A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

Very good, 23 Nov 2008
This was one of the few books I enjoyed reading for my physics undergraduate course, back in the late 90s. It's well written, clear and goes in to plenty of detail, without being written in a needlessly academic style. Recommended.

Krane - Komprehensive and Klear!, 13 Feb 2002
Krane's book covers everything you need to know (and more) for an undergraduate nuclear physics course. The layout is clear and the subject material is explained well. There are also plenty of good diagrams using real experimental data, although these can sometimes be hard to understand. There is also a fair bit on experimental setups which may or may not be useful - depends on your course. Krane not only covers nuclear physics but also has good chapters on particle physics - mesons, Feynman diagrams, quarks...you name it, it's in Krane!

You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear, 21 Jun 2001
The basic guideline of this book is clarity. It is deserves most attention to introduce basic ideas of nuclear physics: nuclei's properties and forces are treated well, facing the main properties, then introducing the basic models and decays' rules. Later, it explains the principles of reactors, and at last a readable introduction to particle physics. All topics are treated from an experimental point of view, with abundant data, and of course, figures. Don't look for complicated maths or advanced topics. You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear physics. I liked it much than Segre's one; they are thinked for the same audience, but I think the basic facts are here clearer for a student. No previous quantum mechanics knowledge is needed, too (if needed, are in the first and second chapters). Of course, it is thought for undergraduate physics or engineers.

A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

Very good, 23 Nov 2008
This was one of the few books I enjoyed reading for my physics undergraduate course, back in the late 90s. It's well written, clear and goes in to plenty of detail, without being written in a needlessly academic style. Recommended.

Krane - Komprehensive and Klear!, 13 Feb 2002
Krane's book covers everything you need to know (and more) for an undergraduate nuclear physics course. The layout is clear and the subject material is explained well. There are also plenty of good diagrams using real experimental data, although these can sometimes be hard to understand. There is also a fair bit on experimental setups which may or may not be useful - depends on your course. Krane not only covers nuclear physics but also has good chapters on particle physics - mesons, Feynman diagrams, quarks...you name it, it's in Krane!

You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear, 21 Jun 2001
The basic guideline of this book is clarity. It is deserves most attention to introduce basic ideas of nuclear physics: nuclei's properties and forces are treated well, facing the main properties, then introducing the basic models and decays' rules. Later, it explains the principles of reactors, and at last a readable introduction to particle physics. All topics are treated from an experimental point of view, with abundant data, and of course, figures. Don't look for complicated maths or advanced topics. You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear physics. I liked it much than Segre's one; they are thinked for the same audience, but I think the basic facts are here clearer for a student. No previous quantum mechanics knowledge is needed, too (if needed, are in the first and second chapters). Of course, it is thought for undergraduate physics or engineers.

Fantastically graspable explanation, 24 Feb 2003
This book is great. With reasonable knowledge of linear algebra and vector analysis I was able to quickly grasp the concepts of some of the mathematics behind Special and General Relativity. The author seems to do a near perfect job at explaining the theory in a way that seems to flow beautifully from one concept to the other without leaving you with too many unanswered questions. The mathematics behind Einstein's theories can be very subtle at times. I am studying the mathematics of Special and General relativity for a hobby (it's like doing a big puzzle. A bit of a crude analogy, but alright) , and am by no means a physicist as such. If you have the right background (Mine being Computer Science, Computer Graphics), and you are willing to spend a lot of thought on the matter, you will be able to follow this text, and be a considerably more knowledgeable person at the end.

The greatest approach of General Relativity for dummies, 01 Mar 2001
I think this is an obligated reference for undergraduate beginners in General Relativity. Almost all the mathematical requirements are included, but it would be the best book if it also treated the Hilbert action and the variational deduction of Einstein's field equation. I suggest buying the other Schut's title "Geometrical Methods for Mathematical Physics" which supplies more mathematical background.

An Accessible Introduction To GR, 26 Oct 2000
This book approaches the idea of curvature in a gentle way. The introductory chapters are quite accessible to a student with limited mathematical backround. I found the combination of this book, Schutz's 'Geometrical Methods of Mathematical Physics' and Foster and Nightingale's 'First Course in GR' as suitable preparation for more weighty tomes such as Misner Thorne and Wheeler's 'Gravitation'.

A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

Very good, 23 Nov 2008
This was one of the few books I enjoyed reading for my physics undergraduate course, back in the late 90s. It's well written, clear and goes in to plenty of detail, without being written in a needlessly academic style. Recommended.

