follow what is rather a difficult subject. The subject is difficult because it spans such a huge variety of disciplines.

My advice is to take courses in mathematics: linear algebra (easily the most important of all the classes), abstract algebra, discrete mathematics, advanced calculus, number theory; in physics: classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, electricity and magnetism; electrical engineering: linear circuits, digital logic, microprocessors; and in computer science: algorithms and data structures, cryptography. Then I think you would have an adequate background to understand this top-notch, advanced book.

The Reader Review by Julian Miller is INCORRECT!
Dr. Julian Miller is either an idiot and obviously didn't read the book carefully at all. On page 226 just above the equation Miller talks about it says "For positive integers x and N, x < N, with no common factors, ..." and goes on to clearly define EVERYTHING. I read this book and I disagree 100% with that review and have just proved to you that the reviewer was completely wrong and just didn't read the book carefully on page 226. I had no trouble understanding the topics in this book and don't have PhD in anything, just a Bachelors in Physics and took a couple graduate courses. Everything was very clear in this book to me and I think it is a great book. Don't believe what that reviewers said, if he/she had just read the book more carefully he/she would notice that everything is defined. I bet that reviewer wasn't reading the book carefully at all and was just skipping sections and jumping around from page to page, skimming over certain paragraphs. It's a great book and it's the first one I encountered that was helpful enough to allow me to really make sense of this subject.

Essential Quantum Information/Computing
This is *the* book to learn Quantum Information/Computation theory from. I tried others but nothing made much sense until I read and worked through this book, then I went back to the other books and everything made sense to me.

Someone who has been doing research in this area for many years probably cannot use this book for much other than an occasional reference, but for those who want to learn the subject it is a GREAT place to start.

Needs solutions to problems!
I have over 3 dozen books on the subject and this is by far the clearest. I believe this book to be extremely well written and much clearer than other texts. In addition, the circuit notation used in the text is BY far easier than what is found in a text on Quantum Physics. Also, the way things are stated about general Quantum Theory is so much kinder and more logical than in any other text I have read, both saying the same things only this text explains this painful subject in a nice clean way.

In any case, I believe this to be the best book on the subject. I also recommend Explorations in Quantum Computing (Williams, Clearwater), it is useful since it has many Mathematica Workbooks to simulate Quantum Circuits and that related. Really you need to read many books to understand this subject, but Nielsen and Chuang make a good foundation.

I do agree that this book could be better, as could all texts, but being the best book in a very complicated new area of study is worthy of 5 stars. Simply, this is the best book on the subject that I have seen. If you are trying to teach yourself this material from any book chances are you will fail, but if you must I would get this one first and then the Williams book. Regards.

Good, just advanced enough
This book covers quantum information theory at a level that can be understood by someone who has only had an introductory course in quantum mechanics and the same in basic computability theory. While this still rules out most of the general public, this is an excellent book for anyone seriously thinking of entering the field. The first third of the book reviews the required basics of quantum mechanics, computability, and information theory, and outlines where QIT differs from the classical theory. The rest of the book goes into more specifics.
While this book does cover introductory level quantum circuit design, elementary quantum information theory, and the basics of just about every part of the field, it doesn't go into terribly much depth. This makes it an excellent introductory book (targeted at graduate or upper-level undergraduate physics majors), but if you want something more targeted towards a particular facet of quantum computation and information, you may want to try something else. ... Read more

Book Description

More than 500,000 students have purchased previous editions of this book! That's because this powerful study tool offers clear explanations and constant reinforcements, so that students quickly grasp this potentially difficult subject matter. It takes students from vectors to thermodynamics to applied nuclear physics, teaching effective problem-solving skills. The numerous, valuable appendixes make often-needed, basic information easy to find quickly, so this book is also an excellent reference.

The new edition of this best-selling book gives users a solid grasp of the principles of general physics through their application to a large number of carefully selected problems. The Ninth Edition features a new order of presentation that reflects the current physics curriculum and textbooks. Existing problems have been updated, and new problems have been added that deal with more realistic and practical situations, including those in the life sciences.

