Book Description

This third updated edition of FUNDAMENTALS OF SEMICONDUCTORS attempts to fill the gap between a general solid-state physics textbook and research articles by providing detailed explanations of the electronic, vibrational, transport, and optical properties of semiconductors. The approach is physical and intuitive rather than formal and pedantic. Theories are presented to explain experimental results. This textbook has been written with both students and researchers in mind. Its emphasis is on understanding the physical properties of Si and similar tetrahedrally coordinated semiconductors. The explanations are based on physical insights. Each chapter is enriched by an extensive collection of tables of material parameters, figures, and problems. Many of these problems "lead the student by the hand" to arrive at the results.

SOME PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS EDITIONS:

CONTEMPORARY PHYSICS "This book, aimed at postgraduates not undergraduates, exemplifies both the difficulty of the subject and its variety. It presents the theoretical derivations carefully and in detail and gives thorough discussions of the experimental results it presents. This makes it an excellent textbook both for learners and for more experienced researchers wishing to check facts. I have enjoyed reading it and strongly recommend it as a text for anyone working with semiconductors . . . I know of no better text . . . I am sure most semiconductor physicists will find this book useful and I recommend it to them. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Best book on semiconductor PHYSICS
I'm a Ph.D on physics, I read this book from page to page and worked out the problems.
This is an excellent book on the physics of semiconductors, NOT on semiconductor devices! The text is well written. The physical concept is clearly explained, mostly with a diagram or a graph. The formulae are carefully deducted without wasting too much time and space. I must add a few words on the problems. From all the physics textbooks I've read, only Claude Cohen-Tannoudji's Quantum Mechanics book is comparable. Those problems usually are about the the formulae, such as k.p. perturbation method and Luttinger Hamiltonian, etc., appeared in the main text but its detail is not appropriate there. The problems are by no means easy. Actually, some of them are really hard. For example, it took me a lot of time to work out the 6 by 6 k.p. perturbation matrix! In the process of working out those problems, I had a better understanding on the computational physics. You don't see that in a normal textbook!

The references are the classical or landstone papers about a specific subject, very good for further research.

In summary, this is an excellent textbook, if you want to study it hard.

3rd edition
The third edition is already available. The second is OUT OF PRINT. ENTRY SHOULD BE UPDATED

Excellent balance of breadth and depth
This is an excellent book on all properties of semiconductors -electronic structure , phonons , transport and optics . It primarilyfocusses on bulk properties ,but extremely succinct and relevant comments on hetersotructures can also be found interspersed throughout .

Many books on semiconductor physics err on the side of breadth at the expense of depth . I found this book to be a pleasant exception . I believe this leaves other similar books like Physics of Semiconductors and their Heterostructures by J.Singh far behind .

Cardona (of course) is at his best when discussing otical properties , especially optical diagnostic methods . I have not seen a similar book at this level which gives the same level of description of light-matter interaction in semiconductors.

I recommend it highly to all fellow graduate students . ... Read more

Book Description

Carbon nanotubes are exceptionally interesting from a fundamental research point of view. Many concepts of one-dimensional physics have been verified experimentally such as electron and phonon confinement or the one-dimensional singularities in the density of states; other 1D signatures are still under debate, such as Luttinger-liquid behavior. Carbon nanotubes are chemically stable, mechanically very strong, and conduct electricity. For this reason, they open up new perspectives for various applications, such as nano-transistors in circuits, field-emission displays, artificial muscles, or added reinforcements in alloys.

This text is an introduction to the physical concepts needed for investigating carbon nanotubes and other one-dimensional solid-state systems. Written for a wide scientific readership, each chapter consists of an instructive approach to the topic and sustainable ideas for solutions. The former is generally comprehensible for physicists and chemists, while the latter enable the reader to work towards the state of the art in that area. The book gives for the first time a combined theoretical and experimental description of topics like luminescence of carbon nanotubes, Raman scattering, or transport measurements. The theoretical concepts discussed range from the tight-binding approximation, which can be followed by pencil and paper, to first-principles simulations. We emphasize a comprehensive theoretical and experimental understanding of carbon nanotubes including