Krane - Komprehensive and Klear!, 13 Feb 2002
Krane's book covers everything you need to know (and more) for an undergraduate nuclear physics course. The layout is clear and the subject material is explained well. There are also plenty of good diagrams using real experimental data, although these can sometimes be hard to understand. There is also a fair bit on experimental setups which may or may not be useful - depends on your course. Krane not only covers nuclear physics but also has good chapters on particle physics - mesons, Feynman diagrams, quarks...you name it, it's in Krane!

You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear, 21 Jun 2001
The basic guideline of this book is clarity. It is deserves most attention to introduce basic ideas of nuclear physics: nuclei's properties and forces are treated well, facing the main properties, then introducing the basic models and decays' rules. Later, it explains the principles of reactors, and at last a readable introduction to particle physics. All topics are treated from an experimental point of view, with abundant data, and of course, figures. Don't look for complicated maths or advanced topics. You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear physics. I liked it much than Segre's one; they are thinked for the same audience, but I think the basic facts are here clearer for a student. No previous quantum mechanics knowledge is needed, too (if needed, are in the first and second chapters). Of course, it is thought for undergraduate physics or engineers.

Fantastically graspable explanation, 24 Feb 2003
This book is great. With reasonable knowledge of linear algebra and vector analysis I was able to quickly grasp the concepts of some of the mathematics behind Special and General Relativity. The author seems to do a near perfect job at explaining the theory in a way that seems to flow beautifully from one concept to the other without leaving you with too many unanswered questions. The mathematics behind Einstein's theories can be very subtle at times. I am studying the mathematics of Special and General relativity for a hobby (it's like doing a big puzzle. A bit of a crude analogy, but alright) , and am by no means a physicist as such. If you have the right background (Mine being Computer Science, Computer Graphics), and you are willing to spend a lot of thought on the matter, you will be able to follow this text, and be a considerably more knowledgeable person at the end.

The greatest approach of General Relativity for dummies, 01 Mar 2001
I think this is an obligated reference for undergraduate beginners in General Relativity. Almost all the mathematical requirements are included, but it would be the best book if it also treated the Hilbert action and the variational deduction of Einstein's field equation. I suggest buying the other Schut's title "Geometrical Methods for Mathematical Physics" which supplies more mathematical background.

An Accessible Introduction To GR, 26 Oct 2000
This book approaches the idea of curvature in a gentle way. The introductory chapters are quite accessible to a student with limited mathematical backround. I found the combination of this book, Schutz's 'Geometrical Methods of Mathematical Physics' and Foster and Nightingale's 'First Course in GR' as suitable preparation for more weighty tomes such as Misner Thorne and Wheeler's 'Gravitation'.

very good middle ground book, 16 Aug 2006
I have the first and second editions of this book and will definitely buy the third, sure that the standard will be maintained. So the review below refers to the first two.

What it says in the preface is true: this book strikes the middle ground between "no equation" particle physics overviews (like Gordon Kane's "Particle Garden" - excellent) and the full monty (e.g. Peskin or even Weinberg's trilogy). You get a very good glimpse of backstage while still not going too much in the details. Frankly particle physics is quite fascinating for outsiders (I am an engineer), and this book fills a niche for those who want to go a bit deeper but not too deep.
Excellent.

A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

Very good, 23 Nov 2008
This was one of the few books I enjoyed reading for my physics undergraduate course, back in the late 90s. It's well written, clear and goes in to plenty of detail, without being written in a needlessly academic style. Recommended.

Krane - Komprehensive and Klear!, 13 Feb 2002
Krane's book covers everything you need to know (and more) for an undergraduate nuclear physics course. The layout is clear and the subject material is explained well. There are also plenty of good diagrams using real experimental data, although these can sometimes be hard to understand. There is also a fair bit on experimental setups which may or may not be useful - depends on your course. Krane not only covers nuclear physics but also has good chapters on particle physics - mesons, Feynman diagrams, quarks...you name it, it's in Krane!

You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear, 21 Jun 2001
The basic guideline of this book is clarity. It is deserves most attention to introduce basic ideas of nuclear physics: nuclei's properties and forces are treated well, facing the main properties, then introducing the basic models and decays' rules. Later, it explains the principles of reactors, and at last a readable introduction to particle physics. All topics are treated from an experimental point of view, with abundant data, and of course, figures. Don't look for complicated maths or advanced topics. You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear physics. I liked it much than Segre's one; they are thinked for the same audience, but I think the basic facts are here clearer for a student. No previous quantum mechanics knowledge is needed, too (if needed, are in the first and second chapters). Of course, it is thought for undergraduate physics or engineers.

