A Shining Example for us all**See Introduction to Part II, p. [114].

Franco Strocchi

Peter Millington

Lukas Burgholzer, Robert Wille

Tai Kai Ng

PART I 1. Introduction 2. Lagrangian Formulation of Classical Mechanics and Field Theory 3. Quantization of Classical Field Theory I 4. Quantization of Classical Field Theory II 5. Berry Phase and Gauge Theory 6. Introduction to Perturbation Theory PART II 7. Concept of Effective Field Theory, Phases, and Phase Transition 8. Non-Linear Effects and Topology in Quantum Field Theory 9. Simple Bose Liquids - Introduction to Superfluidity 10. Simple Fermi Liquids - Introduction to Fermi Liquid Theory 11. Introduction to BCS Theory (S-Wave Superconductors) 12. Introduction to Quantum Magnetism

David L Hurd

David Park McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd. 1964. Pp. xv + 547. Price 83s. 6d. There are surely few branches of physics which have been so amply, and repetitively, documented as the basic principles of quantum mechanics. Suppressing an almost overwhelming impression of déjà vu, one opens this new entry to the field to find that the text is so organized as to present the discussion of the theory in Part I, and to segregate the applications to Part II, an arrangement for which there is much to be said and which, when as thoughtfully carried out as in the example under review, allows the student, and the lecturer, the opportunity to mix his own blend of theory and application.

N. N. Bogolubov Jr.

Despite the apparent simplicity of the formulation, the polaron problem has not yet been solved, and continues to attract much attention. It plays an important role in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory because it can be considered as the simplest example of a nonrelativistic quantum particle interacting with a quantum field. Therefore many sophisticated mathematical techniques have been tested for the first time using this problem as a model. A shining example of this is Feynman's functional integration method, which was applied first to the polaron problem, before becoming one of the main methods used in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory. Moreover, polaron theory is an expanding field of investigation in solid state physics because polarons are not only theoretical constructs but practically observable physical objects (see e.g. [6]).