4 comments about Modern Magnetic Materials: Principles and Applications.

1. This is the book which contains all about the magnetism practically in use. From the basic theory of magnetism to the practical use, e.g., magnetic recording materials, surface and thin films. This is the best book treating magnetism practically. But this deos not contain the rigorous thoery using second quantization, e.g., Hubbard Hamiltonian and Anderson Impurity. That is, this book is the introduction for graduate students majoring in experimental condensed matter physicis - materials and materials science for practical use.



2. This book will take you from basic academic knowledge about magnetism to a proficient understanding of the most recent advances in magnetic materials and devices. This book is well very organized and written in a concise manner. Dr. O'Handley has earned our congratulations on both scope and quality for this book. Graduate students, researchers, engineers, theorists, experimenters and other newcomers to the field will find this book an excellent entry to the field as well as a handy reference. The book is one of the best text in the area of applied magnetism.
   This invaluable book should certainly be present in the library of any department or institute carrying out magnetism R&D work. In other words, it deserves to be on the shelves of any lab or research institute library. I strongly recommend this book to every student and teacher who intends studying or teaching magnetism.



3. This is an immensely important compilation of the state-of-
   the-art quantum electronic interpretation of the physics of magnetism. Doctor O'Handley has masterfully organized his lecture notes and has produced a magnum opus.
   I had the extraordinary good fortune of attending his lecture series at the University of Florida in 1994. The class was primarily for materials engineering graduate students, but I was allowed to take the class because I was doing research in magnetic devices for electrical engineering. Even though the physics involved was at a higher level than I was used to, Dr. O'Handley was able to communicate the necessary concepts in a lucid manner.
   His intelligible explanations in the lecture hall are repeated and expanded in this well-crafted volume.
   If you are interested in the science of magnetism from an electrical engineering, or material science, perspective, I wholeheartedly recommend purchasing this book.



4. This book has been used for several years in the graduate materials program at Carnegie Mellon University. It is very popular with the students. It has also found a following with the undrgraduates who have done research or advanced reading in magnetic materials. The book offeres clear physical insights and a discussion of contemporary magnetics applications. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Quantum Electronics, 3rd Edition.

1. Explanations are often brief, making reference to other works rather than filling in the details. As a student, I've used it for several graduate courses, and have found a need to reference other books such as Siegman's "Lasers" in order to understand the material. This is a common reaction, based upon classmates. Derivations leave out numerous steps for brevity, sometimes crucial ones. Often states results from other works, without any explanation. It often seems a collection of material drawn from numerous sources, with little thought to connecting the ideas and notation into a teaching tool. May be more useful as a reference.



2. This book is a quick intro into optoelectronics. I mean quick. Really. Not much rigor (physical or mathematical) is to be found in this book. As I read the book, I kept having the feeling that the mathematical derivations are laid out to lead to the results desired, and if there have to be a dozen assumptions and approximations or skips in steps made to achieve the goal, then so be it. As for the justifications for those assumptions, why, they help you get to the desired results. For your amusement, I will point out one of such sneaky skips. Look first at Eq 8-1-17. If you don't like to take things for granted, you have verified this expression to your satisfaction. You are happy with it. Now fast forward to 8-7-3. Look at how there is a degeneracy factor in the Rabi frequency. Can you verify it?

   As I've said, if you want rigor, this book will disappoint you. Unfortunately, it appears that just about every book in optoelectronics is written rather loosely in this sense. So you are really stuck with this one, more or less.




3. I studied the previous edition of this book during graduate studies back in 1985. I still have the text book; as i refer to it for guidance. The new edition inlcudes some of the latest advances that are essential to any one's work in this field. i highly recommend it.



4. I used this book for a graduate level course on quantum electronics. I agree with the other reviewers that the book requires a good background in a variety of subjects (primarily quantum mechanics and E&M), and also that the book is very comprehensive and covers a lot of topics (and consequently might serve as a reasonable reference to look up topics). Although, I was somewhat surprised at a previous reviewers comparison to Jackson Electrodynamics book, which, while similarly advanced, has a much clearer presentation
   
   In my opinion, the book has several major shortcomings. Firstly, its presentation is unorganized, and terse. Rather than providing physical insight, or usefull discussion, Yariv opts for a barrage of messy formulas with haphazardly chosen (and often inconsistent) notation. Additionally, the book's ordering of topics is far from logical. There is no consistent narrative, and most of the chapters and subsections are at best, loosely correlated. Perhaps the most glaring weakness that I have discovered so far is Yariv's treatment of Gaussian beam propogation. The formulas are unnecessarily complicated, and the presentation is practically incoherent (it could certainly use a good converging lens!).
   