Fantastically graspable explanation, 24 Feb 2003
This book is great. With reasonable knowledge of linear algebra and vector analysis I was able to quickly grasp the concepts of some of the mathematics behind Special and General Relativity. The author seems to do a near perfect job at explaining the theory in a way that seems to flow beautifully from one concept to the other without leaving you with too many unanswered questions. The mathematics behind Einstein's theories can be very subtle at times. I am studying the mathematics of Special and General relativity for a hobby (it's like doing a big puzzle. A bit of a crude analogy, but alright) , and am by no means a physicist as such. If you have the right background (Mine being Computer Science, Computer Graphics), and you are willing to spend a lot of thought on the matter, you will be able to follow this text, and be a considerably more knowledgeable person at the end.

The greatest approach of General Relativity for dummies, 01 Mar 2001
I think this is an obligated reference for undergraduate beginners in General Relativity. Almost all the mathematical requirements are included, but it would be the best book if it also treated the Hilbert action and the variational deduction of Einstein's field equation. I suggest buying the other Schut's title "Geometrical Methods for Mathematical Physics" which supplies more mathematical background.

An Accessible Introduction To GR, 26 Oct 2000
This book approaches the idea of curvature in a gentle way. The introductory chapters are quite accessible to a student with limited mathematical backround. I found the combination of this book, Schutz's 'Geometrical Methods of Mathematical Physics' and Foster and Nightingale's 'First Course in GR' as suitable preparation for more weighty tomes such as Misner Thorne and Wheeler's 'Gravitation'.

very good middle ground book, 16 Aug 2006
I have the first and second editions of this book and will definitely buy the third, sure that the standard will be maintained. So the review below refers to the first two.

What it says in the preface is true: this book strikes the middle ground between "no equation" particle physics overviews (like Gordon Kane's "Particle Garden" - excellent) and the full monty (e.g. Peskin or even Weinberg's trilogy). You get a very good glimpse of backstage while still not going too much in the details. Frankly particle physics is quite fascinating for outsiders (I am an engineer), and this book fills a niche for those who want to go a bit deeper but not too deep.
Excellent.


A good introduction to nuclear physics, 28 Feb 2002
If like me you are starting a nuclear physics module as part of your A level studies this is a very useful guide to get. The book generally follows the syllabus for OCR A specification and has some useful 'SAQ' questions or self-assessment questions which are pretty close to what you might get in an exam. Diagrams and summary boxes help to make the info clearer, although the author tends to waffle a bit at times. Overall, this is a good textbook, and you should be able to follow the course relatively well.

A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

Very good, 23 Nov 2008
This was one of the few books I enjoyed reading for my physics undergraduate course, back in the late 90s. It's well written, clear and goes in to plenty of detail, without being written in a needlessly academic style. Recommended.

Krane - Komprehensive and Klear!, 13 Feb 2002
Krane's book covers everything you need to know (and more) for an undergraduate nuclear physics course. The layout is clear and the subject material is explained well. There are also plenty of good diagrams using real experimental data, although these can sometimes be hard to understand. There is also a fair bit on experimental setups which may or may not be useful - depends on your course. Krane not only covers nuclear physics but also has good chapters on particle physics - mesons, Feynman diagrams, quarks...you name it, it's in Krane!

You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear, 21 Jun 2001
The basic guideline of this book is clarity. It is deserves most attention to introduce basic ideas of nuclear physics: nuclei's properties and forces are treated well, facing the main properties, then introducing the basic models and decays' rules. Later, it explains the principles of reactors, and at last a readable introduction to particle physics. All topics are treated from an experimental point of view, with abundant data, and of course, figures. Don't look for complicated maths or advanced topics. You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear physics. I liked it much than Segre's one; they are thinked for the same audience, but I think the basic facts are here clearer for a student. No previous quantum mechanics knowledge is needed, too (if needed, are in the first and second chapters). Of course, it is thought for undergraduate physics or engineers.

Fantastically graspable explanation, 24 Feb 2003
This book is great. With reasonable knowledge of linear algebra and vector analysis I was able to quickly grasp the concepts of some of the mathematics behind Special and General Relativity. The author seems to do a near perfect job at explaining the theory in a way that seems to flow beautifully from one concept to the other without leaving you with too many unanswered questions. The mathematics behind Einstein's theories can be very subtle at times. I am studying the mathematics of Special and General relativity for a hobby (it's like doing a big puzzle. A bit of a crude analogy, but alright) , and am by no means a physicist as such. If you have the right background (Mine being Computer Science, Computer Graphics), and you are willing to spend a lot of thought on the matter, you will be able to follow this text, and be a considerably more knowledgeable person at the end.

