Book Description

Cosmology: The Science of the Universe is a broad introduction to the science of modern cosmology, with emphasis on its historical origins. The first edition of this best-selling book received worldwide acclaim for its lucid style and wide-ranging exploration of the universe.This eagerly awaited second edition updates and greatly extends the first with seven new chapters that explore early scientific cosmology, Cartesian and Newtonian world systems, cosmology after Newton and before Einstein, special relativity, observational cosmology, inflation and creation of the universe.All chapters conclude with a section entitled Reflections containing provocative topics that will foster lively debate.The new Projects section, also at the end of each chapter, raises questions and issues to challenge the reader. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Best Cosmology
The first time I bought the next addition of any book. It explaines gravity and that makes it far better then any other book on this subject.

A stepping stone to real cosmology
This text represents a lower division stepping stone from pop cosmology (the first three minutes, cosmic questions, the inflationary universe) to scholary texts. Much insight can be gleaned from the author's imagination experiments. Still, the plethora of equations can mislead readers into thinking they have somehow mastered essentials.
The author is far behind in his understanding of post 1980 observations and theory. Occasional mistakes in algebra can also be unsettling. Buy this book but soley in preparation for more serious texts and reviews.

The Very Best Book on Cosmology
Undoubtedly, "Cosmology, The Science of the Universe" by Edward Harrison is by far the best book on cosmology that I have ever read. Dr. Harrison did an outstanding job in presenting the physics of the universe. He does not shy away from presenting the mathematics necessary for a complete understanding of the physics involved in describing the universe (or universes as Dr. Harrison points out).

The book contains hundreds of equations, diagrams, illustrations, tables, charts, descriptions and analogies so the reader (or student) can grasp a complete understanding of the physics.

This book is a must for any student of astrophysics. I very much enjoyed reading and would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the physics of the universe.

A serious but very accessible introduction to the field
Even though "Cosmology" is technically a textbook, it takes a rather different sort of approach from the usual such offering. This book makes the subject come alive with excitement by employing a unique style. Even though the book was designed for intro ivy-league students, there's more than enough here to challenge (and intrique) someone who's fully science/physics-literate. The book emphasizes basic principles and intelligently avoids the various fads which seem to plague cosmology at any given time (inflation, dark matter, excessive veneration of the latest observations made with the newest & sexiest technology, etc). It makes clear the important distinction between astronomy and cosmology.

Harrison is both an expert in, and an aficionado of, the grand ideas about creation, so the hard science here is interspersed with relevant pieces of history, philosophy, and literature (i.e., the humanities) -- but not too much, rather just enough to give an appreciation for how great minds of all sorts have wrestled with these problems in one form or another for as long as we know. And Harrison has a way of boiling down the difficult concepts to their essentials, making an opaque subject transparent.

Even though the scientific level is moderately high for a book aimed ostensibly at novices, there are no lengthy mathematical derivations or formulas of the sort that one might think would be necessary to convey, say, Einstein's general relativity or the intricacies of sub-atomic physics. Often taking an order-of-magnitude and geometrical approach, the book avoids long confusing digressions into trivialities and summarizes many of its important points in excellent diagrams. Harrison is great at bringing in just enough from some other branch of physics to help you grasp the topic at hand, so the development as you progress through the book is nearly perfect. He's also excellent at conveying the important conundrums, uncertainties, and many pitfalls in the field. The coverage is very balanced and complete, yet anything but shallow.

Even though I was a grad student in astrophysics at Berkeley, I didn't learn cosmology from Joseph Silk there. Instead, I learned it after I left -- from this book (the 1st edition). Harrison is that good at making what can be a perplexing subject both interesting and understandable. I came away from it feeling I finally "got" cosmology, the grandest of all subjects.

The only better book for the less serious lay person or someone who finds scientific material difficult would be his "Masks of the Universe" -- unfortunately now out-of-print, but well worth tracking down.

