Customer Reviews

Active Galactic Nuclei

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book provides an amazing amount of depth on the exciting topic of AGNs. Although a bit heavy on theory at times (which is to be expected from Krolik), the book covers every topic imaginable, from black hole physics to accretion disk structure. If you work in the field of AGNs, or you want to learn more about the subject, this book is a MUST READ. However, I would only recommend it for advanced undergrads or above.

I think the other reviewers must have confused this textbook with another one. This book sucks. They must have been enrolled in Krolik's class on AGN and were brown-nosing to get better grades. This textbook is overdense and you will find yourself reading pages and pages, but learning little about the physics of active galactic nuclei. At times, the work reads more like a philosophical treatise on observing methodology than a textbook to explain the observations and science behind active galactic nuclei. The material is outdated and some of the conclusions found within have since been disproven. The textbook does not discuss the current observations and controversies involved in the study of active galactic nuclei. Typically, when authors use graphics (pictures, plots, etc) they serve to illuminate the material and make it more understandable. Not so with this textbook, it is better to skip the graphics altogether because they do not help in the least. The mathematical proofs are not well-developed here and do not aid in the understanding of the physics.

I highly recommend Bradley Peterson's "An Introduction to Active Galactic Nuclei" over this textbook. Peterson's book might be thinner (because he sticks to the material and does not digress), but it is much better. It is more up to date and clearly explains observations of AGN and then develops the science behind their operation. The mathematics in this textbook are started at a more fundamental level, but are better developed to allow for a clearer understanding of the physics.

If you read Krolik's tome, you will walk away with a a great dislike of AGN. I was required to buy this book for the course Krolik was teaching at Hopkins. My greatest regret was that I was unable to sell this textbook back to the bookstore.

Prof. Julian Krolik has done it again! His new book "Active Galactic Nuclei: From the Central Black Hole to the Glactic Environment" is a great reference source for astrophyisics, especially in Active Galactic Nuclei. While the reading can be a bit dense and convoluded, the topic is so involving that I couldn't put the book down. If you, like me, love Active Galactic Nuclei, then this is a MUST BUY book. Also, if you are taking one of Prof. Krolik's graduate classes at Hopkins, then I strongly suggest that you read up on his favorite topic. Anyone who buy's the book will NOT be dissapointed with it!!!