The greatest approach of General Relativity for dummies, 01 Mar 2001
I think this is an obligated reference for undergraduate beginners in General Relativity. Almost all the mathematical requirements are included, but it would be the best book if it also treated the Hilbert action and the variational deduction of Einstein's field equation. I suggest buying the other Schut's title "Geometrical Methods for Mathematical Physics" which supplies more mathematical background.

An Accessible Introduction To GR, 26 Oct 2000
This book approaches the idea of curvature in a gentle way. The introductory chapters are quite accessible to a student with limited mathematical backround. I found the combination of this book, Schutz's 'Geometrical Methods of Mathematical Physics' and Foster and Nightingale's 'First Course in GR' as suitable preparation for more weighty tomes such as Misner Thorne and Wheeler's 'Gravitation'.

very good middle ground book, 16 Aug 2006
I have the first and second editions of this book and will definitely buy the third, sure that the standard will be maintained. So the review below refers to the first two.

What it says in the preface is true: this book strikes the middle ground between "no equation" particle physics overviews (like Gordon Kane's "Particle Garden" - excellent) and the full monty (e.g. Peskin or even Weinberg's trilogy). You get a very good glimpse of backstage while still not going too much in the details. Frankly particle physics is quite fascinating for outsiders (I am an engineer), and this book fills a niche for those who want to go a bit deeper but not too deep.
Excellent.


A good introduction to nuclear physics, 28 Feb 2002
If like me you are starting a nuclear physics module as part of your A level studies this is a very useful guide to get. The book generally follows the syllabus for OCR A specification and has some useful 'SAQ' questions or self-assessment questions which are pretty close to what you might get in an exam. Diagrams and summary boxes help to make the info clearer, although the author tends to waffle a bit at times. Overall, this is a good textbook, and you should be able to follow the course relatively well.

Well written, vivid and accurate account of a great scientis, 04 Jun 1999
I found this a very readable and important summary of Meitner's career.It is a very human story and helps explain the great injustices which deprived her of a well deserved Nobel Prize. It's manages full scientific details without becoming obscure.

A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

Very good, 23 Nov 2008
This was one of the few books I enjoyed reading for my physics undergraduate course, back in the late 90s. It's well written, clear and goes in to plenty of detail, without being written in a needlessly academic style. Recommended.

Krane - Komprehensive and Klear!, 13 Feb 2002
Krane's book covers everything you need to know (and more) for an undergraduate nuclear physics course. The layout is clear and the subject material is explained well. There are also plenty of good diagrams using real experimental data, although these can sometimes be hard to understand. There is also a fair bit on experimental setups which may or may not be useful - depends on your course. Krane not only covers nuclear physics but also has good chapters on particle physics - mesons, Feynman diagrams, quarks...you name it, it's in Krane!

You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear, 21 Jun 2001
The basic guideline of this book is clarity. It is deserves most attention to introduce basic ideas of nuclear physics: nuclei's properties and forces are treated well, facing the main properties, then introducing the basic models and decays' rules. Later, it explains the principles of reactors, and at last a readable introduction to particle physics. All topics are treated from an experimental point of view, with abundant data, and of course, figures. Don't look for complicated maths or advanced topics. You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear physics. I liked it much than Segre's one; they are thinked for the same audience, but I think the basic facts are here clearer for a student. No previous quantum mechanics knowledge is needed, too (if needed, are in the first and second chapters). Of course, it is thought for undergraduate physics or engineers.

Fantastically graspable explanation, 24 Feb 2003
This book is great. With reasonable knowledge of linear algebra and vector analysis I was able to quickly grasp the concepts of some of the mathematics behind Special and General Relativity. The author seems to do a near perfect job at explaining the theory in a way that seems to flow beautifully from one concept to the other without leaving you with too many unanswered questions. The mathematics behind Einstein's theories can be very subtle at times. I am studying the mathematics of Special and General relativity for a hobby (it's like doing a big puzzle. A bit of a crude analogy, but alright) , and am by no means a physicist as such. If you have the right background (Mine being Computer Science, Computer Graphics), and you are willing to spend a lot of thought on the matter, you will be able to follow this text, and be a considerably more knowledgeable person at the end.