A splendid survey about cosmology
A good book describing our past and present universe. A must for students and docents in natural science. ... Read more

Book Description

This 2-volume work contains nuclear structure and decay data for over 3,100 isotopes and isomers. Features:
* References data from thousands of pages of figures and tables.
* Encompasses about twice as much data as the previous edition.
* The extensive appendices have been entirely rewritten, expediting retrieval and use of nuclear information for many areas of research, and for users with varying levels of expertise. ... Read more

Book Description

Quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory explaining the strong nuclear force that binds together the components of the atomic nucleus, is one of the four fundamental forces of nature that control the universe in which we live. This absorbing book covers the ideas and stories behind QCD, the successes and the puzzles, the unsolved mysteries and the characters involved. The subject is discussed in an accessible and entertaining way, assuming only the minimum physics and mathematics background knowledge. It is a fascinating read for anyone interested in science and a solid introduction for students embarking on particle physics courses. ... Read more

Book Description

Starting from basic principles, the autor, whose own contributions to these developments have been significant, describes the rapidly growing field of modern semiconductor detectors used for energy and position measurement of nuclear radiation. The working principles of semiconductor radiation detectors are explained in an intuitive way, followed by formal quantitative analysis. Broad coverage is also given to electronic signal readout and to the subject of radiation damage. The book is also the first to comprehensively cover the semiconductor radiation detectors now in use. It is written in a didactic way, demanding from the reader no special knowledge. It is useful as a teaching guide and as a reference work for research and applications. ... Read more

Book Description

Keeping abreast of the latest techniques and applications, this new edition of the standard reference and graduate text on laser spectroscopy has been completely revised and expanded. While the general concept is unchanged, the new edition features a broad array of new material, e.g., frequency doubling in external cavities, reliable cw-parametric oscillators, tunable narrow-band UV sources, more sensitive detection techniques, tunable femtosecond and sub-femtosecond lasers (X-ray region and the attosecond range), control of atomic and molecular excitations, frequency combs able to synchronize independent femtosecond lasers, coherent matter waves, and still more applications in chemical analysis, medical diagnostics, and engineering.

Some praise for previous editions:

"A detailed survey of the essential ideas and facts, which, because of its clarity and utility, is already a classic...It would be hard to imagine a better book at this level addressed to a wide audience." -APPLIED OPTICS ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good reference book
This is a very complete introduction book to laser spectroscopy. The thing I like best about this book is clarity. The author lays down basic principles of a set-up in one or two pages, supplemented with illustrations. First 5 chapters are about instruments. Then it is followed by 9 chapters of introduction of different types of laser spectroscopy. The last chapter contains several real-life applications of spectroscopy.

The difference between 2nd and 3rd editions is small. I think only about 10-15 sections are changed. Very few changes in the first 12 chapters. Among the new stuffs, CRDS and frequency combing seem interesting. I skipped the update on the last chapter. I think there is no need to buy the new edition if your cash supply is limited.

Good reference book on spectroscopy
This book contains most of the optical spectroscopic methods currently used. A highly recommended book for anyone who wants an introduction to research level spectroscopic methods.

great book
It is a great book that I read until now about Laser Spectroscopy.It is a most useful book for me in my education and researchs . ... Read more

Book Description

Liquid crystals have become ubiquitous in the displays for electronic devices, ranging from wrist watches to laptop computers. Nuclear magnetic resonance has become one of the important techniques for determining their structures and properties. Intended for researchers and students in physics, chemistry and materials science, this book provides the necessary background information and sufficient mathematical and physical detail to study the current research literature. The book begins with a survey of liquid crystal phases and field effects and with an introduction to the basic physics of nuclear magnetic resonance; it then discusses orientational ordering and molecular field theories for various liquid crystal molecules and NMR studies of uniaxial and biaxial phases. Subsequent chapters consider spin relaxation processes (using a semiclassical approach) and rotational, translational, and internal molecular dynamics of liquid crystals. The final chapter discusses two-dimensional and multiple-quantum NMR spectroscopies and their application in elucidating liquid crystal properties. This second edition, updated throughout, incorporates many new references, corrects typographical errors, and includes new mathematical appendices. ... Read more

Book Description

Radiochemistry or Nuclear Chemistry is the study of radiation from an atomic or molecular perspective, including elemental transformation and reaction effects, as well as physical, health and medical properties.

