Introduction to Solid State Physics [Hardcover]

Charles Kittel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 047141526X | ISBN-13: 978-0471415268 | Publication Date: November 11, 2004 | Edition: 8

Since the publication of the first edition over 50 years ago, Introduction to Solid State Physics has been the standard solid state physics text for physics students. The author's goal from the beginning has been to write a book that is accessible to undergraduates and consistently teachable. The emphasis in the book has always been on physics rather than formal mathematics. With each new edition, the author has attempted to add important new developments in the field without sacrificing the book's accessibility and teachability.

* A very important chapter on nanophysics has been written by an active worker in the field. This field is the liveliest addition to solid state science during the past ten years
* The text uses the simplifications made possible by the wide availability of computer technology. Searches using keywords on a search engine (such as Google) easily generate many fresh and useful references

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles Kittel did his undergraduate work in physics at M.I.T and at the Cavendish Laboratory of Cambridge University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He worked in the solid state group at Bell Laboratories, along with Bardeen and Shockley, leaving to start the theoretical solid state physics group at Berkeley in 1951. His research has been largely in magnetism and in semiconductors. In magnetism he developed the theories of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic resonance and the theory of single ferromagnetic domains, and extended the Bloch theory of magnons. In semiconductor physics he participated in the first cyclotron and plasma resonance experiments and extended the results to the theory of impurity states and to electron-hole drops.

He has been awarded three Guggenheim fellowships, the Oliver Buckley Prize for Solid State Physics, and, for contributions to teaching, the Oersted Medal of the American Association of Physics Teachers, He is a member of the National Academy of Science and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 704 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 8 edition (November 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047141526X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471415268
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Solid-State Physics
  • #18 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Electromagnetism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars 7th Edition a Disappointment, April 23, 2003

By 

Robert J. Naumann (Huntsville, AL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction to Solid State Physics (Hardcover)

My introductuctory course in solid state physics was taught from Kittel's 2nd edition and I recently taught a first year grad course from his 7th edition. Sadly, the quality of the text has deteriorated with time. The 7th edition is poorly organized, much of the new material is too sketchy to be useful and some of it is flat wrong. References were made to works of various individuals but the actual publications were not cited so it was difficult to locate the original papers.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a really good beginning level solid state text available. Aschcroft & Mermin is a little too advanced and has not been revised since the 70's, although I did find myself referring to it frequently to clarify some of the muddle in Kittel's book. Christman is out of print. Ibach and Luth is a little too thin and leaves out many important details. Burns may be a good choice if I teach this course again, altough it is somewhat dated. I certainly won't use Kittel's 7th edition again - my students detested it and I might say, for good reason.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly written, lack of examples, September 20, 2006

By 

M. Weimer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Introduction to Solid State Physics (Hardcover)

Well, the negative reviews were correct. My solid state course has, unfortunately, decided to go with the Kittel 'standard' text, 8th edition. This book is difficult to learn from - largely because there is a severe shortage of quality examples and the material is not well explained throughout.

If you also are forced to use this text for a course, I would HIGHLY recommend purchasing supplement texts:

1. Solid State Theory, Walter A. Harrison (1979) - one of the best
2. Elementary Solid State Physics, M. Ali Omar (1999) - also good
3. Solid State Physics, Ashcroft/Mermin (1976/2003) - good

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An ineffective book by a very brilliant mind...how sad., August 13, 2005

By 

Dr.Entropy4Life "Dr.Entropy4Life" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction to Solid State Physics (Hardcover)

I cannot comprehend why someone as bright as Kittel, who made very substantial contributions to solid state theory, was not capable of writing an effective introductory (and hence elementary) text on SSP.

The book is ineffective in conveying the "message" and yet has been so popular as a textbook despite it pedagogical problems.Itis as if there was a shortage of textbooks of acceptable quality out there, and professors teaching SSP had to settle for Kittel's book!

In order to save some youngsters from the painful experience of reading Kittel's book, I recommend the books authored by Omar, Ashcroft & Mermin, Ibach & Lueth, and Dekker. I would consider Ibach & Lueth as an introductory text, while Ashcroft & Mermin is more graduate level (and dated). Omar's book is elementary, yet well structured, and the exposition is crystal clear. And if your interests are in semiconductor physics, try Sze's books as well as Cardona's.

SSP is a beautiful subject to study, provided that it is properly taught and the student is furnished with well-written books. I hope that someone will come up with a new text and provide a modern treatment of the subject sometimes soon.

November 2006 Update: A colleague of mine indicated that the first edition of Kittel's book, which dates back to 1966, was a "coherent" text, discussing topics in a systematic manner. He indicated that the updates in the ensuing years made it rather disorganized. As such, my review appertains to recent versions of the book.

Entropy4Life