The greatest approach of General Relativity for dummies, 01 Mar 2001
I think this is an obligated reference for undergraduate beginners in General Relativity. Almost all the mathematical requirements are included, but it would be the best book if it also treated the Hilbert action and the variational deduction of Einstein's field equation. I suggest buying the other Schut's title "Geometrical Methods for Mathematical Physics" which supplies more mathematical background.

An Accessible Introduction To GR, 26 Oct 2000
This book approaches the idea of curvature in a gentle way. The introductory chapters are quite accessible to a student with limited mathematical backround. I found the combination of this book, Schutz's 'Geometrical Methods of Mathematical Physics' and Foster and Nightingale's 'First Course in GR' as suitable preparation for more weighty tomes such as Misner Thorne and Wheeler's 'Gravitation'.

very good middle ground book, 16 Aug 2006
I have the first and second editions of this book and will definitely buy the third, sure that the standard will be maintained. So the review below refers to the first two.

What it says in the preface is true: this book strikes the middle ground between "no equation" particle physics overviews (like Gordon Kane's "Particle Garden" - excellent) and the full monty (e.g. Peskin or even Weinberg's trilogy). You get a very good glimpse of backstage while still not going too much in the details. Frankly particle physics is quite fascinating for outsiders (I am an engineer), and this book fills a niche for those who want to go a bit deeper but not too deep.
Excellent.


A good introduction to nuclear physics, 28 Feb 2002
If like me you are starting a nuclear physics module as part of your A level studies this is a very useful guide to get. The book generally follows the syllabus for OCR A specification and has some useful 'SAQ' questions or self-assessment questions which are pretty close to what you might get in an exam. Diagrams and summary boxes help to make the info clearer, although the author tends to waffle a bit at times. Overall, this is a good textbook, and you should be able to follow the course relatively well.

Well written, vivid and accurate account of a great scientis, 04 Jun 1999
I found this a very readable and important summary of Meitner's career.It is a very human story and helps explain the great injustices which deprived her of a well deserved Nobel Prize. It's manages full scientific details without becoming obscure.

A great book for all..., 24 May 2004
The authors of this book have been true to their word, and have written a book of quality that serves as an extremely good introduction to this relatively new area of physics.

In earlier chapters you will be taken through all the steps leading up to the realisation of a Bose-Einstein Condensate without the use of heavy and confusing mathematics, and whereby the only prerequisite needed is a general background knowledge of physical principles.

In later chapters the material can become very complicated for the beginner, such as myself, and you may find yourself a bit confused. But these chapters are more specialised however and are not essential for the beginner to understand.

All in all, I found this book extremely useful and considering that it is about a field that is so very new, and only a small selection of books are currently available, you cannot really go wrong with this one.

A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

Very good, 23 Nov 2008
This was one of the few books I enjoyed reading for my physics undergraduate course, back in the late 90s. It's well written, clear and goes in to plenty of detail, without being written in a needlessly academic style. Recommended.

Krane - Komprehensive and Klear!, 13 Feb 2002
Krane's book covers everything you need to know (and more) for an undergraduate nuclear physics course. The layout is clear and the subject material is explained well. There are also plenty of good diagrams using real experimental data, although these can sometimes be hard to understand. There is also a fair bit on experimental setups which may or may not be useful - depends on your course. Krane not only covers nuclear physics but also has good chapters on particle physics - mesons, Feynman diagrams, quarks...you name it, it's in Krane!

You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear, 21 Jun 2001
The basic guideline of this book is clarity. It is deserves most attention to introduce basic ideas of nuclear physics: nuclei's properties and forces are treated well, facing the main properties, then introducing the basic models and decays' rules. Later, it explains the principles of reactors, and at last a readable introduction to particle physics. All topics are treated from an experimental point of view, with abundant data, and of course, figures. Don't look for complicated maths or advanced topics. You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear physics. I liked it much than Segre's one; they are thinked for the same audience, but I think the basic facts are here clearer for a student. No previous quantum mechanics knowledge is needed, too (if needed, are in the first and second chapters). Of course, it is thought for undergraduate physics or engineers.