This revised edition of one of the earliest and best known books on the subject has been updated to bring into teaching the latest developments in research and the current hot topics in the field. In order to further enhance the functionality of this text, the authors have added numerous teaching aids that include an interactive website that features testing, examples in MathCAD with variable quantities and options, hotlinks to relevant text sections from the book, and online self-grading texts.


As in the previous edition, readers can closely follow the structure of the chapters from the broad introduction through the more in depth descriptions of radiochemistry then nuclear radiation chemistry and finally the guide to nuclear energy (including energy production, fuel cycle, and waste management).

New edition of a well-known, respected text in the specialized field of nuclear/radiochemistry
Includes an interactive website with testing and evaluation modules based on exercises in the book
Suitable for both radiochemistry and nuclear chemistry courses ... Read more

Book Description

The availability of intense X-ray beams from synchroton storage rings has revolutionised the field of X-ray science. This is illustrated by the cover pictures: Von Laue's first observation of X-ray diffraction from a single crystal of ZnS used an exposure time of around 1000 seconds, whereas the diffraction from a single crystal of myoglobin using modern X-ray synchroton radiation was obtained within the duration of a single pulse lasting only 0.00000000001 seconds.
In this book the basics of X-ray physics, as well as the completely new opportunities offered by synchrotron radiation, are viewed from a modern perspective. The style of the book is to develop the basic physical principles without obscuring them in too much mathematical rigour. This approach should make the book attractive to the wider community of material scientists, chemists, biologists and geologists, as well as to physicists who use synchrotron radiation in their research. The book should be useful both to students taking course in X-rays, and to more experienced professionals who have the desire to extend their knowledge into new areas. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Contemporary book on X-ray scattering
Before this book came out, the bible of the scientists in the field was either Guinier's or else, Warren's book on X-ray diffraction (both books by Dover). I think Jens Als-Nielsen's book will replace these as far as introduction to the field is concerned, because the other two books (especially warren's black book) are pages of equation after equation. Elements of Modern X-ray Physics, in contrast, is much more readable (it has colors even... wohooo). Also it covers recent techniques suxh as scattering from liquid interfaces that were not covered in previous books. Trade-off is that the book does not cover any crystallography. Author's say in the preface that they feel there are other adequate books on this subject (guinier's book prevails).

Interesting note: Book is written not with conventional text editors but with some type of Tex/LaTex. ... Read more

Book Description

Advanced spectroscopic techniques allow the probing of very small systems and very fast phenomena, conditions that can be considered "extreme" at the present status of our experimentation and knowledge. Quantum dots, nanocrystals and single molecules are examples of the former and events on the femtosecond scale examples of the latter. The purpose of this book is to examine the realm of phenomena of such extreme type and the techniques that permit their investigations.

Each author has developed a coherent section of the program

starting at a somewhat fundamental level and ultimately reaching the frontier of knowledge in the field in a systematic and didactic fashion. The formal lectures are complemented by additional seminars.

