This highly-recommended book, which covers non-relativistic and relativistic quantum theory, is unique in its pedagogical approach and suitable for first-year graduate students. The clearly-written text includes helpful illustrations and Feynman diagrams. The author develops the physical basis of the principles and demonstrates every mathematical step. The unique range of modern topics is outstanding: Bell’s inequalities, Aharonov-Bohm effects, the Higgs mechanism, and the electroweak standard model are all discussed. The author describes the anomalous experimental evidence that led to new theoretical formulations, the limitations of all physical and mathematical approximations and the limitations of our understanding of quantum mechanics. An extensive mathematical review makes the book self-contained, and the problems are true tests of the reader’s physical understanding and mathematical acumen. A lengthy discussion of all aspects of the quantum measurement problem is most welcome, as are the appendices which include photon spin. The index is extensive.
Review by Barry R. Masters, Fellow of AAAS, OSA and SPIE.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.