Fantastically graspable explanation, 24 Feb 2003
This book is great. With reasonable knowledge of linear algebra and vector analysis I was able to quickly grasp the concepts of some of the mathematics behind Special and General Relativity. The author seems to do a near perfect job at explaining the theory in a way that seems to flow beautifully from one concept to the other without leaving you with too many unanswered questions. The mathematics behind Einstein's theories can be very subtle at times. I am studying the mathematics of Special and General relativity for a hobby (it's like doing a big puzzle. A bit of a crude analogy, but alright) , and am by no means a physicist as such. If you have the right background (Mine being Computer Science, Computer Graphics), and you are willing to spend a lot of thought on the matter, you will be able to follow this text, and be a considerably more knowledgeable person at the end.

The greatest approach of General Relativity for dummies, 01 Mar 2001
I think this is an obligated reference for undergraduate beginners in General Relativity. Almost all the mathematical requirements are included, but it would be the best book if it also treated the Hilbert action and the variational deduction of Einstein's field equation. I suggest buying the other Schut's title "Geometrical Methods for Mathematical Physics" which supplies more mathematical background.

An Accessible Introduction To GR, 26 Oct 2000
This book approaches the idea of curvature in a gentle way. The introductory chapters are quite accessible to a student with limited mathematical backround. I found the combination of this book, Schutz's 'Geometrical Methods of Mathematical Physics' and Foster and Nightingale's 'First Course in GR' as suitable preparation for more weighty tomes such as Misner Thorne and Wheeler's 'Gravitation'.

very good middle ground book, 16 Aug 2006
I have the first and second editions of this book and will definitely buy the third, sure that the standard will be maintained. So the review below refers to the first two.

What it says in the preface is true: this book strikes the middle ground between "no equation" particle physics overviews (like Gordon Kane's "Particle Garden" - excellent) and the full monty (e.g. Peskin or even Weinberg's trilogy). You get a very good glimpse of backstage while still not going too much in the details. Frankly particle physics is quite fascinating for outsiders (I am an engineer), and this book fills a niche for those who want to go a bit deeper but not too deep.
Excellent.


A good introduction to nuclear physics, 28 Feb 2002
If like me you are starting a nuclear physics module as part of your A level studies this is a very useful guide to get. The book generally follows the syllabus for OCR A specification and has some useful 'SAQ' questions or self-assessment questions which are pretty close to what you might get in an exam. Diagrams and summary boxes help to make the info clearer, although the author tends to waffle a bit at times. Overall, this is a good textbook, and you should be able to follow the course relatively well.

Well written, vivid and accurate account of a great scientis, 04 Jun 1999
I found this a very readable and important summary of Meitner's career.It is a very human story and helps explain the great injustices which deprived her of a well deserved Nobel Prize. It's manages full scientific details without becoming obscure.

A great book for all..., 24 May 2004
The authors of this book have been true to their word, and have written a book of quality that serves as an extremely good introduction to this relatively new area of physics.

In earlier chapters you will be taken through all the steps leading up to the realisation of a Bose-Einstein Condensate without the use of heavy and confusing mathematics, and whereby the only prerequisite needed is a general background knowledge of physical principles.

In later chapters the material can become very complicated for the beginner, such as myself, and you may find yourself a bit confused. But these chapters are more specialised however and are not essential for the beginner to understand.

All in all, I found this book extremely useful and considering that it is about a field that is so very new, and only a small selection of books are currently available, you cannot really go wrong with this one.

An excellent book, 26 May 2008
This is an updated (Dec 2006), and slightly more advanced, version of the bestseller The Cosmic Onion. Suitable for school leavers/first year university students, as well as the general reader, it provides a mostly non-mathematical introduction to the current state of particle physics, with particular reference to quarks. In particular, it describes the principles behind the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the varieties of quarks, QCD, the electroweak force, neutrinos, CP violation, Higgs boson, and the big bang (219 pages). Numerous diagrams aid understanding, and the book is very easy to read. Recommended for all those interested in particle physics and cosmology.

A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

Very good, 23 Nov 2008
This was one of the few books I enjoyed reading for my physics undergraduate course, back in the late 90s. It's well written, clear and goes in to plenty of detail, without being written in a needlessly academic style. Recommended.

Krane - Komprehensive and Klear!, 13 Feb 2002
Krane's book covers everything you need to know (and more) for an undergraduate nuclear physics course. The layout is clear and the subject material is explained well. There are also plenty of good diagrams using real experimental data, although these can sometimes be hard to understand. There is also a fair bit on experimental setups which may or may not be useful - depends on your course. Krane not only covers nuclear physics but also has good chapters on particle physics - mesons, Feynman diagrams, quarks...you name it, it's in Krane!