   In short, this is a mediocre book at best, certainly not well suited for a course textbook. While, I have not had much exposure to other texts in the field, there are certainly better ones out there.



5. I am extremely displeased with the experience of studying Quantum Electronics from this book. Its primary shortfall, given it was intended to achieve it, is its lack of explanatory notes and even more so the willingness of author to do it. It is difficult to explain my anger when following the text I would come across sudden results without any hint by the author as to its appearance except for a footnote referring to the original paper. I wish it would be a singularity here and there but unfortunately (for beginners) thats the order of the entire book.
   
   The book certainly might be useful to learned readers for reference or those who have Quantum Electronics the only course with lots of time to dig out archives of research journals to follow the ideas in the book. But for wayfarers getting to have their maiden sojourn at Quantum Electronics, I will emphatically recommend to set your hands on something else.

No comments about Simple Models of Magnetism (Oxford Graduate Texts).

5 comments about The Feynman Lectures on Physics Volumes 3-4.

1. If you order one of the series, go for the more general of the sets. I got one which was extremely good in it's description of the structure of crystals, 'Volume 3 From Crystal Structure of Magnetism', but went into later elaborate detail on formulae, much done on a chalkboard in the longlost 1960's, which left me in the dust...



2. If you are looking for a laymans' basic physics primer, look somewhere else! If you have a background in the material and are looking for a review or for alternative views of the subject then this is appropriate.

   I first read the "Feynman Lectures" (in book form) during the first year of my physics studies. They struck me then, and still do, as offering inspired and inspiring insight from a first class brain.

   To hear him speak, after reading so much of his material through the years is a real kick. At first I couldn't imagine how one could hear the lectures without the written material in support. Although I think that this material is in fact best absorbed in conjunction with the written Lectures, yet these tapes are a pleasurable and thoughtful listen all by themself.




3. There is no way you can follow these lectures UNLESS you have the books (R.P Feynman lectures on Physics Vols 1-3) in front of you or maybe you can follow them if you are smarter than RPF himself, which is unlikely (otherwise i'd be reading your book). Anyway, the reason for this is there is a lot of formulae and explaining happening on the black board and RPF talks pretty fast with his sharp brooklyn accent. So, have the book and chapter he is talking about in front of you and pay attention to what he is saying and frequently pause to digest what he has said and you'll appreciate the lectures more. It may not be possible to understand everything he says in his books, let alone in the audio, which makes it difficukt understanding when you are not in possession of his books. But the CD's are a blast to listen to, EXCEPT the people who produced the CD's should be impaled on some sharp object because each CD has ONE track from start to finish. So to go back or skip sections is a real pain.



4. As other reviewers have stated this series has a few problems. The first is that the audio was copied from audio tapes as one long CD track without partitions which is a huge pain. The lectures are also all jumbled up into "topic areas", and the listener is left to align them to the chapters in the Feynman Lectures on Physics. The sections to which the commentator on the CD's refers are in these books (ISBN: 0201021153, or even better get the hardcover). If you are learning physics for the first time, you definitely want the books to go along with at the same time.
   
   Audio Volume 3: From Crystal Structure to Magnetism
   'The Feynman Lectures on Physics: From Crystal Structure to Magnetism (Feynman Lectures on Physics (Audio))'
   Volume II, Chapter 30: The Internal Geometry of Crystals
   Volume II, Chapter 32: Refractive Index of Dense Materials
   Volume II, Chapter 39: Elastic Materials
   Volume II, Chapter 10: Dielectrics
   Volume II, Chapter 11: Inside Dielectrics
   Volume II, Chapter 34: The Magnetism of Matter
   
   Audio Volume 4: Electrical and Magnetic Behavior
   'The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol. 4 : Electrical and Magnetic Behavior'
   Volume III, Chapter 13: Propagation in a Crystal Lattice
   Volume III, Chapter 14: Semiconductors
   Volume III, Chapter 15: The Independent Particle Approximation
   Volume III, Chapter 21: The Schrödinger Equation in a Classical Context: A Seminar on Superconductivity
   Volume II, Chapter 35: Paramagnetism and Magnetic Resonance
   Volume II, Chapter 36: Ferromagnetism
   
   Thanks to Autodidact Andy for the contents list (taken from his How To List on the cassette versions).



5. We purchased this series because we checked them out from the library and decided we should own them. The _Feynman Lectures on Physics_ are great resources for you as a parent desiring to impart these concepts. Feynman explains complex ideas through very simple and entertaining stories. ***** These CDs are a "must have" for roadtrips!