Reviews (6)

If You're in AP Physics & Need Some Review...
This book is awesome. It contains a ton of word problems, perfect for AP Test Prep and HW!

a little light
This book is probably good for high school physics. I am in a physics for non-majors course in college and I found the material in the book to be not in-depth enough. To be honest I found it relatively useless to consult when I had a tough question and needed some help. There are better books out there. I just ordered 3 books that were recommended to me: "The Physics Problem Solver" by James Ogden, "How To Solve Physics Problems and Make The Grade" by Robert M. Oman and Daniel M. Oman and "3,000 Solved Problems in Physics" by Alvin Halpern.

Don't bother with this book if you feel lost in physics because it won't really help you.

Your entire college textbook in outline form
I found this book to be a great review for my college physics class. Rather than a large chapter of dry reading, this book keeps everything simple, and to the point. Rather than a large discussion of Newton's Laws, they are simply listed for your reference.

The topics covered in the book are much too numerous to list out. I compared this with my physics textbook for science and engineering students. If you are having trouble understanding your textbook, use this text as a supplement. It does walk through problems and has problems you can try.

Regarding the practice problems, the answers are there, but they are right there. I would prefer to have the answers on another page, but this is still a good book.

Explanation and lots of practice problems
I am currently taking the first year of the Physics Avanced Placement class at my high school and this was one of the books that we needed for the class. Our teacher said that it was very good because of the problems and he is exactly right.

There are 46 chapters in the book covering many topics, starting from a beginner's standpoint. I must admit that the explanation in the beginning of each chapter is a little dry but it is concise and to the point. The most useful part of this book or guide is the many problems it has for each chapter. After the explanation part of the chapter, the chapter then goes on to show you problems and the solutions to them. It shows you how to solve them, each step of the way. After these problems, it then gives you many, many practice problems that you can do yourself, it also gives you the answers so that you can check to see if you were right in your calculations. There are so many problems for you to do that it is great practice and after all of them, you feel as if you have truly mastered the concept because the problems build off one another, starting with the easiest then getting progressively harder at the end.

I think this is a great book and a great supplement to a Physics course. However, there is one drawback in that this is not really a textbook, it does have some explanation at the beginning of the chapter which is good but it is not like your usual textbook which has more in-depth explanation. But, if you are using this book as a supplement or in connection with another book, then this is all you have to ask for.

Simple explanation, good practice problems.
Useful book with clear, simple explanations of subject material. Physics is all about solving problems so the illustrated and clearly solved problems increasing in difficulty were indispensable. (I wish I had used it more to study...) ... Read more

Book Description

NMR spectroscopy is one of the most important and widely used techniques for the identification of compounds. Based on an established course this core text offers a truly modern and updated approach.

• Provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject

• Includes a multi-disciplinary approach, concentrating on basic principles and concepts

• Contains chapters of worked examples and problems to encourage a fuller understanding of topics

• Offers a pedagogical approach, starting with quarks and nucleons, and moving on to cover NMR imaging, COSY (Correlated Spectroscopy) and NOESY (Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy).

As a core subject in many science disciplines, this text will appeal to a wide range of students, as well as practising scientists and technicians. Assuming only a basic knowledge of complex numbers and matrices, it carefully and lucidly aids readers to fully understand this challenging subject. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A must have for any aspiring NMR jockeys
For those studying biomolecules with NMR, the unofficial bible is of course the maroon colored Cavanagh book. Though this is an excellent book, it isn't the best suited book for beginners. This is where Levitt's book comes in: this is by far the kindest introduction to NMR that I have seen, with heavy emphasis on understanding the concepts first and the formalism later. The book is full of useful diagrams, detailed analogies, and exercises for the reader where other books only show equations. So borrows someone's Cavanagh first, and if you get stuck after 20 pages then order yourself a copy of Levitt and you won't be disappointed. If you already have studied NMR and are looking at how to apply it to proteins, then Cavanagh should suit you fine.