You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear, 21 Jun 2001
The basic guideline of this book is clarity. It is deserves most attention to introduce basic ideas of nuclear physics: nuclei's properties and forces are treated well, facing the main properties, then introducing the basic models and decays' rules. Later, it explains the principles of reactors, and at last a readable introduction to particle physics. All topics are treated from an experimental point of view, with abundant data, and of course, figures. Don't look for complicated maths or advanced topics. You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear physics. I liked it much than Segre's one; they are thinked for the same audience, but I think the basic facts are here clearer for a student. No previous quantum mechanics knowledge is needed, too (if needed, are in the first and second chapters). Of course, it is thought for undergraduate physics or engineers.

Fantastically graspable explanation, 24 Feb 2003
This book is great. With reasonable knowledge of linear algebra and vector analysis I was able to quickly grasp the concepts of some of the mathematics behind Special and General Relativity. The author seems to do a near perfect job at explaining the theory in a way that seems to flow beautifully from one concept to the other without leaving you with too many unanswered questions. The mathematics behind Einstein's theories can be very subtle at times. I am studying the mathematics of Special and General relativity for a hobby (it's like doing a big puzzle. A bit of a crude analogy, but alright) , and am by no means a physicist as such. If you have the right background (Mine being Computer Science, Computer Graphics), and you are willing to spend a lot of thought on the matter, you will be able to follow this text, and be a considerably more knowledgeable person at the end.

The greatest approach of General Relativity for dummies, 01 Mar 2001
I think this is an obligated reference for undergraduate beginners in General Relativity. Almost all the mathematical requirements are included, but it would be the best book if it also treated the Hilbert action and the variational deduction of Einstein's field equation. I suggest buying the other Schut's title "Geometrical Methods for Mathematical Physics" which supplies more mathematical background.

An Accessible Introduction To GR, 26 Oct 2000
This book approaches the idea of curvature in a gentle way. The introductory chapters are quite accessible to a student with limited mathematical backround. I found the combination of this book, Schutz's 'Geometrical Methods of Mathematical Physics' and Foster and Nightingale's 'First Course in GR' as suitable preparation for more weighty tomes such as Misner Thorne and Wheeler's 'Gravitation'.

very good middle ground book, 16 Aug 2006
I have the first and second editions of this book and will definitely buy the third, sure that the standard will be maintained. So the review below refers to the first two.

What it says in the preface is true: this book strikes the middle ground between "no equation" particle physics overviews (like Gordon Kane's "Particle Garden" - excellent) and the full monty (e.g. Peskin or even Weinberg's trilogy). You get a very good glimpse of backstage while still not going too much in the details. Frankly particle physics is quite fascinating for outsiders (I am an engineer), and this book fills a niche for those who want to go a bit deeper but not too deep.
Excellent.


A good introduction to nuclear physics, 28 Feb 2002
If like me you are starting a nuclear physics module as part of your A level studies this is a very useful guide to get. The book generally follows the syllabus for OCR A specification and has some useful 'SAQ' questions or self-assessment questions which are pretty close to what you might get in an exam. Diagrams and summary boxes help to make the info clearer, although the author tends to waffle a bit at times. Overall, this is a good textbook, and you should be able to follow the course relatively well.

Well written, vivid and accurate account of a great scientis, 04 Jun 1999
I found this a very readable and important summary of Meitner's career.It is a very human story and helps explain the great injustices which deprived her of a well deserved Nobel Prize. It's manages full scientific details without becoming obscure.

A great book for all..., 24 May 2004
The authors of this book have been true to their word, and have written a book of quality that serves as an extremely good introduction to this relatively new area of physics.

In earlier chapters you will be taken through all the steps leading up to the realisation of a Bose-Einstein Condensate without the use of heavy and confusing mathematics, and whereby the only prerequisite needed is a general background knowledge of physical principles.

In later chapters the material can become very complicated for the beginner, such as myself, and you may find yourself a bit confused. But these chapters are more specialised however and are not essential for the beginner to understand.

All in all, I found this book extremely useful and considering that it is about a field that is so very new, and only a small selection of books are currently available, you cannot really go wrong with this one.

An excellent book, 26 May 2008
This is an updated (Dec 2006), and slightly more advanced, version of the bestseller The Cosmic Onion. Suitable for school leavers/first year university students, as well as the general reader, it provides a mostly non-mathematical introduction to the current state of particle physics, with particular reference to quarks. In particular, it describes the principles behind the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the varieties of quarks, QCD, the electroweak force, neutrinos, CP violation, Higgs boson, and the big bang (219 pages). Numerous diagrams aid understanding, and the book is very easy to read. Recommended for all those interested in particle physics and cosmology.