- general concepts for one-dimensional systems
- an introduction to the symmetry of nanotubes
- textbook models of nanotubes as narrow cylinders
- a combination of ab-initio calculations and experiments
- luminescence excitation spectroscopy linked to Raman spectroscopy
- an introduction to the 1D-transport properties of nanotubes
- effects of bundling on the electronic and vibrational properties and
- resonance Raman scattering in nanotubes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Does the world need yet another carbon nanotube book?
Maybe, but I'm not sure this is it. It comes VERY close though. My complaint (which prevents me from buying my own copy) is that far too many important concepts are mentioned in passing with the reader sent to the literature for the details. For $130, a bit more completeness would be nice. I realize "serious" workers in the field will call me lazy for wanting a $130 book to be as self-contained as possible. So be it... ... Read more

Book Description

Superb introduction for non-specialists to important area of modern physics. Major concepts—Feynman diagrams, quasi particles, Fermi systems at finite temperature, superconductivity, vacuum amplitude, more. Also Dyson’s equation, ladder approximation, much else. Exercises. Second (1974) edition. "...a great delight to read."—Physics Today.
... Read more

Reviews (4)

Who says QFT is not fun to teach?
This book is a counterexample to the idea that one cannot write a book on quantum field theory and keep a sense of humour. Quantum field theory of course is notoriously difficult, both in terms of its conceptual foundations and in calculating meaningful answers from its formalism. Perturbation theory has been the most succesful of the methods of calculation in quantum field theory, and the visualization of the terms of the perturbation series is greatly assisted by the use of Feynman diagrams. The author has done a great job in the elucidation of these diagrams, and readers will not only have fun reading this book but will also take away needed expertise in moving on to more advanced presentations of quantum field theory. Some readers may object to the pictorial, playful way in which the author explains some of the concepts, but he does not depart from the essential physics. Mathematicians who want to understand quantum field theory can also gain much from the reading of this book. Although not rigorous from a mathematical standpoint, the presentation will given them sorely needed intuition. Quantum field theory has resulted in an explosion of very interesting results in mathematics, particularly in the field of differential topology, and mathematicians need this kind of a presentation to assist them in the understanding of quantum field theory and how to apply it to mathematics (and the other way around). In addition, readers intending to enter the field of condensed matter physics will appreciate the clarity of the author's treatment, drawing as it does on many examples from that field. This includes a brief introduction to finite temperature quantum field theory.

The use of mnemonics, pictures, and hand-waving arguments may be frowned upon by some, but as long as their use is supported by solid science, their didactic power is formidable. Arguments by analogy, and by appeals to common-sense objects are of great utility in explaining the intricacies of a subject as abtruse as quantum field theory. The author for example uses a pin-ball game, with its many scatterings, as a tool for introducing the quantum propagator, even though paths of a (classical) pin-ball are not really meaningful in the quantum realm. Once done though, he proceeds to derive the perturbation series, and as an example computes the energy and lifetime of an electron in an impure metal.

The concept of a quasi-particle is exploited fully in this book to illustrate just how one can do calculations in quantum many-body theory. The reader will find ample discussion of Dyson's equation, the random phase approximation, phase transitions in Fermi systems, the Kondo problem, and the renormalization group in this book.

Happy reading.....(and teaching).....

Excellent, but maybe not enough
This is indeed an excellent book. Witty and insightful, but sometimes the ease, with which you're lead through it, is in the way of stressing the really important stuff. If you are learning diagrams for the first time, and intend to do some serious research using the technique, I believe this book is just not enough: it will leave you unprepared to do much beyond the problems in the book. You might want to consult a more rigorous book, like that of Abrikosov et al., but the style may be a bit of a shock to those not used to the Russian "condensed writing". As an introduction that is less painful, and more of a textbook, I suggest Fetter and Walecka's book, though it's out of print.

Well, not all that introductory ...
It is really a very good book, and even if I agree with the definition of "pedagogical jewel" given to the quantum pinball example, I would not define this textbook an introductory one, even if a non-specialist can read it without many difficulties. I read it several years after my studies, and it represented to me a good and amusing opportunity to refresh or to learn subjects I didn't remember any more or I didn't meet in university course. And taking into account its low price, it is really worth purchasing this book.