Clear first introduction to NMR
This book could simply be stated as an excellent attempt to introduce the foundations of NMR. It is a very good primer on all theoretical aspects that are essential to an understanding of the subject.
It offers a methodical, step-by-step approach. Useful tools and consistent terminology are the most attracting feature of this volume. It is well-illustrated; and controversial issues are highlighted in the "Notes" sections at the end of each chapter. It has illustrative problems at the end of each chapter, with solutions provided at the end.
Interestingly, the appendix covers many important aspects that are needed at a more advanced stage. Useful tools for the understanding of NMR are developed at appropriate stages. These include: the box notation for coherences, populations, density matrices and transitions; the origin of NMR spectra from individual coherence terms in the density matrix; origin of 2-D NMR signals as well as many important concepts in Fourier Transform NMR are described. The origins of relaxation enjoy a very readable and simplistic approach in the last chapter.
Whenever simplistic approximations are used, the author never claims of completeness or rigour. Distinction is made between terms that are physically correct and terms that are sometimes misleading, but enjoy widespread use in the NMR spectroscopy convention. The essential tools in quantum mechanics are outlined, product operator descriptions are used frequently and repetitively, that enhances understanding and provides more practice. Pictorial representations have been given where possible, a view-point beginners like myself find very useful.
One drawback, is a careful side-lining of the very important technique of using pulse-field gradients, although their cousin technique, named pulse-cycles is quite elaborately explained. I hope, the next issue of the book would also cover up this important technique. ... Read more

Book Description

Already climbing the bestseller lists-and garnering rave reviews-this "little masterpiece"* sheds brilliant light on the equation that changed the world.

"This is not a physics book. It is a history of where the equation [E=mc2] came from and how it has changed the world. After a short chapter on the equation's birth, Bodanis presents its five symbolic ancestors in sequence, each with its own chapter and each with rich human stories of achievement and failure, encouragement and duplicity, love and rivalry, politics and revenge. Readers meet not only famous scientists at their best and worst but also such famous and infamous characters as Voltaire and Marat...Bodanis includes detailed, lively andfascinating back matter...His acknowledgements end, 'I loved writing this book.' It shows." (The Cleveland Plain Dealer)

"E=mc2, focusing on the 1905 theory of special relativity, is just what itssubtitle says it is: a biography of the world's most famous equation, and it succeeds beautifully. For the first time, I really feel that I understand the meaning and implications of that equation, as Bodanis takes us through each symbol separately, including the = sign...there is a great 'aha!' awaiting the lay reader." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

"'The equation that changed everything' is familiar to even the most physics-challenged, but it remains a fuzzy abstraction to most. Science writer Bodanis makes it a lot more clear." (Discover)

"Excellent...With wit and style, he explains every factor in the world's most famous and least understood equation....Every page is rich with surprising anecdotes about everything from Einstein's youth to the behind-the-scenes workings of the Roosevelt administration. Here's a prediction: E=mc2 is one of those odd, original, and handsomely written books that will prove more popular than even its publisher suspects." (Nashville Scene)

"You'll learn more in these 300 pages about folks like Faraday, Lavoisier, Davy and Rutherford than you will in many a science course...a clearly written, astonishingly understandable book that celebrates human achievement and provides some idea of the underlying scientific orderliness and logic that guides the stars and rules the universe."(Parade )

"Bodanis truly has a gift for bringing his subject matter to life." (Library Journal [starred review] )

"Entertaining...With anecdotes and illustrations, Bodanis effectively opens up E=mc2 to the widest audience." (Booklist )

"Accessible...he seeks, and deserves, many readers who know no physics. They'll learn a handful-more important, they'll enjoy it, and pick up a load of biographical and cultural curios along the way." (Publishers Weekly)

... Read more

Reviews (75)

Science is great, history is not
I would give him five stars for his comprehensible explanation of the physics and the time he spent thinking of metaphors for the equation that make its effects understandable. However, his portraits of figures like Oppenheimer and Heisenberg are way off--extreme readings of uncited evidence that is frankly in conflict with both the historical record and the way that contemporary historians interpret it. Heisenberg was NOT a convinced Nazi--he was a German nationalist. There's a difference. Oppenheimer's personality problems were not at the basis of his later exclusion from further government nuclear research--his communist sympathies were the reason. Bodanis makes Teller sound like a crazy and not like the venerable scientist he was. What's sad about all of these misportraits is that they cast doubt on things I want to believe, about Lise Meitner and Celia Payne, for example. Read with care, and compare to a real book about the Manhattan Project (like Richard Rhodes' "Making of the Atomic Bomb") before you swallow this picture whole. For a much more balanced picture of some of the personalities involved that includes a readable account of the science, check out Freeman Dyson's "Disturbing the Universe."

A bumpy ride through Relativity
This is a mildly eccentric book on Relativity. David Bodanis claims at the start that he won't be talking about physics and Einstein --- he's just going to tell you about The Famous Equation. But once he's done with the first chapter, which goes through the basic principles of the equation step-by-step, he gets into physics and Einstein. He loses his focus quickly, but he's always entertaining.