Book Description

In recent years, superstring theory has emerged as a promising approach to reconciling general relativity with quantum mechanics and unifying the fundamental interactions. Problems that have seemed insuperable in previous approaches take on a totally new character in the context of superstring theory, and some of them have been overcome. Interest in the subject has greatly increased following a succession of exciting recent developments. This two-volume book attempts to meet the need for a systematic exposition of superstring theory and its applications accessible to as wide an audience as possible. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Should still be required reading
Anyone interested in learning string theory could perhaps start with the current formulation involving D-branes and M theories. This is certainly possible and will lead one to the frontiers of research. However, it would not perhaps give one an appreciation of string theory that would be obtained by persuing a study that explains how it arose in the study of the strong interaction . This book, written by three giants in string theory, will give the reader such a study, and was the first book to appear on the subject. The book is a monograph, and not a textbook, since no exercises appear, but it could still serve as a reference and "required reading" for courses in string theory.

The learning of string theory can be a formidable undertaking for those who lack the mathematical background. Indeed, a proper understanding of string theory, not just a forma one, will require a solid understanding of algebraic and differential geometry, algebraic topology, and complex manifolds. There are many books on these subjects, but I do not know of one what will give the student of string theory an in-depth understanding of the relevant mathematics. These two volumes include two rather lengthy chapters on mathematics, one on differential geometry and the other on algebraic geometry. The mastery of these two chapter will give readers a formal understanding of the mathematics, and will allow them to perform calculations in string theory efficiently, but do not give the insight needed for extending its frontiers. There have been a few books published on string theory since these two volumes appeared, but they too fail in this regard (and some even admit to doing so). To gain the necessary insight into the mathematics will entail a very time-consuming search of the early literature and many face-to-face conversations with mathematicians. The "oral tradition" in mathematics is real and one must embed onself in it if a real, in-depth understanding of mathematics is sought.

The physics of string theory though is brought out with incredible skill by the authors, and the historical motivation given in the introduction is the finest in the literature. Now legendary, the origin of string theories in the dual models of the strong interaction is discussed in detail. The Veneziano model, as discussed in this part, has recently become important in purely mathematical contexts, as has most every other construction in string theory. The mathematical results that have arisen from string theory involves some of the most fascinating constructions in all of mathematics, and mathematicians interested in these will themselves be interested in perusing these volumes, but will of course find the approach mathematically non-rigorous.

Some of the other discussions that stand out in the book include: 1. The global aspects of the string world sheet and the origin of the moduli space, along with its connection to Teichmuller space. 2. The world-sheet supersymmetry and the origin of the integers 10 and 26 as being a critical dimension. In this discussion, the authors give valuable insight on a number of matters, one in particular being why the introduction of an anticommuting field mapping bosons to bosons and fermions to fermions does not violate the spin-statistics theorem. 3. The light-cone gauge quantization for superstrings. The authors show that the manifestly covariant formalism is equivalent to the light-cone formalism and is ghost-free in dimension 10. The light-cone gauge is used to quantize a covariant world-sheet action with space-time supersymmetry, with this being Lorentz invariant in dimension 10. This allows, as the authors explain in lucid detail, the unification of bosonic and fermionic strings in a single Fock space. 4. Current algebra on the string world sheet and its origin in the need for distributing charge throughout the string, rather than just at the ends. The origin of heterotic string theory is explained in this context.

Still the best
Why I still recommend this book rather than Polchinski's book is because this book presents more motivation and physics of string theory. In the 90s, there was string duality revolution, a side-effect of which is that string theorists neglect experiments.

Still worth the effort
While the subject of string theory has undergone considerable and radical change since publication of this text and since Polchinski's recent texts takes some of the steam out of this title, overall it remains a relevant part of the literature for a number of reasons. First, vol I clearly serves a vital role as a secondary source to both of Polchinski's text and vice versa: Polchinski's vol's I&II update Green / Schwarz / Witten's (GSW) vol I. Whereas Polichinski's vol I focuses exclusively on the bosonic strings GSW vol I includes both supersymmetric & bosonic string theory. A reader can then go along way on joining vol I of Polchinski and vol I of GSW.

But probably the greatest reason to purchase this title is the insight into string theory that is offered by these particular authors --- individuals who have each served as principle architects of string theory since its inception and through its many revolutions.