A perfect introduction to statistical physics
This is the best book I found about Statistical Physics at an introductory level. It is a kind of book you can read almost as a novel, with a lot of examples and very clear. It is definitely the most pedagogical book about Statistical Physics ever. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

optical constants
This book has a long area in the field of determination of optical constant

Very useful book
I think this book is very useful as a practical guide for people involved in experimental studies of thing film optical properties. It provides a lot of general considerations and methods for optical constant measurements and derivations of basic formulas for the most important thin-film-on-the-substrate configurations. I defenetely recommend this book to everyone in thing-film field. ... Read more

Book Description

This work provides a unified theory that addresses the important problem of the origin and maintenance of genetic variation in natural populations.With modern molecular techniques, variation is found in all species, sometimes at astonishingly high levels.Yet, despite these observations, the forces that maintain variation within and between species have been difficult subjects of study. Because they act very weakly and operate over vast time scales, scientists must rely on indirect inferences and speculative mathematical models. However, despite these obstacles, many advances have been made.The author's research in molecular genetics, evolution, and bio-mathematics has enabled him to draw on this work, and present a coherent and valuable view of the field.The book is divided into three parts.The first consists of three chapters on protein evolution, DNA evolution, and molecular mechanisms.This section reviews the experimental observations on genetic variation.The second part gives a unified treatment of the mathematical theory of selection in a fluctuating environment.The final two chapters combine the earlier assessments in a treatment of the scientific status of two competing theories for the maintenance of genetic variation.Steeped in the enormous advances population genetics has made over the past 25 years, this book has proven highly popular among human geneticists, biologists, evolutionary theorists, and bio-mathematicians. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A physicist's review of the subject.
In my ongoing review of the literature in this subject area, I had this book pulled by the library. Let me get the negative aspects of this review out of the way first. The writing style clearly suggests that the book may have been collated from course lecture notes and material. In lectures, material is presented as a part of a lecture, with a lot of spoken words to add explanation and feeling to densely written notes. In this case, the book is densely packed with information, and a little extra text to help explain things would have made things more readable. This is a typical sin in specialized-subject graduate-level texts.

On the positive side, this book covers a good amount of ground in a lot of theoretical detail. To give an idea as to what is covered, here are the chapter titles:

1. Introduction
2. The Origin of Atomic Moments
3. Paramagnetism of Free Ions
4. The Magnetically Ordered State
5. Crystal Fields
6. Diamagnetism
7. Itinerant-Electron Magnetism
8. Some Basic Concepts and Units
9. Measurement Techniques
10. Caloric Effects in Magnetic Materials
11. Magnetic Anisotropy
12. Permanent Magnets
13. High-Density Recording Materials
14. Soft Magnetic Materials
15. Invar Alloys
16. Magnetostrictive Materials

Given what my field is, I was pleasantly surprised to find notes on the manufacturing process for NdFeB permanent magnets. The discussions on domain phenomena seemed complete and helpful. All in all, the theoretical approach to the subject matter gives the book much more of a physicist's feel, rather than the more practical feel of an engineer.

This seems to be a good reference on the subject matter. ... Read more

Book Description

Fractal structures are found everywhere in nature, and as a consequence anomalous diffusion has far reaching implications in a host of phenomena. This book describes diffusion and transport in disordered media such as fractals, porous rocks and random resistor networks. Part I contains material of general interest to statistical physics: fractals, percolation theory, regular random walks and diffusion, continuous time random walks and Levy walks, and flights. Part II covers anomalous diffusion in fractals and disordered media, while Part III serves as an introduction to the kinetics of diffusion-limited reactions. Part IV discusses the problem of diffusion-limited coalescence in one dimension. This book will be of particular interest to researchers requiring a clear introduction to the field. It will also be a valuable source to graduate students studying in areas of physics, chemistry, and engineering. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A fantastic introduction to the field...
I am a graduate student in statistical physics with a primary interest in diffusion-limited reactions. I have found the above book to be invaluable, so much so that I'm disappointed that I didn't know about it earlier, as I'm sure it would have accelerated my understanding. It is, in my opinion, the best introduction to the field of diffusion-limited reactions that I'm aware of and certainly makes the research literature in this area much more accessible. I have also found the other sections of the book to be particularly illuminating and essential background reading, with Part I covering many of the principles of statistical physics. Each chapter contains a list of exercises to enhance understanding of the material and a list of "Open Challenges" which provoke new avenues of research. I personally think that the book references the research literature extremely well (indeed the authors have themselves made substantial contributions to the field) which makes it easy to pursue further details on areas of interest. I regard the book as essential for anyone wishing to develop an understanding of anomalous diffusion in disordered media and to be particularly accessible to graduate students and young researchers. It has certainly made it easier for me to make the transition from student to researcher in this area of statistical physics. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Advanced users only
The title of the book may be misleading.
Attention, this book is for advanced readers in Condensed matter physics. Actually, the book is mostly consisted of some good papers selected by by Anderson. A beginner can read this after he get to know the "basic notions" from basic books.