Bodanis loves colorful anecdotes about physicists, the art of discovery, contributions by neglected scientists (primarily women), and the prospect of the Nazis building an atomic bomb. It's this last topic that weakens the book. Frankly, the Nazis never came close to building an atomic bomb. Yes, they would have had a Fat Man or a Little Boy if they built reactors and had heavy water and understood the physics and had a team of scientists working on it and they tested it. But they didn't have any of it. "Might have" doesn't cut it.

The second half of this book is made up of biographies of scientists and extensive footnotes. Bodanis makes good use of the notes, giving you plenty of sources and a lot of additional information. His personal interests are on full display here, as he mentions whatever concept or story that the footnoted information triggers in his mind. It's fun to read, although it does tend to wander.

I recommend this book to anyone who's read a little bit about Relativity. It's a useful refresher, an eccentric view of the topic that will keep your interest. If you've never read about Relativity, try Gribbin and White's biography of Einstein first --- or, better yet, Richard Wolfson's book on Relativity (which is still the best).

Reading this book requires E.
The simple equation having only 5 symbols is deep in meaning. It took the genious of Einstein to put the equation together way back in 1905 - - - What E found was: Energy equals mass when you accelerate mass to the speed of light squared. That's 670,000,000 mph times itself.
C stands for 'celeritis' in latin and it means, 'swiftness.' C squared is 448,900,000,000,000,000 mph!
No speedometer exists on Earth that can travel that fast! WOW!
Einstein knew that energy could naturally transform itself into mass under specific and unique condtions.
The equation was published in 1905 and essentially remained dormant and untested until the war.
Then it became a horrifying reality that Einstein himself wished he never uncovered all those years ago.
Other scientists converged their great minds together in a think tank called the Manhatten Projet, and the world changed for the worse --- upon their nuclear discoveries.
Did Fat Boy really need to do what he did?
NEVER! THe controversy broils to this day.
It is so strange to contemplate that in the pool of the most intelligent men on Earth, not a one of them was smart enough to forsee the evil that they created.
Like the saying goes, "You can lead a man to wisdom, but you can't make him think."
None of them thought about what this nuclear power could do when left in terrorist grips.
This book tells the story behind the famous little equation.
Einstein did play a part in developing nuclear arsonel, even though he later denied he encouraged it.
Please see his letter to President FDR on pages 117 - 18.
The reader is left to draw thier own conclusions on that.
Regardless of the controversy, I read this book and must give it my highest recommendations to all who ever wondered what this equation means. It's deep but not complex.
It's complex but not inaccessable by average minds.
What's really chilling is reading what is not said in between the lines of this book.
Could we have avoided the discovery of the Atomic bomb?
Imagine our world without it.....and to think, the Germans weren't all that close to uncovering the secret behind the destruction.
This is a good book about E = mc 2.
Read it and learn that all discoveries have a dark side.

meandering history of relativity
In this slim and easy-to-read volume, David Bodanis gives us a meandering history of relativity. First, he looks at each of the individual pieces of the equation (even the equals sign gets its own chapter). Then, he builds up a discussion of other relevant work that led to Einstein's famous equation. He next discusses its applications. The book closes with an immense amount of back matter, including the footnotes and suggested further reading on the topic.

This book is not for physics students who are already intimately familiar with the requisite mathematics and physics. It is intended for a general audience that probably can't remember calculus (or was never introduced to it in the first place). Bodanis engages in a bit of handwaving to make the more difficult parts easier to accept; in general, he acknowledges this. I can't fault him for this decision, although the mathematician in me occasionally found it a bit frustrating.

Make sure that you read the footnotes! It's not necessary to flip back and forth between the main text and the footnotes, but at least read them when you've reached the end of the chapter. Scan past the ones that are simply listing the source material, and read the ones that are longer. There's a lot of great information to be found in those footnotes that doesn't quite fit into the main text. Some of it tells you a bit about what was going through the author's mind when he wrote his book, other material elaborates on what is in the book.

Also, read through the list of suggested readings. It's like getting book recommendations from a well-read friend. The suggestions are thorough, insightful, and often entertaining.

