Solid-State Physics Books

Understanding Firearm Ballistics

Robert A. Rinker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Interesting book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I recently bought this book. It is a very interesting work, because it gives explanations that are easy to understand.

The only limitations are that the book uses the Imperial system with pounds and feet rather than grams and meters, so people like me, who use the Metric System, may find it hard to understand some parts of the book.

There are also many calibers like 9mm and 7.62 x 39 that are not given in the charts.

However, the book is interesting. I think it is a good choice of reading for a beginner in Firearm Ballistics.

P.A. Beaulieu
Québec, Canada


*************************************

Pour les lecteurs francophones,

Ce livre est très intéressant et donne beaucoup d'informations sur les armes, mais le fait que le système impérial est utilisé au lieu du système métrique peut vous causer des problèmes pour les mesures et les formules.

Aussi, certains calibres comme le 9mm et le 7,62 x 39 ne sont pas présents dans les explications.

Toutefois, ce livre me semble être un excellent choix pour les débutants dans l'étude de la ballistique des armes à feu.

P.A. Beaulieu
Québec, Canada

Editorial Review:

The new greatly improved 6th Edition - Copyright 2005 - with better charts, easier math, better drawings, and improved readability. Understanding Firearm Ballistics explains the subject in understandable terms. The original text has been line edited, improved & expanded with up-to-date explanations and examples. The only complete reference book of extensive information with 432 pages of little known facts. A complete guide that is full of valuable data with illustrations, drawings, charts, tables, tips, glossary, index, and detailed factual information. Understanding Firearm Ballistics, 6th Edition, is a must for beginner or expert.

The Physics of Solar Cells (Properties of Semiconductor Materials) (Properties of Semiconductor Materials)

Jenny Nelson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very good coverage 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book provides a well thought out introduction to the physics of photovoltaic cells and systems. The treatment provides mathematical details at a level that will be accessible to science and engineering graduates and upper class undergraduates. Some derivations are not as well explained as others. However, the working relationships are worth knowing and can serve as a lead into other references. The book is well worth its relatively modest cost.

Editorial Review:

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the physics of the photovoltaic cell. It is suitable for undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers new to the field. It covers: basic physics of semiconductors in photovoltaic devices; physical models of solar cell operation; characteristics and design of common types of solar cell; and approaches to increasing solar cell efficiency. The text explains the terms and concepts of solar cell device physics and shows the reader how to formulate and solve relevant physical problems. Exercises and worked solutions are included.

Contents: Photons In, Electrons Out: Basic Principles of PV; Electrons and Holes in Semiconductors; Generation and Recombination; Junctions; Analysis of the p n Junction; Monocrystalline Solar Cells; Thin Film Solar Cells; Managing Light; Over the Limit: Strategies for Higher Efficiency.

Classical Electrodynamics Third Edition

John David Jackson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 94 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Just Plain Mean 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

According to some other reviews this text makes an excellent reference for professionals. However, they've already taken the tests, and been through the classes. In short they already have their Phd. If you know the majority of readers of your book are coming to you to improve their understanding or learn entirely new material, why would you make difficult stuff even harder by intentionally omitting derivation steps in every section of every chapter. With the deadlines and time constraints associated with student life it's almost impossible to get through all the difficult derivations in the reading before even getting to the sometimes insane problems in a reasonable time. Either try to make the reading as clear as possible, and the problems challenging, or reduce the difficulty of the problems and have the reading challenging like it is now, but don't challenge the usually involuntary student readers with both difficulties. I may change my opinion later, but for now I feel that the level of difficulty and style of this text is based largely on the cruelty of the author.

Editorial Review:

A revision of the defining book covering the physics and classical mathematics necessary to understand electromagnetic fields in materials and at surfaces and interfaces. The third edition has been revised to address the changes in emphasis and applications that have occurred in the past twenty years.