A very useful Guide to Condense Matter
In fact, although it was been published almost twenty years ago, But most ideas in it were very classical and very sightful to Condense Matter So you caould see that many papers in the publication in fact cites this book . It's a very guide to the matter world ! ... Read more

Book Description

This new edition of a well-received introduction to solid-state physics provides a comprehensive overview of the basic theoretical and experimental concepts of materials science. Experimental aspects and laboratory details are highlighted in separate panels that enrich text and emphasize recent developments.

Notably, new material in the third edition includes sections on important devices, aspects of non- periodic structures of matter, phase transitions, defects, superconductors and nanostructures.

Students will benefit significantly from solving the exercises given at the end of each chapter. This book is intended for undergraduate students in physics, materials science, and electrical engineering. This edition has been thoroughly updated to maintain its usefulness as modern text and reference. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Seems very incomplete
We used this text in an introductory solid state course. Overall, it seems that the text is far too brief and doesn't thoroughly explain the material enough for an introductory course. There are very few examples/applications. The problems in the chapter require research outside of what is in the text. It leaves out a lot of important details. I would really suggest looking elsewhere for a good solid state introduction.

Limited audience
I used this book in a course which was supposed to be an introduction to solid state. Know some basic ideas in crystal structure, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, advanced and partial differential equations and Fourier anlysis and then you'll begin to be ready to understand this text. Kittel's Solid State text is slightly more helpful (but only slightly). The book is completely devoid of examples, yet there are sections at the end of each chapter involving current applications and experiments in condensed matter physics and materials science. Exercises require a leap of understanding from the contents of the chapter before them. Some experience with a computer language may also be necessary. I wouldn't recommend this book for most undergrads. ... Read more

Book Description

Preferred finite difference schemes in one, two, and three space dimensions are described for solving the three fundamental equations of mechanics (conservation of mass, conservation of momentum, and conservation of energy). Models of the behavior of materials provide the closure to the three fundamentals equations for applications to problems in compressible fluid flow and solid mechanics. The use of Lagrange coordinates permits the history of mass elements to be followed where the integrated effects of plasticity and external loads change the material physical properties. Models of fracture, including size effects, are described. The detonation of explosives is modelled following the Chapman--Jouget theory with equations of state for the detonation products derived from experiments. An equation-of-state library for solids and explosives is presented with theoretical models that incorporate experimental data from the open literature. The versatility of the simulation programs is demonstrated by applications to the calculations of surface waves from an earthquake to the shock waves from supersonic flow and other examples. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is an elaboration of the author's lecture notes in a graduate course in statistical physics and thermodynamics, augmented by some material suitable for self-teaching as well as for undergraduate study. The first 4 or 5 chapters are suitable for an undergraduate course for engineers and physicists in Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics and include detailed study of the various ensembles and their connections to applied thermodynamics. The Debye law of specific heats and reasons for deviations from the Debye formulas are covered, as are the Einstein theories of Brownian motion, black-body radiation and specific heat of solids. Van der Waals gases and the reason for the apparent failure of his Law of Corresponding States are discussed.

The last 5 chapters treat topics of recent interest to researchers, including: the Ising and Potts models, spin waves in ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic media, sound propagation in non-ideal gases and the decay of sound waves, introduction to the understanding of glasses and spin glasses, superfluidity and superconductivity.