3 comments about Billmeyer and Saltzman's Principles of Color Technology, 3rd Edition.

1. The latest edition of Billmeyer and Saltzman's Principles of Color Technology is a complete rewrite. The author's use of in-text examples and "back to principles" appendix facilitate understanding of the concepts. The range of color science conepts (from basic colorimetry to an end-to-end color imaging system) make it a must-have for the color science student to the experienced color professional.



2. There are many books written on color, some of the classic being the ones by Judd and Wyszecki, Wyszecki and Styles, Durrett and others. The book by Billmeyer and Saltzman is exceptional. It provides a visceral understanding of the elements of color by dealing with the fundamentals by example. Each example builds upon the previous ones and as they do so one gains insights that surpass any other text. In many ways it reads like a novel, the wording is smooth and flawless and the inserts of wisdom resonate with the theme being developed.
   
   Chapter 1 defines color. The approach is graphical and not mathematical, yet the mathematics flow immediately from the approach taken. Rather than providing details in equations the authors provide details in very well done graphics. The example used to describe color is brilliant. It uses the metaphor of colored stones and their classification. From that the complex issues and ideas of hue, lightness and chroma are immediately evident and do not require the reader to do anything except follow the colored stones. The shortest and best explanation ever!
   
   Chapter 2 describes color using the red, blue and green models. The authors simply walk through the evolution and issues so that when one arrives at the CIE chart all makes sense. Then of course on page 61 they rip the chart to shreds, metaphorically to state that it is only a cross section of what is required; it forgets brightness!
   
   Chapter 3 is about measurements. The approach is a great balance of ideas, constructs, implementations, and does not fall into the trap of over description or of simplifying too much. The reader is never put in the position of missing the dots in between. There is never "it I left as an exercise for the student" approach that many academic authors take. On p. 83 there is a good summary of all the key instruments and then details.
   
   Chapters 4, 5, and 6 continue to look at measuring color, colorants (dyes versus pigments) and then producing colors. What I found interesting is that plants are said to have pigments, but to the authors pigments generally are non-organic compounds having metals.
   
   What is missing? Well that will depend on each reviewer's favorite topic. Mine are twofold. First, what is color, namely what is the effect of absorption on light and why? For example in plant anthocyanins there are slight changes in the molecule of say cyanidin that change it from red to blue, because one absorbs blue, thus becoming red and one red thus becoming blue. This discussion would have helped. Then there is the issue of plant color in general. How would one estimate concentrations of separate anthocyanins from total reflected light knowing the underlying profiles. This would be applying signals and estimation to the overall problem. But that is just my preference, the book as it is currently done is perfect, I would just have wished that they kept going on, since what they had done was so well presented.



3. This oversized book stands out from the crowd by virtue of its size and illustrations. Best-suited to students and those who want to understand the concepts without getting their hands dirty (in maths).
   
   A bit pricy for the length, if you ask me.

5 comments about Electromagnetics (McGraw-Hill Series in Electrical and Computer Engineering).

1. The best introduction to engineering physics I've ever read



2. I found this to be informative from the beginning. The author does a very thorough job in explaining the nuances of electromagnetics.



3. I consider this book to be one of the best books about E&M I've ever seen... it's quite technical but not cumbersome at all! Actually, I think it makes quite a pleasant reading! I've read other books on E&M and electrodynamics and I consider this book to be a very good intro to engineering electromagnetics. However, if you want a more theoretical insight, I recommend that you choose a good book on electrodynamics. This book is definitely worth buying!!



4. If you are looking for an in-depth textbook on ELECTROMAGNETICS, then choose the 4th edition of this text. That book made me say, "Show me a better textbook if you can."

   Not this one. This book, after giving you a brief introduction to electric and magnetic fields, goes to the applications of electromagnetics - transmission lines, waveguides etc. If these things interest you, choose this edition.

   Otherwise, I recommend the 4th edition because it is simply the BIBLE of Electromagnetics.




5. I was very happy with this transaction, everything went smoothly. I was especially impressed with the quality of the book concidering it was a used item.

No comments about Classical Field Theory (Dover Books on Physics).

1 comments about Aurora: The Mysterious Northern Lights.

1. Ms Savage does a very credible job of introducing the Aurora Borealis to the average person. The book begins with historical interest in the aurora and how different peoples view the lights and works its way up to the modern day physics of the lights. Interspersed throughout the book are wonderful photos of the lights and pithy quotes. This book is a must for anyone who enjoys the aurora and wants to know more about it. The one short coming of the book was the tendancy of Ms. Savage to be a little long winded at times. Shorter explanations and more pictures would have really made this book perfect. As it stands, however, the book is well worth the purchase price, if only to adorn your coffee table.