In general, the prose is congenial as is the level of sophistication in physical and mathematical argument. The mathematical apparatus of string theory can become very heavy very quickly and these authors orient the reader in that difficult terrain in a truly adroit fashion. ... Read more

Book Description

String theory continues to progress at an astonishing rate, and this book brings the reader up to date with the latest developments and the most active areas of research in the field. Building on the foundations laid in his Introduction to Superstrings and M Theory, Professor Kaku discusses such topics as the classification of conformal string theories, knot theory, the Yang-Baxter relation, quantum groups, and the insights into 11-dimensional strings recently obtained from M-theory. New chapters discuss such topics as Seiberg-Witten theory, M theory and duality., and D-branes.

Several chapters review the fundamentals of string theory, making the presentation of the material self-contained while keeping overlap with the earlier book to a minimum. This book conveys the vitality of the current research and places readers at its forefront. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Strings, Conformal Fields and M-Theory
A pedagogical, single volume, introduction to String Theory and M-theory which includes recent developments in the fields. Kaku makes it a point to present the important ideas in the beginning of each chapter and summarize them in the end, at times being overly repetitive. The organization is clear and self-consistent -- a combination of a historical and a well-conceived hierarchical approach. While more readable than Polchinski and more up-to-date compared to Green, Shwartz and Witten, Kaku's book seems to lack the elegance and clout of these standard texts. Includes useful appendix and index. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Theodore B. Taylor was among the most ingenious engineers of the nuclear age. He created the most powerful and the smallest nuclear weapons of his time (his masterpiece, the Davy Crockett, weighed in at a svelte 50 pounds) and also spearheaded efforts to create a nuclear-powered spacecraft. But in his later years, Taylor became increasingly concerned that compact and powerful bombs could be easily built not just by nations employing experts such as himself, but by single individuals with modest technical ability andperseverance. McPhee tours American nuclear installations with Taylor, and we are treated to a grim, eye-opening account of just how close we are to witnessing terrorist attacks using homemade nuclear weaponry. The Curve of Binding Energy is compelling writing about an urgently important topic. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

One of the most influential books of the last 30 years
"The Curve of Binding Energy" is the landmark work that changed the American government's collective mind about the possibility of nuclear terrorism. It is fair to say that until nuclear weapon designer Ted Taylor sat down with John McPhee, and until McPhee's articles and book were published, the U.S. government believed that building a nuclear weapon required a regiment of top scientists and an effort on the scale of the Manhattan Project, something which could only be done by major industrialized powers (despite China).

After "Curve" was published, the government accepted the idea that terrorists could build nuclear devices, given only that they had access to fissile material and shifted gears almost immediately, an occurrence as rare as its effects were crucial. Taylor demonstrated that a few competent people mining the scientific literature could do the job. Many millions of dollars, pounds, francs, euros and rubles have been spent by many governments since publication of "Curve" to ensure that no terrorist ever gets his hands on plutonium or enriched uranium, and we are all safer as a result.

The book is, of course, incredibly readable and compelling. One would not expect less from the foremost prose stylist in the United States.

Far ahead of its time. Fascinating and perhaps prophetic
I read this book in 1975 and have subsequently reread it several times. The possibilities imagined in this book haven't yet come to pass, mainly, I think, because Ted Taylor is a genius and the terrorists are actually pretty stupid. Dr. Taylor, or someone like him, could build a home-made bomb that would make the events of 9/11 look like a tea party. However, the people motivated to actually carry out events like 9/11 are fortunately not so technically inclined.

The book spells out in chilling detail how it is actually pretty simple to put together an atomic bomb that could rival a Hiroshima-class explosion, IF, and it is a big IF, you have enriched uranium or plutonium.

The book does into enough detail to prove the point that bomb construction is fairly simple, but it contains several deliberate mistakes (one in chemistry and one in physics, that I could find) that keep this book from being a "blueprint" for bomb construction.

