Rating: 
Summary: An Ok book
Review: I used this book in a Senior-level Solid State course, and believe it is OK, but not as great as Thermal Physics by Kittel. Though the homework problems at the end of the chapter are the same level of difficulty, i.e., easy. His proofs are a bit lacking on clarity and there really arent many of them, so you might want Ashcroft & Mermin instead if you like to see them. However, the course I took wasnt big on the math, and was more conceptual, and here Kittel does things simply enough for you to learn the material and make a good grade. But if this is your research area, you probably wont like this book.
Rating: 
Summary: This is THE classic text in Solid State!
Review: I've taken solid state as an undergrad physics student, a grad at CSUF, a grad at University of Denver, and again as a grad at University of Washington. I have figured out why I just don't seem to grasp Solid State; I've always used this book! ;-) (Different editions) My prof agrees, there are better books out there. IMHO, the presentation is choppy and not coherant. Concepts are just thrown out and the student is left wondering, "What was THAT all about?!" It makes a GREAT reference if you already know solid state. I think thatis why it is used so often.
Rating:
Summary: A useless book.
Review: If you are new to the subject of Solid State Physics, this is just the worst book you can imagine. Wanna learn SSP? Use Ashcroft & Mermin. Don't wanna learn SSP? Use Kittel.
Rating: 
Summary: Great introduction to solid-state physics!
Review: In my opinion this text(i have the seventh edition) is a very good introduction to solid state physics.The strong point is the attempt to build a "coeherent" theory of the solid state from the very basics.All the major areas of solid state physics are introduced.There is a good use of experimental tables which is very welcome and a careful and student-friendly approach to developing and motivating the needed analytical instruments.No other book(Ashcroft Mermin and many others) in my opinion comes even close to this at the undergraduate level.5 stars!
Rating:
Summary: comprehensive but not well explained
Review: It covers more stuff than the other books I read. But there are too many conclusions without clear explanations. It's not a good book for the newcomers in this field. It's tough to read. It may help you get something new if you've already studied SS. I think Ashcroft&Mermin and Ibach&Luth's books are much much better.
Rating:
Summary: Not good...
Review: Kittel has a habit of writing paragraphs in terse disjointed sentences that may have nothing to do with each other. This makes it very hard to locate specific information, since it may be buried in the middle of a paragraph that otherwise has nothing to do with that point. The math, at least in the 3rd edition, could stand some trimming and revising for readability. Aside from this, the book is cramped. Explanations are usually too short and always gloss over details. Attention to subtleties is totally absent. I found at least one spot where this actually leads to an error. All in all this certainly isn't the worst textbook I've read - I do on occasion have some success learning from it, though it almost always takes more time and stress than it should. But it's pretty poor. (I think the multiple editions amount mostly to just updated data tables.)
BTW, everybody else seems to be touting Ashcroft & Mermin... haven't read it but wouldn't mind...
Rating:
Summary: A pleasure to read if you're really interested
Review: Kittel's Introduction to Solid State Physics is not a standard text by accident. It presents a wide range of topics in solid state physics at the level of sophistication typical of college seniors or new graduate students in physics. Whenever I am faced with any problem in condensed matter physics, I can confidently turn to Kittel, knowing that there is almost certainly an elementary explanation of the phenomenon in the book and references to further sources for more detailed or advanced treatments. The ordering of topics in the book does not appear to display much continuity. However, the chapters are presented in a rough order of increasing difficulty, which is also the order in which those topics are introduced in a typical solid state physics class. The first twelve chapters, in particular, provide a good outline of a one-semester course in the basics of the subject. The ordering of the later chapters in not as logical, but the selection of topics used by instructors beyond the basics is very diverse. Introduction to Solid State Physics covers most of the interesting further topics that could reasonably be covered by a student familiar with the first half of the text. In covering these further topics, the latest edition of the book offers a great deal of information about current topics in physics. The treatment of magnetic resonance, while hardly exhaustive, treats the major methods of the field in enough detail that an interested student could easilty learn more. Many of the topics, such as interface physics, are relatively new, but Kittel's treatment is excellent, stressing new experimental results whenever possible. Kittel provides a great deal of experimental data as examples and to help the reader form a physical intuition about the effects being discussed. Moreover, the level of the physics and math required are not terrible advanced. For example, rather than delving into the details of BCS theory in the lengthy chapter on superconductivity, Kittel instead spends time on the experimentally observed facts of the phenomenon, treating Type I and Type II superconductors, the details of the Meissner effect, and other empirical topics. The greatest weakness of the book is its somewhat awkward prose. However, an interested student should have little trouble with Kittel's style if he starts with the relatively easy early chapters, to get used to the style of writing.
Rating:
Summary: Worst book in my physics education to date
Review: Let me begin this review by saying that I am a straight A student and am not in the habit of blaming a book for being difficult (my QM teacher used Cohen-tannoudji for the second half of a sophomore modern physics course. Having said that I must say that this is the worst book, I have ever had the misfortune to use. The author's ability to describe a topic in any useful intuitive manner is non-existent. Kittel begins topics by frequently referring to concepts and structures, which he fails to define for several pages. I think an author of a textbook should have the basic skills to define and motivate a concept/definition before using it. His description of the processes by which problems are solved is so backwards that simple problems such as 1.2 become confusing.
He frequently places great importance on something and then goes on to give an awful, convoluted, and short definition of it then quickly moves on leaving one to wonder what was so important about it. TWO THUMBS DOWN. He needs a good glossary a revisit to English Composition Class and something to calm his ADD style of presentation. The only good point is that if you reread each chapter a few times and have a good teacher and patience you can pick something of this interesting topic up.
Rating:
Summary: 7th Edition a Disappointment
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: 7th Edition a Disappointment
Review: 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.
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