2 comments about Electronic Transport in Mesoscopic Systems (Cambridge Studies in Semiconductor Physics and Microelectronic Engineering).

1. The book primarily describes the so-called transmission formalism which is applied to electron transport in mesoscopic systems. Yet the main strength of the book is its introduction of the powerful, yet easy to implement numerically, apparatus of single-particle Green's functions. A device engineer armed with the knowledge of this apparatus and a copy of MatLab should be able to accurately model conductance and charge distribution in devices on the scale of tens of nanometers. Indeed, the book illustrates the application of the apparatus to transmission calculations in devices such as resonant tunneling diodes and single-electron transistors. The book provides much more than calculation recipes; the roots and physical relevance of the transmission formalism are well explained by examples such as the quantum Hall effect and conductance fluctuations. The text should be a great aid to future nanoelectronic device engineers.



2. A few words to just sum it up, SUPER DATTA. The electro-moelecur analysis presented by author Super Datta is an incredible interpretation in defining the forier series. Euler's Identity is not only sexy, but intellectually stimulating. My boyfriend Michael and I a few weekends ago in Key West Florida had the opportunity to visit with Super Datta. While sipping tasty tropical beverages and listening to KC and the Sunshine band, we contemplated for hours over quantum mechanical models. This is simply the beginning of the decaying power sears.

   Super Data, Super Job, I'm simply, In love

   sincerely

   *Timothy*

5 comments about Principles of Electronic Instrumentation.

1. The way in which some of the sections are presented is much more complicated than they have to be in this book. It also has a tendency to give you problems that it hasn't taught in the section, expecting you to understand the concept from the limited information in the question. The only thing I really like about this book is that all the answers are in the back, not just the even or the odd.



2. I haven't tackled many of the problems, so I can't speak to the overabundance of typos that everybody else is complaining about, nor the quality of selection of the problems. I can say that this book presents a very organized review of a wide range of well-chosen topics. If you already have a decent understanding, it's an excellent reference. However, I find that whenever I come across a topic in which I need instruction right from the beginning, this book is almost always way too terse to be of any use.



3. The book seems poorly edited, the presentation of the basic material is too short (a large portion of this book is data sheets), much of the mateial in the exercises at the ends of the chapters is not discussed in the text, and there ar no solutions provided. On the other hand, the book does some good in its short and to-the-point explanations of some basic to intemediate ideas in modern electronics, and it is up-to-date. I would not reccomend this book for self study, but it should work fairly well for an introductory course at the undergraduate level- as long as the instructor covers the material left out of the book.



4. I'm not sure why there are so many poor reviews of this book. I used the 2nd edition years ago and liked it - this 3rd edition continues to be very good.
   
   It's approach is simple, clear & direct. The math is mostly algebra & trigonometry based with a bit of calculus thrown in here and there. This makes it very approachable especially if you don't have much experience with electronics. It's much clearer than Brophy ever was and more detailed than Faissler's book (Introduction to Modern Electronics).
   
   I find many university level intro electronics books don't give enough motivation i.e. how you actually use the stuff. Electronics is, after all, an intensely PRACTICAL subject. This book throughout shows you where and how it relates to scientific applications. Chapter 7 on transducers and chapter 15 on noise are good intros to these areas in this regard.
   
   dislikes: 30% (170/577 pages) of book is devoted to datasheets. Why I don't know. In every intro electronics course I've seen datasheets are rarely used. And just how likely is it that you'll need the ones in this book? - usually you'll need sheets for some oddball component in the lab portion of a course. These pages are a waste and should have been devoted to something else.
   
   It should also have had end-of-chapter references for more advanced books. Glossary would have been nice too.
   
   ----------------------
   
   if you want a more rigorous intro book use "Principles of Electronics: Analog and Digital" by Lloyd R. Fortney.
   
   If you want more info on transducers, practical building and noise reduction techniques look at 1) "Electronics and Instrumentation for Scientists" by Malmstadt/Enke/Crouch, 2) "Measurement and Instrumentation Principles" 3rd Edition by Alan S. Morris, 3) "Signal Recovery from Noise in Electronic Instrumentation" by T.H. Wilmshurst, 4) "Electronic Instrument Handbook" by Clyde F. Coombs and 5) "Building Scientific Apparatus" by Moore/Davis/Coplan



5. Used this as the textbook for our basic college electronics course. It is riddled with major mistakes that made it impossible to trust any information. It is impossible to do many of the exercises without extensive knowledge not found in the book. The explanations are often difficult to follow. Definitely not for the novice. I would stay away from this book!