Transforming human mass into energy for good
It is easy to think of technology in the context of hard science and with the intellect. Bodanis gives lay readers an appropriate level of insight about how math and science evolved through several hundred years to propel our species toward the elegant equation that changed the world. This historical journey enlivens many forgotten but critical thinkers who made it possible for a restive patent clerk to make the essential creative leap into the intellectual unknown. But this book accomplishes something else, even greater. The author's brilliant chapter describing in micro-second details the detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima creates a powerful, sobering perspective of this fearsome technology and dispassionately reminds all of us of the threats looming. The author uses his beloved science to bring into searing perspective the human face of thermonuclear war. The power to manipulate the atom has the capacity for good in medicine and other human advancements, but it is also a power capable of planetary destruction. It is wise for lay readers to understand E=MC2 beyond science. Our survival is at stake. ... Read more

Book Description

The interaction of electromagnetic waves with matter in the frequency range between 10-6 and 1012 Hz is the domain of broadband dielectric spectroscopy. In this extraordinarily extended dynamic range molecular and collective dipolar fluctuations, charge transport and polarisation effects at inner and outer boundaries take place and determine the dielectric properties of the material being studied. Hence, broadband dielectric spectroscopy enables one to gain a wealth of information on the dynamics of bound (dipoles) and mobile charge carriers depending on the details of a molecular system. It is the intention of this book to be both an introductory course to broadband dielectric spectroscopy as well as a monograph describing recent dielectric contributions to current topics. In this respect the book will correspond to the needs of graduate students but also to specialized researchers, molecular physicists, polymer scientists and materials scientists in academia and in industry. ... Read more

Book Description

The best-selling sequel to "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"--funny, poignant, instructive. One of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century, Richard Feynman possessed an unquenchable thirst for adventure and an unparalleled ability to tell the stories of his life. "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" is Feynman's last literary legacy, which he prepared as he struggled with cancer. Among its many tales--some funny, others intensely moving--we meet Feynman's first wife, Arlene, who taught him of love's irreducible mystery as she lay dying in a hospital bed while he worked nearby on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos. We are also given a fascinating narrative of the investigation of the space shuttle Challenger's explosion in 1986, and we relive the moment when Feynman revealed the disaster's cause by an elegant experiment: dropping a ring of rubber into a glass of cold water and pulling it out, misshapen. A New York Times bestseller. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

¿Continuation of a curious character¿
This book is a continuation and addendum of sorts to Mr. Feynman's first biography, "Surely you are joking, Mr. Feynman". The two major stories of the book involve Mr. Feynman's enormously influential first wife, Arlene and the second story involves Mr. Feynman's work in the Challenger disaster investigation. Sprinkled around these two major bookends are other humorous adventures and observations about a trip to Japan, being labeled a sexist pig by feminists, and hotel hunting in Europe to name just a few.

The Challenger investigation takes up a sizable chunk of the book and is sometimes filled with drier material. But the compelling event and frustrating insight into government bureaucracy holds some interest to make up for the technical specifications.

The first part of the book where his wife Arlene is discussed is so touching and powerful that the reader will be hard pressed not to get teary-eyed.

As noted in the review about the first biography, Mr. Feynman was an extremely curious person who explored things out of simple curiosity. His life's quest was nothing simpler than a desire to understand Nature. All the while, he tried to have the best time he could. Hopefully this reader can take away at least a little bit of that.

Scientific background is not a prerequisite
A lot of books written by scientific people claim to be "down-to-earth" and for the "layman" but end up creeping into the obscure. Not so here. Feynman starts with his feet planted firmly on the ground and never strays.

The first few stories range from the serious to the light-hearted. From the pain of losing his wife to being invited to speak at a funeral for a man whom he can't remember. These accounts give you a good look at the ability of Feynman to convey a story and make it interesting. The majority of the book however is given to the time he spent on the committee that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Using no nonsense, straight-forward writing he takes you through the process of how he and the others, despite a lot of bureaucratic red tape, managed to find out what went wrong on that fateful day. What could very well be a dry and uninspiring subject becomes quite informative and engaging through his telling.

This is my first book by Feynman, but having absorbed the whole thing in one sitting it surely won't be my last.

Not Joking this time
The follow-up to the successful, "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman" this book offers four pretty distinct parts.

