Introduction to High Energy Physics

Rating:
Summary: I hope that it isn't just me
Review: I just took an intro to particle physics class as a fifth year undergraduate who has had all of the usual courses that one is supposed to have to be able to at least gain a glimpse into the world of particles. This book by Perkins is one of the worst textbooks that I have ever had to use. The examples were limited if any, and the problems seemed not to correlate with the content of the chapters at all. The problems that I did work on I had to reference other texts just to get an idea of what he was talking about. I have to say that Griffiths' (whose EM book was great and his quantum book not all that bad) was much more mathematical and clear, as well as Halzen and Martin. I agree with the other comment. Get another book before ever buying this book. Plus my Professor was not too thrilled with it as well. I ended up buying the Griffiths text in the end, which helped a lot.

Rating:
Summary: A absolutely horrible introduction to High Energy Physics
Review: I used Perkin's book for a one sememester 500 level graduate course. I honestly believe that of the 20+ books that I have used in undergrad and grad school, that this is the absolute worst text I have encountered. The equations in the text are mearly thrown in without the slightest justification or hint of the possible method of derivation. If you would truly understand the significance of the equations, then you would need a background knowledge that I can hardly believe anybody looking for an introduction to high energy physics could have. However, this is far from its biggest pitfall. The book is choppy to read. There are almost no quantitative examples and yet the questions are mostly quantitative. I am sure that I could think of more specifics dislikes, but I think that the reader has seen my opion. To anybody considering buying this text I suggest instead purchasing griffiths "introduction to elementary particles." My class was so displeased with perkins text that our professor has promised to switch to griffiths next year. To reiterate.... Perkins book is the epitome of bad writing. I give my apologies to the author, but I don't want others to waste their time and money on this text. Buy Griffiths Book, it is good!

Rating:
Summary: A absolutely horrible introduction to High Energy Physics
Review: I used Perkin's book for a one sememester 500 level graduate course. I honestly believe that of the 20+ books that I have used in undergrad and grad school, that this is the absolute worst text I have encountered. The equations in the text are mearly thrown in without the slightest justification or hint of the possible method of derivation. If you would truly understand the significance of the equations, then you would need a background knowledge that I can hardly believe anybody looking for an introduction to high energy physics could have. However, this is far from its biggest pitfall. The book is choppy to read. There are almost no quantitative examples and yet the questions are mostly quantitative. I am sure that I could think of more specifics dislikes, but I think that the reader has seen my opion. To anybody considering buying this text I suggest instead purchasing griffiths "introduction to elementary particles." My class was so displeased with perkins text that our professor has promised to switch to griffiths next year. To reiterate.... Perkins book is the epitome of bad writing. I give my apologies to the author, but I don't want others to waste their time and money on this text. Buy Griffiths Book, it is good!

Rating:
Summary: Not all that "Intro" at all
Review: My undergrauate particle physics class use this book, and I can't complain enough about it! I am sure many in my class share the same opinion. I must admit that earlier reviews are right. It is a very comprehensive servey of high energy physics, but the writting is simply bad! It's so obscure, hard to understand, and extremely fragmented. Here is an event that should keep anyone interested from buying it. We were assigned a problem in the book as a homework problem. The professor later had to take it out of the problem set because appearntly, the problem concern a session of the book that's already TAKEN OUT of the 4th EDITION!!!!
I would recommend Griffiths book, except that that book doesn't emphasize on concept as much I suppose...o well, it's your call...but I'd say: DROP THIS.

Rating:
Summary: Not all that "Intro" at all
Review: Speaking as a graduate student in physics who is condemned to sort through this abominable text, I strongly discourage anyone from engaging in this book if they are given the choice. It's presentation is extremely fragmented, and explanations obscure - survey unlucky students who are condemned to this text and they will tell you that learning particle physics has been a matter of finding other strong treatments. Not at all recommended. I am disturbed by the five star marks awarded by Amazon.

Rating:
Summary: Not just a straightforward update
Review: This is not just a straightforward update of a successful book, it is a major rewrite, the most comprehensive revision so far. It covers all significant developments of the past 15 years; equally important, it has been thoroughly reorganized, such that the discussion is now firmly embedded into the classification of particles and forces of the Standard Model. A welcome addition are two new chapters which treat 'Physics beyond the Standard Model' and 'Particle physics and cosmology' in much more detail and present the relevance of particle physics in a wider scientific context.

Rüdiger Voss /CERN

A complete review is available in CERN Courier, June 2000