Like "The Hot Zone" about ebolla, this book may keep you awake nights if you read it carefully and really think about the implications.

WAAY ahead of his time
One of the best and brightest, through Mr. McPhee's able penmanship, Mr. Taylor gives a guided tour of the (then) current state-of-the-art. Chock full of facts, figures and references, all verifiable. With the current glut of so-called 'expert' writers in this field, this book is one of the better uses of a tree on this subject ;O). I guarantee that any person interested in the nuclear weapons stockpile-to-target sequence will find the book an EXCELLENT buy.

World Trade Center First Discussed as a Terrorist Target!
Perhaps the spookiest "prediction" of McPhee's book is the discussion about how to flatten the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center (WTC) with a small atomic device. This is the first reference, fact or fiction--as far as I can find--that mentions the two 110-story towers as a possible terrorist target. Ironic, eh? All the more ironic, because all it took were two suicide jets to do the job--no atomic explosive needed. But you can't help but wonder if the terrorists of Sept. 11, 2001 (and the first WTC bombing planners) were inspired by this book. In which case, the author must be haunted by the fact that he may have started a "chain reaction" of idea events which led to a prophesy fullfilled?

Not a McHhee Highlight
A slightly over-scientific profile of Ted Taylor, a wunderkind physicist who started out at the Manhattan Project, got interested in nuclear-fueled space travel, and ended up obsessed with the idea that atom bombs wouldn't be that difficult for a terrorist to produce. Often repetitive and lacking a clear organizing structure, it's not one of McPhee's highlights (like Levels of the Game, Encounters with Archdruid, etc.). Certainly weighty subject matter, but seems quaint when, 20 years after the fact, the ominous portents have come to nothing in particular. ... Read more

Book Description

Quantum Theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. It does not disguise the problems of interpretation that still remain unsettled 75 years after the initial discoveries. The main text makes no use of equations, but there is a Mathematical Appendix for those desiring stronger fare. Uncertainty, probabilistic physics, complementarity, the problematic character of measurement, and decoherence are among the many topics discussed. This volume offers the reader access to one of the greatest discoveries in the history of physics and one of the oustanding intellectual achievements of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not short enough
I'm thoroughly unimpressed by Rev. Polkinghorne's interpretation of quantum physics. Even though he is technically competent, Polkinghorne seens to get every major point wrong. For example, he thinks Bohr in error to consider free will and determinism complementary. I'm not sure Bohr said that, but Bohr's colleague and Nobel Laureate Max Born did say that Bohr's complementarity applies to this situation.

Polkinghorne puts down other physicists by saying "The average quantum mechanic is no more philosophical than the average auto mechanic." Born, however, said that theoretical physics IS actually philosophy. Bohr always said that there are important epistemological lessons to drawn from the world of physics, especially elementary particle physics. It's as though Polkinghorne has been asleep through all the major developments of the past century. Polkinghorne himself may be no more philosophical than an auto mechanic, but don't drag people like Schroedinger, Wheeler and Weinberg through the mud with such silly statements.

As best as can be expected, I guess
This book does its best, but in the end suffers from something that I think is inherent in the material itself. I did learn a little more about quantum theory from this book, but not much more than I already knew to begin with. And this book didn't really make many of the main concepts any clearer. I don't think is the author's fault, I think it's almost impossible to try to explain these things. Most of the problem, (and similar statements go for cosmology, cryptography, etc.) is that it's almost impossible to explain concepts whose fundamental expression is mathematical language without using mathematics. What inevitably results is some kind of vague, touchy-feely idea of what's meant, but little understanding. And I say this as a mathematician.