First section describes how his father taught him to think about the world and his father's ambition to make young Richard a scientist. The end of the book is Feyman's case for the importance of science. In between we get the sad, but sweet story of his first wife and the utterly compelling story of his time on the committee investigating the challenger explosion. It was my favorite part of the book.

The description of how government committees decide facts and make recommendations was eye opening. It was the best description of how these things work that I've ever read. Feynman was constantly up against a committee chairman that wanted to keep everyone in a room asking questions of experts. Feynman didn't like that setup. He wanted to travel out to NASA and talk to engineers, so he did.

Going to Huston and Canaveral, Feynman learned something about the nature of NASA that probably goes for any big organization. He found that NASA was a unified force when their goal was putting a man of the moon. Information was shared freely and appreciated at every level. Once that goal was met NASA became compartmentalized.

Leaders at the top spent their time reassuring Congress that NASA would achieve their goals with low costs and high safety. Engineers at the bottom realized that this wasn't entirely possible. The middle managers didn't want to hear the challenges because they would be forced to report it to the top bosses who didn't want to hear it. It was much easier for top bosses to paint a rosy picture to Congress if they were unaware of the actual challenges of making it work. The end result was that top bosses said that the likelihood of a mission death was 1-100,000 while engineers on the ground felt that the likelihood was more like 1-300.

Feynman concludes that maybe the shuttle program was a bad idea. It could never live up to the ambitious projections of the leaders and the American public was being lied to. NASA should be honest with the American people, Feynman thought, then Congress and voters can decide if they are getting enough for their money. It was a surprisingly thing to hear from an advocate of science and discovery. But Feynam reckoned that the amount of science and discovery has been little compared to the cost. He complained years after the first shuttle launch he still hadn't read any significant experiments in scientific journals.

In all, I liked this book a little better than "Surely You're Joking." It was a little more thought provoking than those fun tales.

Interesting follow up
This book is the follow on to the book "Surely you must be joking, Mr. Feynman". In the first book there was a time line that progressed from youth to Professor at Caltech. This book is much different in that 45% of the book describes his pre- 1986 life and 55% describes his involvement in the Challenger shuttle accident investigation. This investigation was a mere 2 years of his life (and the final 2 years as well). The same brilliant character shines through in both parts of this book. There are many interesting vignettes of this iconoclast that are not in the first book. The most interesting part is the description of his relationship with his first wife Arlene who succumbed to TB while he was still a young man. He really had a great heart for those close to him. He didn't suffer fools willingly and often was abrupt to the point of rudeness. More interesting observations are available at feynmanonline^com. Detailed there is a more balanced view of the man and his foibles.

Hero worship can blind you to reality
Yes, Feynman was brilliant. Yes, Feynman revolutionized the teaching of physics. Yes, he seems to have been a delightful, charming, handsome, womanizing, fun guy to hang out with. But the Feynman cottage industry ran dry a long time ago. I expect his grocery lists to be published any day now to feed the insatiable hunger for anything that he touched. The essays and articles in this book are bland and nearly worthless. One is introduced as "uproarious." Uproarious is defined as "provoking hilarity." If you think anecdotes about Feynman running up a stairway to bring his heart rate up are hilarious, you are easily amused. This book was a complete waste of time and money. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

ChE's couldn't survive without this book!
This book is known as "BSL" on the University of Wisconsin - Madison engineering campus for its renowned authors and UW-Madison Professors: Bird, Stewart and Lightfoot. I was lucky enough to have ChE 320: Transport Phenomena, with Prof. Stewart in the late 80's and this book helped me through the class. To this day, I still use my copy.

It is commonly known as the bible of transport phenomena.
The book gives a very in depth look at transport phenomena. A reader who understands this information will have no trouble at simpler subjects such as mass and heat transfer. A must for Chemical Engineers but would recommend the use of a good professor.

They must've gotten too Old
While the first edition was the seminal standard, I don't see how the second edition can be considered the same. First of all just look at the back cover, that's glaring. The numeraters and denomenaters in the differential expressions are reversed from what they should be. Then on page 15 the data given for viscosity of water, the columns for dynamic viscosity in mPa-s and kinematic viscosity in cm2/sec are interchanged with each other from what would be correct. Such things make me hesitant to trust any of the rest of this text.

