Customer Reviews

Statistical Mechanics (Harper's Chemistry Series)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

McQuarrie's book is typically the standard text in many undergraduate and graduate programs, but I believe there are many other resources to learn statistical mechanics in a much clearer way.

I find the following things to be particularly annoying about the book:
1) The typesetting! The pages are very difficult to read, especially equations. It's a very old typeface and my eyes literally hurt after reading McQuarrie for too long.
2) Very few problems are worked out. Many important concepts that should involve more detailed discussion are simply left as exercises to the student. I believe that more peripheral results and extensions of fundamental material are better left as problems, as opposed to fundamental results.
3) The glaring absense of good discussion on spin systems (such as Ising magnets) and critical phenomena. These are VERY important topics in modern statistical mechanics.

I would recommend the following if you want to find good books on statistical mechanics:
1) If you want one comprehensive volume, use Linda Reichl's book.
2) If you are only interested in statistical thermodynamics, use David Chandler's book.
3) If you want both statistical thermodynamics and nonequatilibrium statistical mechanics, use Chandler and Robert Zwanzig's book.
Also, Kubo's statistical thermodynamics book is really good.

I really would not recommend McQuarrie. Save your eyes and get a more modern book with at least a better typesetting.

I have found this book to be an excellent resource during my PhD and postdoctoral studies in molecular simulations. It is concise, rigorous and spans the classic problems in statistical mechanics more thoroughly than any other text. The development of the central axioms and theorems and connection with macroscopic thermodynamics is quite enlightening.

I have studied the sections on: foundations, perfect gases, imperfect gases, crystals and liquids. The book also covers kinetic theory, reactions and more.

The book is necessarily concise and therefore is a bit difficult as a first course. However a diligent graduade student could conceivably "slog" through it and would later come to appreciate the rewards. For a cheaper alternative, turn to the other classic of this field by T. L. Hill.

I am a engineering/physics student, and I used this book for a first year graduate course in statistical mechanics. The book contains a lot of information, and the chapters are extremely concise. In this, lies both the strengths and weaknesses of the book. I think that the short, too the point writing style makes this book an excellent reference. However, the relatively small amount of exposition made it hard to learn material for the first time from the book. Overall, I would not suggest this book as a first introduction to the subject. But i think that it could be a usefull reference for someone with some background in the subject.

I was forced to use this singularly unhelpful book in graduate school. It was written in a terse, indigestible style; contained very few worked problems; left many important derivations or steps of derivations to the reader; had impossibly hard end-of-chapter problems - without solutions; and contained many typographical errors. Perhaps, as other reviewers have suggested, it would have been more helpful as a research reference, or as a textbook for students with a very strong background in undergraduate statistical thermodynamics. Do not attempt to use this book to learn statistical mechanics for the first time!

This review refers to the first edition.

This is the book to go for those working on molecular simulations and looking for the math background and derivations leading equations of interest. Due the fast moving on several subjects the reader should have at hand other texts like Tolman and Hill to review in depth some parts.

This is a good book, but it's not a graduate text for the first half. If you're just reading it and not taking the class, buy Hill instead (it's $10). McQuarrie learned how to teach SM from Hill and it shows. The second half is a whole different story. It's research level material, but is perhaps out of date. Lastly, Karl Freed and Stuart Rice teach from this book, which should be worth far more than my review.

McQuarrie, is a good resource for statistical mechanics, more so for those with a solid mathematical background so that you can fill in the gaps in the derivations and proofs. It is relativily easy to understand and covers the majority to topics well.

Good book, covers a lot of material. However, there seem to be some mistakes pointed out by my professor. Things like - McQ doesn't seem to know the difference between quantum probability (Born interpretation) and statistical probability when it comes to quantum stat mech. Don't take my word for it though. It covers what you need to know.

I purchased this book after I bought quantum chemistry by the same author.
I liked the quantum chemistry book better than this book because It lacks the mathematical details found in the book about quantum chemistry. So it is more difficult to follow what is written. I recommend to the author for future versions to be mathematically elaborate and add mathematical details for each and each derivation in the book.

Tarek H. Musslimani

The shipping was timely and the book was in great condition. I'd definitely use them again.