Customer Reviews

Diffusion and Reactions in Fractals and Disordered Systems

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

 

 

I am a graduate student in statistical physics with a primary interest in diffusion-limited reactions. I have found the above book to be invaluable, so much so that I'm disappointed that I didn't know about it earlier, as I'm sure it would have accelerated my understanding. It is, in my opinion, the best introduction to the field of diffusion-limited reactions that I'm aware of and certainly makes the research literature in this area much more accessible. I have also found the other sections of the book to be particularly illuminating and essential background reading, with Part I covering many of the principles of statistical physics. Each chapter contains a list of exercises to enhance understanding of the material and a list of "Open Challenges" which provoke new avenues of research. I personally think that the book references the research literature extremely well (indeed the authors have themselves made substantial contributions to the field) which makes it easy to pursue further details on areas of interest. I regard the book as essential for anyone wishing to develop an understanding of anomalous diffusion in disordered media and to be particularly accessible to graduate students and young researchers. It has certainly made it easier for me to make the transition from student to researcher in this area of statistical physics.

This review is about the material quality of the printing in the copy I received. This is not about the content.

I have access to a real copy of this edition in the local library. It is the usual quality book: beautifully bound; the paper inside is high-quality, very soft and slightly off-white; and the printing of the text is very sharp. The version I received from Amazon claimed to be exactly the same, but was very different:
- The paper inside is whiter, horribly white, like standard printing A4 paper;
- The text printing looks like a cheap photocopy of the original. It don't even match a home laser printer. Some formulas are difficult to read. Moreover, some pages are not even centered.

It looks and feels like a cheap knock-off photocopy done in a garage. Authors should avoid their work being degraded with this cheap printing.