Introduction to Nanoscience by S.M. Lindsey
Oxford University Press 2010 WorldCat•LibraryThing•Google Books•BookFinder
Introduction to Nanoscience OpenLibrary Entry
ISBN 0199544212 – 212 pages $54.42 on Amazon Published 2010
The title of “Introduction to Nanoscience” is deceptive as it often dives steeply from everyday analogy into deep theory with little warning. While I can appreciate giving undergrad students or laymen a taste of how little they know, the roller-coaster nature of the text can make it difficult to consistently focus on certain fundamentals.
The liberal peppering of partial differential equations regarding quantum physics and statistical kinematics also makes the beginning chapters a bit daunting to wade through, especially when the author gets so focused on mathematical descriptions that critical physical insights whiz by like the landscape from inside a bullet train.
One of the main challenges of engineering and physics texts is the fine balance between highlighting key ideas without getting lost in the broad swaths of detail. Sure, give a grand tour of everything, but keep a good map in your hand.
On the whole, I like the book, but I do not recommend it to someone who has anything less than a grad level understanding in quantum mechanics and organic chemistry.