To give just one example, at one point in the book, the author talks about "probability amplitudes", for several pages. The only problem is, he never says what this term is supposed to mean, but he does mention that complex numbers are involved, and other facts. The result after this happens several times is that the reader starts to read entire paragraphs consisting of terminology that's never been defined clearly. The word "operator" is the best example here. It's fine to talk ABOUT operators in indirect, oblique language, but really you don't have a true understanding of what that word means unless you know its precise mathematical definition, or unless you have a clear understanding of the notion of vector space (axiomatically, not "stuff you can add together"). I didn't have this kind of problem with most of the mathematical terminology, because I know it, but the problem comes with the physics -- the physics concepts are essentially mathematical, and trying to explain them without using mathematics is like trying to understand Shakespeare without being able to read English -- you can always give a vague, hazy account, but not much more.

The book is well-written (aside from an overly-biased presentation of the philosophical aspects), but I think it tries to have its cake and eat it too. It says it's free of mathematics, but this isn't really the case. The whole text is fully of talk about operators, vectors, vector spaces, equations, probability theory, and so on. It's the _symbolism_, not the math, that's missing (except for the appendix, which thoroughly confused me, mainly because terms were introduced without precise definition, and the notation was the physicist's notation, not mathematician's notation...)

This book was confusing to me, but the reason was because it had too LITTLE math, not too much.

Very short, but not all that lucid
This is a short book, and that is its only advantage, unfortunately.

Granted, that the author is eminent in this field and was himself a student of the great Paul Dirac. However, this book does not sit easily in a series designed to make a subject approachable to the novice. It has far too much esoteric maths than is good for a book of this genre. An ever stronger criticism is the fact that instead of keeping to basic physics ideas such as the double slit experiment (which this book does well!) and then developing the ideas of atomic structure, and the uncertainty principle, it dwells on things like operators and such like.

If you want a good introduction to Quantum Theory, look no further than the books by George Gamow's "The New World of Mr Tompkins" or "Mr Tomkins in paperback", or, "Uncle Albert and the Quantum Quest".

Profound, Concise, Scholarly, Accessible and "Real"
There is nothing more beautiful to me than a profound, concise, respectable and rigorous small book. The gift of knowledge and time such a book provides matches any beauty that I've encountered. "Quantum Theory, A Very Short Introduction" delivers such a gift.

Looking at the small book, and my current desire to understand the essence of the mystery of Quantum physics, I had a strange desire starting the book- I wanted it to hurt a little bit. That is to say, I wanted it to be challenging enough to reach a profound depth and truth that matched my desire to know. And I wanted it to be real- not a fanciful tour of "cool stuff" but a book so steeped in knowledge that it exposes the diamond at the center of this leviathan. I wanted to be challenged, and maybe read a page two or three times to capture the occasional key point. I wanted a book by an author so knowledgeable that he would be brave enought to tackle this goal in a 100 page book. In other words, I wanted the truth, I wanted it quickly, and, as a result, I expected to sweat. I wasn't dissapointed.

And the really exciting thing is that this book is part of an Oxford University Press series of "Very Short Introductions". The format of the books in this series is about 100 pages, in a small paperback size. The text is fairly small, with small margins, with maybe 300 words per page. That makes each books about 30 000 words, plus of minus 25% for pictures, paragraph size and so on. And the books are written by experts with a professional level of rigor. The are a very short, deep, and real introductions. They make you sweat a little.

I can't wait to read the other 86 volumes currently in publication or slated to be published soon. My hope is roughly one a week- my wallet in my right pocket, and one of these in my left. That should keep me happy for the next 20 months- a gentle buzz of learning that soars over the far reaches of human experience and thought... ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides a comprehensive overview of modern particle physics accessible to anyone with a true passion for wanting to know how the universe works. We are introduced to the known particles of the world we live in. An elegant explanation of quantum mechanics and relativity paves the way for an understanding of the laws that govern particle physics. These laws are put into action in the world of accelerators, colliders and detectors found at institutions such as CERN and Fermilab that are in the forefront of technical innovation. Real world and theory meet using Feynman diagrams to solve the problems of infinities and deduce the need for the Higgs boson.