A Masterpiece
I first used BS&L over 30 years ago for my first Transport classes in Chemical Engineering. It's depth and breadth is such that it was a primary text for four other courses I took later in grad school. I pulled the book out a couple of days ago to review my understanding of heat transfer to help explain it to some youngsters.

To those who complain that it has too much math...take up a new field. Math and science are inextricably linked. Science isn't just your high school teacher babbling about ecology and the "circle of life". This is hard science, the kind that builds nations and brings societies out of disease-infested environments. If you're using this text and can't take the heat, better get out of the kitchen.

a surprise may await you !
I am very pleased with the content of the book - it is a classic. However, there's more to the package. First of all, I was surprised to receive the book from a bookstore in Taiwan, although Amazon never lead me to believe it would come form abroad. Second, the book had a large stamp on it saying "not for sale in the US". This, in itself, has to be illegal. Third, a page feel out of the book right away - although it said "printed in the US", it clearly was NOT US quality. So much for outsourcing! So, buyer beware - you really don't know what you'll get in the mail !!!! ... Read more

Book Description

This self-contained book presents basic methods of numerical simulation of gravitational systems, with applications in astronomy and cosmology. The first half of the book presents and explains the fundamental mathematical tools needed to describe the dynamics of a large number of mutually attractive particles. Particular attention is given to the techniques needed to model known planetary and astrophysical phenomena such as Hubble motion. The second half of the book demonstrates how to develop clear and elegant algorithms for models of gravitational systems. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What we have been expecting!!!
This is an excellent book on simulation of n-body systems. The
author gives a very good description of several techniques and
algorithms together with some theoretical background. This is
the book to have on your desk if you don't want to have a pile
of pappers and other books. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's been said that before physics students can fly with Feynman they need to walk with Halliday and Resnick.Those of us who are still toddling along, however, need Larry Gonick.Gonick's characteristically quirky drawings are teamed with physicist Art Huffman's prose to produce lessons like this: picture Sir Isaac Newton driving a Mack truck labeled "Big Inertia." Ike is talking into a CB radio, saying: "Breaker one nine: force overcomes inertia and produces acceleration. Do you read?" As the jacket copy says, "If you think a negative charge is something that shows up on your credit-card bill--if you imagine that Ohm's law dictates how long to meditate--if you believe that Newtonian mechanics will fix your car," here's the book for you. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Not as good as The Cartoon History of the Universe
I was delighted when some time ago I received two volumes of Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe as a present from a friend. It is absolutely hilarious! Being a physicist, I considered it a must to add Cartoon Guide to Physics to my Larry Gonick collection.

However, I was disappointed. The guide indeed tries to cover a significant amount of the usual high-school physics course - mechanics, electricity and magnetism (missing are thermodynamics and optics) - but it is not really as charmingly funny as the Cartoon History of the Universe. As a physicist, I can assure you that the problem does not lie in the simple fact that the history is more interesting topic than physics - physics is plenty interesting, thank you! But the desired blend between the textbook and the cartoon resulted in something that is not educational enough to actually learn something from it and too boring to make a good cartoon.

Trying to find some bright spot, I am happy to report I have not discovered any major flops in the science part of the book. Also, I believe the book actually becomes somewhat more interesting toward the end. But then again, if I would have to choose between, say, the chapter on relativity and Joseph Schwartz's Einstein for Beginners, I would probably opt for the latter.

Wonderful, fun way to learn a difficult subject.
If you haven't seen these Cartoon Guides before, you are in for a treat! They are a FABULOUS way to teach science. This book covers a broad range of physics from Mechanics to Electricity and Magnetism. But the whole book is a cartoon that creates most enjoyable reading. Whenever I get one of these books, my preteen asks to borrow it! (He's also learned genetics this way). Although it does not contain experiments as such, the presentations of scientific history and principles are great. Definitely a necessary book for older children, teachers and professionals...from The Science Spiders(TM) Newsletter

Truly Outstanding
It makes all the physics concepts and math in my high school physics class easy to understand. If I were on a textbook adoption commitee, I would buy class sets of these. Cartoon Guide cuts the nonsense and filler of your average high school physics and goes straight to the heart of the matter in a way that is accessible yet not at all dumbed down. Thank you Mr. Gonick for helping me get an "A" in physics! I was using a classroom copy. Now I will buy my own for when I go to college.