The selection of material is wide-ranging and the mathematics for handling it completely self-contained, ranging from counting (probability theory) to quantum field theory as used in the study of fermions, bosons and as an adjunct in the solutions of the equations of classical diffusion-reaction theory. In addition to the standard material found in most recent books on statistical physics the constellation of topics covered in this text includes numerous original items:

· Generalization of "negative temperature" to interacting spins
· Derivation of Gibbs' factor from first principles
· Exact free energy of interacting particles in 1D (e.g., classical and quantum Tonk's gas)
· Introduction to virial expansions, Equations of State, Correlation Functions and "critical exponents"
· Superfluidity in ideal and non-ideal fluids (both Bogolubov and Feynman theories)
· Superconductivity: thermodynamical approach and the BCS theory
· Derivation of "Central Limit Theorem" and its applications
· Boltzmann's "H-Theorem" and the nonlinear Boltzmann equation
· Exact solution of nonlinear Boltzmann Equation for electrons in time-dependent electric field and the derivation of Joule heating, transport parameters in crossed electric and magnetic fields, etc.
· Frequency spectrum and decay of sound waves in gases
· Exact evaluation of free energy and thermodynamic properties of the two-dimensional Ising model in regular and fully frustrated (spin-glass like) lattices
· The "zipper" model of crystal fracture or polymer coagulation - calculation of Tc
· Potts model in 2D: duality and Tc
· "Doi's theory" of diffusion-limited chemical reactions with some exact results — including the evaluation of statistical fluctuations in radioactive decay
· Thermodynamic Green Functions and their applications to fermions and bosons with an example drawn from random matrix theory

and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not for beginners
I'm sorry to say it, but the title of this book is misleading. The only way this book would be simple for you is if you have had a moderate class in probability and have had plenty of previous study in thermodynamics and physics. This book is definitely not for beginners.

Not simple at all!
I bought this book after I saw an advertisement in Physics today. While I cannot judge whether it is a good book for people who are already deep into the subject, it is definitely not a book for beginners or intermediates. For the latter I would recommend Chandler or Hill. ... Read more

Book Description

Fluctuations, order, and defects determine a material's properties. The difference between water and ice is a matter of order. Many of today's high-tech materials in electronics and chemistry engineer order and defects to maximize desired properties. This second of a four volume set discusses phase transitions in a field theoretic context and shows how these methods can be applied to more complex systems such as liquid crystals and polymers. While building on the previous volume, this volume is self-contained and stands alone as a valuable resource.

* Modern treatment includes coverage of effective hamiltonians.
* Focuses on problems in condensed matter physics.
* Author is well-known and respected for his work in statistical mechanics. ... Read more

Book Description

This invaluable book explores the delicate interplay between geometry and statistical mechanics in materials such as microemulsions, wetting and growth interfaces, bulk lyotropic liquid crystals, chalcogenide glasses and sheet polymers, using tools from the fields of polymer physics, differential geometry, field theory and critical phenomena. Several chapters have been updated relative to the classic 1989 edition. Moreover, there are now three entirely new chapters — on effects of anisotropy and heterogeneity, on fixed connectivity membranes and on triangulated surface models of fluctuating membranes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good overview of magnetism
This book is an easy to read overview of the subject. It's a good book to review the fundamentals (para/dia/ferro/anti magnetism,
exchange interaction, etc.). I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because the price is a bit high, and sometimes the treatments lacks depth. ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents a complete encyclopedia of superconducting fluctuations, summarizing the last thirty-five years of work in the field. The first part of the book is devoted to an extended discussion of the Ginzburg-Landau phenomenology of fluctuations in its thermodynamical and time-dependent versions and its various applications. The second part deals with microscopic justification of the Ginzburg-Landau approach and presents the diagrammatic theory of fluctuations. The third part is devoted to a less-detailed review of the manifestation of fluctuations in observables: diamagnetism, magnetoconductivity, various tunneling characteristics, thermoelectricity, and NMR relaxation. The final chapters turn to the manifestation of fluctuations in unconventional superconducting systems: nanodrops,nanorings, Berezinsky-Kosterlitz-Thouless state, quantum phase transition between superconductor and insulator, and thermal and quantum fluctuations in weak superconducting systems. The book ends with a brief discussion on theories of high temperature superconductivity, where fluctuations appear as the possible protagonist of this exciting phenomenon. ... Read more

Book Description

Now in paperback, this book provides an overview of the physics of condensed matter systems. Assuming a familiarity with the basics of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, the book establishes a general framework for describing condensed phases of matter based on symmetries and conservation laws. After surveying the structure and properties of materials with different symmetries, it explores the role of spatial dimensionality and microscopic interactions in determining the nature of phase transitions. Particular attention is given to critical phenomena and renormalization group methods. The properties of liquids, liquid crystals, quasicrystals, crystalline solids, magnetically ordered systems and amorphous solids are investigated in terms of their symmetry, generalized rigidity, hydrodynamics and topological defect structure. In addition to serving as a course text, this book is an essential reference for students and researchers in physics, applied physics, chemistry, materials science and engineering, who are interested in modern condensed matter physics. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

I know why Onslow is more interested in this book than Daisy
Captivating bedtime reading, perfect for those insomniac nights. You will only need to read page one to see how come Onslow favours Principles of Condensed Matter Physics over Daisy!

