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Title: The Quantum Theory of Fields: Volume 1, Foundations by Steven Weinberg ISBN: 0-521-55001-7 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 30 June, 1995 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $68.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.67 (15 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: An excellent treatment of quantum theory of fields
Comment: Weinberg shows not only his mastery of the subject but also his skills as a teacher. The book is easy to understand provided one has mastered relativity and quantum mechanics. It would be an excellent complement for anyone who has read Bjorken/Drell or Peskin/Schroeder. In my opinion, a true understanding of quantum field theory can only be gained if one reads Bjorken/Drell, then Peskin/Schroeder and then finally Weinberg. In his book Weinberg is sort of recombining the best of Bjorken/Drell and Peskin/Schroeder and brings understanding to a new level. It is in a sense like with having read quantum mechanics by say Messiah and then reading Landau. Reading Landau first is not a good idea, but doing it after Messiah is. The same thing applies for Weinberg but for a different reason. His insight is more sparking that way.
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent for those knowing QFT. Difficult for new learners
Comment: A superb reference book, and one that those with some grounding in quantum field theory can learn many good things from. However, I believe students trying to learn what many consider a difficult subject will have a tough go of it. Being so brilliant, Weinberg may have trouble (not so rare in physics)teaching at the level of the students, rather than from the level of the accomplished. Nevertheless, this is a book everyone in the field should have on his/her bookshelf.
Rating: 4
Summary: Brilliant but hard, a book for advanced students only
Comment: Let me start by stating the essentials:
1. If you are a grad student in theoretical physics or you already have your Ph.D, buy this book! If you are an amateur trying to figure out how the universe works this book will simply break your heart because you will understant none of it.
2. The book is beautifully printed by Cambridge University Press. You don't see this sort of quality often these days, when the European-style el cheapo paper back has become the norm.
3. It is an expensive book, but Amazon has some bargain re-sellers. I bought my copy at a substantial discount. It was supposedly second-hand but had obviously never even been breathed on. And it got here in two days.
4. This is a book mainly about formalism and mathematics. If you get about half-way through you will eventually reach some discussion of experimental results but this is not the emphasis here.
5. Finally, on a personal note. I am a retired theoretical physicist and about forty years ago I even wrote a paper on quantum electrodynamics. So I thought that maybe I could attempt to read this book. I know the words, Hermitian operators, Lorentz transformations, stuff like that. Yet I'm having a very hard time getting through it. After about a month of trying I'm about to give up. I can read chapters 1 and most of 2, but after that it becomes too hard for me. One problem is that it is not often explained what the point of all that complicated mathematics really is. It certainly does not give me a better understanding of the physical world although I suppose it would do that if I persevered long enough. That's why I gave it only 4 stars.
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Title: The Quantum Theory of Fields: Modern Applications (Volume II) by Steven Weinberg ISBN: 0521550025 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 13 August, 1996 List Price(USD): $65.00 |
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Title: The Quantum Theory of Fields Vol III by Steven Weinberg ISBN: 0521660009 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 13 February, 2000 List Price(USD): $60.00 |
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Title: Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell by A. Zee ISBN: 0691010196 Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr Pub. Date: 10 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $49.50 |
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Title: An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory by Michael E. Peskin, Daniel V. Schroeder ISBN: 0201503972 Publisher: Westview Press Pub. Date: June, 1995 List Price(USD): $77.00 |
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Title: String Theory, Vol. 2 : Superstring Theory and Beyond (Cambridge by Joseph Polchinski, P. V. Landshoff, D. R. Nelson, D. W. Sciama, S. Weinberg ISBN: 0521633044 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 13 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $65.00 |
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