Facts and Mysteries in Elementary Particle Physics offers an incredible insight from an eyewitness and participant in some of the greatest discoveries in 20th century science. From Einstein's theory of relativity to the elusive Higgs particle, this book will fascinate and educate anyone interested in the world of quarks, leptons and gauge theories.

This book also contains many thumbnail sketches of particle physics personalities, including contemporaries as seen through the eyes of the author. Illustrated with pictures, these candid sketches present rare, perceptive views of the characters that populate the field.

The Chapter on Particle Theory, in a pre-publication, was termed `superbly lucid' by David Miller in Nature (Vol. 396, 17 Dec. 1998), p.642. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive and concise, but awkward prose
Veltman delivers the tale of phenomenological particle physics with enthusiasm and depth as one of its leading researchers. He attempts to cover the whole arena, from the complex behavior of quarks and gluons to the description of particle detectors. Woven throughout the book are small "vignettes" (his terminology for brief biographical sketches) of the many physicists, famous and not-so-famous, who contributed to the current understanding of our universe. He succeeds relatively well in his goal of explaining particle physics to the layman.

But don't look here for any coverage of the more esoteric and exotic ideas of theoretical physics like string theory. He unequivocally states,

"The fact is that this book is about physics, and this implies that the theoretical ideas discussed must be supported by experimental facts. Neither supersymmetry nor string theory satisfy this criterion. They are figments of the theoretical mind. To quote Pauli: They are not even wrong. They have no place here."

He is, of course, correct but I think he downplays the mathematically unifying power of string theory, for which experimental verification lies beyond today's technological reach and thus cannot be vindicated one way or the other. Mathematical beauty, while not a sure sign of physical truth, can at least serve as a powerful beacon for future physical insights.

Always the true scientist, Veltman should be praised for unapologetically declaring agnosticism if evidence for a theoretical idea isn't clear cut. For example, he writes several times that the neutrino is massless but will almost always parenthetically acknowledge that it might have a very small mass (which indeed it does, as experimental evidence of neutrino mixing has been since verified). He deems it worthy enough to have an entire section devoted to neutrino mixing and its implications.

I found one glaring problem with the book that prevented the 5 star rating it could have received: writing style. It just doesn't read all that smoothly, and I think it could have been cleaned up a bit more by a more astute editor.

Balancing the rocky prose, however, are wonderful color templates (excellently used during his description of anti-matter) to aid explanations, pictures of apparati and scientists to portray the human side of science, and clear diagrams of particle interactions.

If you want to learn what physicists empirically know about particle physics today and how they determine it, get this book; just don't expect smooth reading. Veltman is clearly passionate about his profession and it shows. ... Read more

Book Description

A straightforward presentation of the broad concepts underlying radiological physics and radiation dosimetry for the graduate-level student. Covers photon and neutron attenuation, radiation and charged particle equilibrium, interactions of photons and charged particles with matter, radiotherapy dosimetry, as well as photographic, calorimetric, chemical, and thermoluminescence dosimetry. Includes many new derivations, such as Kramers X-ray spectrum, as well as topics that have not been thoroughly analyzed in other texts, such as broad-beam attenuation and geometrics, and the reciprocity theorem. Subjects are layed out in a logical sequence, making the topics easier for students to follow. Supplemented with numerous diagrams and tables. ... Read more

Book Description

Atomic physics is a pioneering discipline at the forefront of theoretical and experimental physics. It has played a major role in advancing our understanding of chaotic systems. The 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for progress in cooling atoms to extremely low temperatures. This new edition of Theoretical Atomic Physics takes into account recent developments and includes sections on semiclassical periodic orbit theory, scaling properties for atoms in external fields, threshold behaviour of ionization cross sections, classical and quantum dynamics of two-electron atoms, and Bose-Einstein condensation of atomic gases. Moreover, for students there are 48 problems with complete solutions which makes this course the most thorough introduction to the field available. ... Read more