Physics Demystified : A Self-Teaching Guide (Demystified)

Stan Gibilisco

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand Physics. Now anyone with an interest in the physical sciences can master physics - without formal training or drowning in a sea of complicated formulas and equations. In "Physics Demystified" best-selling author Stan Gibilisco offers a fun, effective, and totally painless way to learn the fundamentals and general concepts of physics. With "Physics Demystified" you master the subject in one simple step at a time - at your own speed. Unlike most books on physics, general principles are presented first - and the details follow. In order to make the learning process as clear and simple as possible, heavy-duty math, formulas, and equations are kept to a minimum.This unique self-teaching guide offers questions at the end of each chapter and section to pinpoint weaknesses, and a 100-question final exam to reinforce the entire book. Simple enough for a beginner but challenging enough for an advanced student, "Physics Demystified" is your direct route to learning or brushing up on physics. Here's everything you need to: understand the math used in physical science; solve mass/force/acceleration problems; create mathematical models of physical phenomena; perform distance vs. time calculations; determine potential and kinetic energy; calculate the wavelength of sounds and radio signals; understand visible light interference patterns; calculate the energy and frequency of a moving particle; understand atomic structure; and, learn about electric current, voltage, resistance, power, and energy.

Introduction to Solid State Physics

Charles Kittel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 43 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

I'm sorry 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Hey guys, so my friend and I are trying to work through a problem set in our solid state physics course at UC Berkeley and as you might imagine, because Kittel was one of our professors, the department likes to use his books. We love ourselves. Unfortunately for us undergrads (and all of you) we are forced to use his book. Now our problem sets reeeally shouldn't be too much of a problem. For instance, we were asked to solve something for x-ray diffraction and though we had a little bit of an understanding a la Kittel, we found that that little tidbit of knowledge could not in fact be used with confronted with data or a simple experimental setup. There are simply no examples. We have not read Ashcroft or the other books suggested, but after I write this review, we will certainly be out there to purchase another book.

I just wanted to say that I'm sorry we harbored the professor that wrote ths book. I'm sure he's not a bad guy. I know it's hard to write coherently, but seriously this is ridiculous.

Editorial Review:

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 been written 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

Photoshop 7 Bible, Professional Edition

Deke McClelland

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Use this as a reference book once you already know PS 5 out of 5 stars.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.

This book describes the fine intricacies of all the tools, the filters and the features of Photoshop. Where other books lead you through lessons and tell you to set X tool preference to Y, and you may happily use the Y preference for years without even knowing there is also a Z preference, this book explains all the preferences for all the tools and gives illustrated examples of what the various settings produce.

I wanted to force myself to sit down and read this thing cover to cover to get an in-depth knowledge of everything Photoshop, but after 2 chapters of reading I just couldn't go on in this manner. For me, the best use of this book is as a reference when I have a question about a particular tool or technique. I'll read a few pages to get the particulars, then I put the book back up on the shelf until the next question arises.

This version has lots of nice color plates and paging through it can be inspirational when I'm stuck for a design idea. Especially if I'm burned out on surfing online for ideas.

The one irritating factor about this book is the author's sense of humor interspersed throughout. I understand that he's trying to make a technical subject friendly, approachable and enjoyable, but the humor just comes across as extremely corny. This is a plague I've noticed infecting many of today's authors of software books.

Dear Authors,unless you are absolutely certain that people other than family and close friends consider you funny, please leave the humor out or hire a professional to help. Thank you.

I still give this book highest marks because
1)it is so absolutely thorough
2)the author knows his stuff and can communicate it well (even if there is a bit of dorky humor in it) and
3)since I use it as a reference book, the humor only comes in small, managable chunks.

Editorial Review:

* Picks up where the classic Photoshop 7 Bible (0-7645-3694-X) ends, with bonus color pages and topics for highend users
* Graphic artists and Web designers will flock to this special Bible edition-a peerless professional resource from a bestselling Photoshop guru
* Includes 320 color pages of exciting images and instruction for the experienced user
* Provides expanded coverage of advanced topics such as creating and optimizing Web graphics, using filters, convolution kernels and displacement maps, actions and batch processing, ImageReady, and more

Group Theory: Application to the Physics of Condensed Matter

M.S. Dresselhaus, G. Dresselhaus, A. Jorio

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Editorial Review:

Every process in physics is governed by selection rules that are the consequence of symmetry requirements. The beauty and strength of group theory resides in the transformation of many complex symmetry operations into a very simple linear algebra. This concise and class-tested book has been pedagogically tailored over 30 years MIT and 2 years at the University Federal of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil. The approach centers on the conviction that teaching group theory in close connection with applications helps students to learn, understand and use it for their own needs. For this reason, the theoretical background is confined to the first 4 introductory chapters (6-8 classroom hours). From there, each chapter develops new theory while introducing applications so that the students can best retain new concepts, build on concepts learned the previous week, and see interrelations between topics as presented. Essential problem sets between the chapters also aid the retention of the new material and for the consolidation of material learned in previous chapters. The text and problem sets have proved a useful springboard for the application of the basic material presented here to topics in semiconductor physics, and the physics of carbon-based nanostructures.

