No comments about Thin Film Solar Cells.

No comments about Artificial Black Holes.

1 comments about Theory of Elasticity for Scientists and Engineers.

1. I bought this book in order to improve my knowledge on the mathematical frame supporting the engineering formulas used in mechanical and construction design. And the assumptions and simplifications used to get them. The first 3 chapters, about stress, strain and Hooke law match what I was looking for, and chapter 5 showing examples of general problems has some of that formulas as result of specific boundary conditions.
   It is not an easy task to read it however. It could have more steps detailing the formula deductions. And some (not many) of them are wrong, and until be sure of this it is a long time trying to reach them in the way that they are written.

1 comments about The Electronic Structure and Chemistry of Solids (Oxford Science Publications).

1. shin@nirin.go.jp A great work in explaining the electronic structure of mainly, oxides. Reading the book as an materials researcher, it contains most of basics to understand the physical properties of functional materials related to their electronic structures.The author used simple and clear words in the text, Esp, the ch. 4 is very well written to be a good introduction to the band theory for who are based on chemistry.

   Only the bad is that data and refs in this book are somewhat old and necessary to be updated. So I rate this as four stars. I already read a book translated in japanese,and I recommend this also, very well done with great care.

1 comments about Propagation of electromagnetic waves in plasma (Russian monographs and texts on advanced mathematics and physics).

1. this is a classical review of plasma waves...excellent in order to calculate wave propagation in inhomgeneous, magnetoactive and isotropic plasma. Excellent review of E,H reflection coefficients, etc

No comments about Field Theories in Condensed Matter Physics (Series in Condensed Matter Physics).

1 comments about From Cosmos to Chaos: The Science of Unpredictability.

1. The book is based on a grand idea of uniting probabilistic thinking from games of chance to the universe as a whole. Even though each of the chapters are OK, and some are really good, the bridge from bridge to Big Bang is not very strong. Coles is not afraid of mathematics: all the major equations are presented, and this will distract some of the fainthearted readers, but the mathematically inclined will love it because of the conciseness of explanations.

1 comments about Fusion: A Voyage Through the Plasma Universe (Plasma Physics Series).

1. This book tells the fascinating story of fusion. As the process that fuels the stars and galaxies lighting up the night sky, fusion is the main source of energy in our Universe. We owe our very existence to the warmth of the Sun that it generates and, at the start of the new millenium, fusion may prove to be the sustainable way to meet the long-term energy demands of modern society.
   
   Professor Hans Wilhelmsson share with us his delight and his 50-year, life-long dream as one of fusion's main contemporary figures, to recreate on Earth the conditions that give rise to fusion at the heart of the Sun. He takes us through time on an epic voyage where we meet Nobel prize-winning characters such as Niels Bohr, Hannes Alfven and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and the many cultural inspirations that have brought us to the brink of acheiving controlled fusion in the laboratory. He charts the Universe stopping en route to explain how fusion and its vehicle, plasma physics, lies behind some of the most awe-inspiring phenomena in the Cosmos from jets and quasars to the beautiful Aurora Borealis - the Northern Lights.
   
   Forever insightful, the author shows not only the links between developments in space and laboratory plasma physics, he also presents sixteen rare and original colour plates to highlight the relevance and parallels in the work of Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci and Max Ernst, to the fusion quest. -- from book's back cover

1 comments about Introduction to Laser Diode-Pumped Solid State Lasers (SPIE Tutorial Texts in Optical Engineering Vol. TT53).

1. As a student with a thorough interest in the study of Lasers (with an emphasis on diodes and the light-emission spectra), I found this book incredibly interesting and useful. Richard Scheps has written a book that not only provides ample information and study, but also he writes in a simple (yet not patronizingly so) and understandable language. Bravo Richard Scheps for this terrific addition to my laboratory!

1 comments about Microelectronic Materials (Graduate Student Series in Materials Science and Engineering).

1. This book is about materials used in silicon integrated circuit technology, and about the problems and issues related to each individual material. Although it covers some basic physics of semiconductor devices, including optoelectronic devices (LEDs) and solar cells, 70% of the book is about growth of silicon (bulk crystals and thin films), metallization (i.e., interconnect technology), deposition of insulating films, and packaging. I read several chapters which I was most interested in, and was very satisfied - it was a very rewarding, informative, and time-efficient reading. C.R.M.Grovenor has indeed made a great job of presenting the material and selecting illustrations in this very good textbook, useful for readers with any background in materials science. The only reason why I rated it "4 stars" is that semiconductor industry has changed a lot since this book was published in 1989. While the fundamental science-related chapters are not affected that much, the technologically-oriented parts do not reflect state-of-the-art technology anymore. Therefore it is helpful to have an overall idea what technology and materials are used now to distinguish the data which is still relevant from that which is outdated. Just to give a few examples, metallization technology is confined in this book to aluminum only (there is no mentioning of copper metallization which is now taking over); 30 nm SiO_2 layers are called "very thin" (now "very thin" is less than 3-4 nm); dendritic web and EFG polycrystalline silicon solar cells are quoted to have an efficiency of less than 1% (presently it is 12-15% for the same materials), etc. Despite all this, I am sure that this book deserves attention of materials science students. It was a very good book when it was published, and it is still good, although it requires a critical attitude.