Exhaustive treatment of soft matter physics!
Given my training as engineer in undergraduate and as polymer scientist in my MS, I find this book a challenging endevour. It presupposes knowledge of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, and is written in a style most beneficial for Physics graduate students. Nonetheless, since every serious student in material science and polymer physics must indeed become comfortable with soft matter physics, this book is a delightful introduction. The book by RAL Jones can provide a quick introduction to phenomenon and principles encountered in the book. But to master the trade, to become comfortable with notation used in papers, to understand the math, to make yourself a soft matter physicist, this book provides matter, paradigm and principles in comprehensive manner.

Specifically book is essential reading for people studying physics of crystals, liquid crystals, amorphous materials, polymers and magnetically ordered systems. It provides detailed introduction to symmetry, phase transitions, field theories, scattering and correlation functions, and generalized elasticity and hydrodynamics. Each chapter and topic can be appreaciated by additional reading from a textbook each in Statistical Mechanics (Pathria), Electrodynamics (Slater and Frank), Quantum Mechanics, liquid crystals (chandrashekar or de gennes, polymers (doi, de gennes) and scattering (neutron-higgins, light-pecora). Like potential readers, I am myself a student, just starting on this daunting but worthwhile study of condensed matter.

Best basic condensed matter textbook
It is not only a "soft Condensed Matter" book. This book has every basic (or kinda advanced) ideas of condensed matter physics. And there is almost no prerequisite for this book --- a reader needn't even know any solid state physics before he reads this book. The text is well written and easy to read.
--- These are all the features of a perfect textbook.

A Fine Text and an Excellent Reference
For most researchers, this book will be used as a reference when they seek a rigorous treatment of one of the many aspects of condensed matter physics. Many familiar topics such as Debye-Hückel theory or elasticity are framed in a broader context that includes not only treatments of differeing degrees of exactness but also greater generality. A reader interested in a narrow topic may find it necessary to read an entire chapter rather than a certain narrow section to gain a reasonable understanding of the subject matter. In the reviewer's view, this is a good thing.

What makes this book a good reference is that the individual chapters are usually self contained - requiring some but not excessive familiarity with chapters that have gone before. This allows the reader to gain insight into the various aspects of the subject one at a time as needed.

As a text, this book is written so as to be accessable to the student encountering the subject matter for the first time but assumes a reasonable familiarity with thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. A strong course in physical chemistry would certainly provide sufficient background.

Overall, this is a fine book for those who wish to pursue the various topics in condensed matter physics thoughtfully and in earnest.

This book reveal the most important principle in condensed
This book reveals the most important principle in condensed matter physics. ... Read more

Book Description

For students in engineering, architecture, and construction.Thorough coverage is given to bending moments, shear, stress and strain relations, beam deflections, torsion, and columns. Also included are sections on statically indeterminate members, dynamic loading, structural analysis, failure criteria, reinforced concrete, and timber design. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not great, needs to be used with a good textbook
This book is very useful if all you want is problems to practice before an exam. Apart from the usual dumbing down philosophy ("...typically many students find solid mechanics a difficult subject... and so goes the preface), the book has some nice set of problems, some of them being answers to questions in standard textbooks for the subject of strength of materials. I found a couple of problems from Crandall, Dahl and Lardner's textbook solved here. Nice addition, but has limited value once that final is over. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

good companion
I liked this book a lot because it teaches this stuff through examples of when some seemingly abstract quantities are actually observables, but this approach is not always as lucid as a formal text because the general results need sometimes be distilled from the examples. I think it makes a great companion (esp. since it's not terribly expensive) to like a Fetter/Walecka or Abrikosov et al. or whatever more general text you like.

Good for a grasp of the essential physics.
When I was learning many body physics course one years ago, I found this book is very hopeful because it is clearly written and is focused on essential physics instead of rigorous mathematics.
Of cause Mahan¡¯s book is better for a big reference book. And Fetter¡¯s book is better if you want more mathematics. ... Read more