Introduction to Liquid State Physics

Rating:
Summary: It's still difficult to write about liquids.
Review: The subject has come on, and this I do not deny, but the unique position of liquids in the graduate curriculum still remains the same. It is a wide subject covering atomic liquids, dense plasmas and all sorts of novel nano- and meso-scale soft matter. Does this book address anything new for the graduate? Well, not really. The odd thing is that the classic Hansen and McDonald is still by far the best read and introduction - neither pampering nor being condescending to the reader, and only seeks to inform, without the worry of the pet interests of the authors. You can introduce solid-state physics in a single volume and come away feeling as though you have a comprehensive understanding, but this is not quite the case with liquids. Understand a balanced theoretical and experimental treatment as provided by Hansen and McDonald then look at the specific. Oddly enough, research in this area is quite fluid as of its own right, and subject to change, but certain core principles remain the same ... as do texts.