Learning with a light touch
The primary hurdle to overcome in learning the basics of physics is believing that it is indeed possible for you to learn them. Motion, electricity, magnetism, light and even relativity are all based on fundamental ideas that are well within the grasp of most people. Your reach and the strength of your grip will both be amplified by the contents of this book. Using simple diagrams and plain language, you are walked through a basic physics course, from the concept of linear motion to the most "bizarre" consequences of relativity.
Gonick it truly one of a kind when it comes to the explanation of complex phenomena using drawings and cartoon-like dialog. It is one of the rare literary creations, a book that educates in science that is also fun to read. There are no sharp edges of difficulty, it is much like one of those disciplinary paddles with a pillow on the end.

Gonick strikes again
This is my third Cartoon Guide, and was purchased after CG to Stats and CG to Genetics. I'm convinced now that I'll just have to buy every single one of Gonicks's guides.

Whenever possible, I have avoided physics classes--they scare me--which is difficult to do. But knowing this, I became obsessed with facing my fear and picked up this book (and a few others). I wasn't disappointed. Although it wasn't as easy to follow his other two books (perhaps because I'm more familiar with the subject of the other two books), it made physics more interesting, and less scary. I was able to reread sections and then cross reference them with a 'real' physics text until I got the point.

I'm still no physicist, and I never will be. But I've got a basic grasp now that I didn't have before, and can understand the simple physics of the world around me. However, the biggest kudo I can give to this book is this: I've enrolled in a physics course at the local university--a course I don't *have* to take but want to take. It's something I never would have done without this book easing my fears and taking the mystery out of the subject.

Bravo Gonick! Where's the Cartoon Guide to the Quantum Theory?! We're waiting.... ... Read more

Book Description

This manual is both a guide and aid to users of The Art of Electronics. It is carefully organized to follow the chapters of the main text, providing extra explanatory notes, worked examples, solutions to selected exercises and laboratory exercises. Learning aids such as glossaries, reading assignments, objectives, data sheets and summaries are also included. The manual is a product of many years' teaching at Harvard University, which has given the authors direct knowledge of concepts that students find difficult.The extra explanatory detail makes this manual an essential purchase for students using The Art of Electronics. ... Read more

Reviews (76)

11 Year going and still viable, that says it all
From the early 1980s, I've read both the first and second editions over 3 times and the heuristics they use remain second to none, 11 year later. This is THE book of Electronics for non-engineers, if more math is needed, Numbers.

With technology moving at a logarithmic phase, its a tribute to their presentation that AoE continues to be sold without a recent update and their keen circuit sense shows that many of the technologies the focused on remain available today.

Since the second edition cheap computer circuit simulators, I use Electronics Workbench but many are available, can help clarify areas were H&H may leap and bound when discussing circuits [ explanations can still be found by cross references the book via the index.] Design software makes breadboarding less necessary for testing concepts. Choice of software depends on cost and the sophistication of your design.

This book is not for the casual tinkerer, kit assembler, or an extended version of '1001 electronic circuits.' It turns astute readers into circuit designers, not everyone is cut out for that field. Its been a while since I read Steve Ciarcia in Byte, thought of Heathkit, saw an issue of Radio or Popular Electronics, but DigiKey remains a key supplier, Radio Shack remains the 'quick fix' and H&H lives on.

I rarely have time to build circuits on custom PC boards these days, but AoE has given me a cognitive lifetime warranty on all devices I've opened that screwed tightly shut said " ... VOID IF REMOVED."

For the next edition, could authors PLEASE beg the publishers to print the book on acid free paper? My copy is terribly jaundiced.

It's a cookbook not a textbook!
Excellent resource for all engineers/technicians who need quick solutions to common (and not-so-common) problems. The book is more an electronics "cookbook" than a textbook, in that the authors assume the reader is familiar with basic theory but might need help in identifying the best solution to a particular problem. It is not an "introduction to electronics" but, I would strongly recommend it to beginners who wish to augment a standard textbook or course with some good practical knowledge. The authors are very effective in reducing even some of the most complex aspects of electronics into easy-to-understand terms. This book is like having a good, experienced electrical engineer available 24 hours a day!

NOT FOR EVERYONE
The unfortunate thing about this book is that some effort seems to have been made to market it as a teaching tool or textbook that would be useful to neophytes and rank beginners. It is anything but that. If you use this book to begin your study of electronics you will en