Condensed Matter Field Theory

Alexander Altland, Ben Simons

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Over the past few decades, in concert with ground-breaking experimental advances, condensed matter theory has drawn increasingly from the language of low-energy quantum field theory. This primer is aimed at elevating graduate students of condensed matter theory to a level where they can engage in independent research. It emphasizes the development of modern methods of classical and quantum field theory with applications oriented around condensed matter physics. Topics covered include second quantization, path and functional field integration, mean-field theory and collective phenomena, the renormalization group, and topology. Conceptual aspects and formal methodology are emphasized, but the discussion is rooted firmly in practical experimental application. As well as routine exercises, the text includes extended and challenging problems, with fully worked solutions, designed to provide a bridge between formal manipulations and research-oriented thinking. This book will complement graduate level courses on theoretical quantum condensed matter physics.

Solid State Physics

Neil W. Ashcroft, N. David Mermin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good intro to a growing science 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

The 20th century saw the birth of quantum mechanics, and its connection with physics, chemistry and engineering to form the discipline collectively known as solid state science. Dealing with the properties of solids at the atomic-scale, the advances in this field have made the entire Digital Age possible. As such, the literature, both educational and scientific, in this field has grown exponentially over the past 50 years. One of the best books in this field is Solid State Physics by Ashcroft and Mermin. This extremely thorough book covers the field from basic crystallography and bonding models up through magnetic, optical, and superconducting properties. The book includes lots of derivations, sample problems, and all the important equations. Also, the book covers both experimental techniques used in solid state science, and the growing field of computer simulations, especially those using density functional theory. All in all a great book to read for those working in or planning to work in this field.

Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity

Sean Carroll

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Book But Won't Get You To The Promised Land 5 out of 5 stars.
85 of 87 people found this review helpful.

My comments come with a few caveats.

1. This is my fourth GR book.
2. I'm not hardcore into physics. I'm not a physic grad and I'm reading GR for fun. I have a decent graduate math background but I've been corrupted with 10+ years in working in various roles software engineering, electronics engineering and marketing.
3. I assume that since you're considering buying this book, you're goal is to get at the "real" GR, not the watered down discover channel version.

With these caveats in mind, here are my comments.

First, on a scale of 1-5, I rank Carroll at level 3 in terms of math/physics maturity and thoroughness. Here is my full ranking of authors from my limited reading: 1. schutz 2. hartle 3. penrose 3. carroll 4. wald 5. physics journal articles

Second, using the rankings above, I recommend Carroll as the second port of entry. If you're comfortable with multivariable calculus, start with schutz (#1). You'll get warm fuzzies doing the toy exercises. But Schutz is tensor/math-lite. If you've had advanced calculus and geometry already, jump in with carroll (#3). But you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone else as polite to the reader. He won't prepare you for 80 percent of what's published. If you're ready to throw off the training wheels and jump dive into mainstream GR go with Wald (#4).

Note that Hartle (#2) is a good "tweener" book with feel-good exercises and some of the full-on GR equations at the end. I bet most instructors teaching a first year grad course would go with Hartle along with a dose of supplementary material.

Third, don't expect Carroll to be your last GR book purchase if you want to reach the promised land (see caveat #4). Living and breathing GR is found in physics journals and for that you'll need Wald or another advanced GR book.

Editorial Review:

Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity provides a lucid and thoroughly modern introduction to general relativity. With an accessible and lively writing style, it introduces modern techniques to what can often be a formal and intimidating subject. Readers are led from the physics of flat spacetime (special relativity), through the intricacies of differential geometry and Einstein's equations, and on to exciting applications such as black holes, gravitational radiation, and cosmology. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students, or anyone interested in astronomy, cosmology, physics, or general relativity.