Excellent, left me wanting more, 01 Sep 2007
"Wormwood Forest" may well change the way you think about man's destructive impact on the world.
As a book, it reads like the sequel to a book that gives detailed account of the accident itself Such as "Ablaze- the Story of Chernobyl" by Piers Paul Reid.
My only minor frustration was the small number of B/W illustrations. Some higher quality maps and colour photos would have really helped illuminate the vivid descriptive passages in the text. The author does have a good website with suitable pictures which you can easily print out and use as a book-mark though.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this volume; it's thoughtful, insightful and inspiring. Many readers will value the myth-dispelling chapters (there is a lot of nonsense out there about Chernobyl); conclusions from her discoveries leave us feeling optimistic about the natural world's future. For all these reasons, it deserves a very high recommendation indeed.

A tidy book, 01 Jul 2008
This is a book on particle physics that a mathematician can read, and that's a lot to say! If you are fascinated by particle physics, but you find physicists' ideas too messy to get through, this is the book for you (the rhyme wasn't intended...). This book demonstrates that physics and clear thought are not incompatible.


Saved my degree, 02 Jun 2005
It was five days before the exam, I hadn't attended any lectures and all I had was a battered pile of lecture notes (photocopied off some guy), which made as much sense as the recommened book (which in this case was approximately exp(-9999)).

But then I stumbled upon simple looking book, a bit rough and dog eared, its title was also the same as the course so I reached up and took it.

So off I went with a small stack of books hoping somehow I could salvage my degree, within hours I realised I had stumbled upon a small gem, simple and modest, yet it emitted an unexplainable feeling of contentness and well being.

The next week I stepped into the exam with a small flame of hope deep inside.

What happened next????? Well I left Uni with a 78% in elementary particles.

Buy it.

By the way I'm sorry for the physics joke, I know we have a hard enough time already without people like me.

Readable, good explanations: buy this over Halzen & Martin!, 06 Feb 2003
After struggling for a year or two with Halzen and Martin's `Quarks and Leptons' I wish I'd found this book sooner! It covers much the same material as Halzen and Martin, but unlike that book it doesn't skip over non-trival lines of algebra and it does take the time to explain in a clear manner the principles behind what is going on. I'd always found the language and explanation in H+M hard to follow, especially because of the overly formal style and frequent use phrases left undefined. Griffiths has none of these faults. The style is friendly and engaging whilst covering all the physics and calculations thoroughly. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a really good fundamental understanding of the basics of particle physics (probably at final year undergraduate or new postgraduate level). Alternatively if you already own H+M as I do, this will explain what it's talking about!

Excelent book for student and for teacher., 24 Apr 2001
Excellent book for student and for teacher. This is book with most clearest and pedagogical approach in this subject.Students will benefit definitely but it is real treasure for teachers. They can learn a lot from this book, how this subject should be taught. Definitely must buy.

Very good, 23 Nov 2008
This was one of the few books I enjoyed reading for my physics undergraduate course, back in the late 90s. It's well written, clear and goes in to plenty of detail, without being written in a needlessly academic style. Recommended.

Krane - Komprehensive and Klear!, 13 Feb 2002
Krane's book covers everything you need to know (and more) for an undergraduate nuclear physics course. The layout is clear and the subject material is explained well. There are also plenty of good diagrams using real experimental data, although these can sometimes be hard to understand. There is also a fair bit on experimental setups which may or may not be useful - depends on your course. Krane not only covers nuclear physics but also has good chapters on particle physics - mesons, Feynman diagrams, quarks...you name it, it's in Krane!

You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear, 21 Jun 2001
The basic guideline of this book is clarity. It is deserves most attention to introduce basic ideas of nuclear physics: nuclei's properties and forces are treated well, facing the main properties, then introducing the basic models and decays' rules. Later, it explains the principles of reactors, and at last a readable introduction to particle physics. All topics are treated from an experimental point of view, with abundant data, and of course, figures. Don't look for complicated maths or advanced topics. You can expect from this book a good introduction to nuclear physics. I liked it much than Segre's one; they are thinked for the same audience, but I think the basic facts are here clearer for a student. No previous quantum mechanics knowledge is needed, too (if needed, are in the first and second chapters). Of course, it is thought for undergraduate physics or engineers.

Fantastically graspable explanation, 24 Feb 2003
This book is great. With reasonable knowledge of linear al