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The Oxford Solid State Basics
The study of solids is one of the richest, most exciting, and most successful branches of physics. While the subject of solid state physics is often viewed as dry and tedious this new book presents the topic instead as an exciting exposition of fundamental principles and great intellectual breakthroughs. Beginning with a discussion of how the study of heat capacity of solids ushered in the quantum revolution, the author presents the key ideas of the field while emphasizing the deep underlying concepts.
The book begins with a discussion of the Einstein/Debye model of specific heat, and the Drude/Sommerfeld theories of electrons in solids, which can all be understood without reference to any underlying crystal structure. The failures of these theories force a more serious investigation of microscopics. Many of the key ideas about waves in solids are then introduced using one dimensional models in order to convey concepts without getting bogged down with details. Only then does the book turn to consider real materials.
Chemical bonding is introduced and then atoms can be bonded together to crystal structures and reciprocal space results. Diffraction experiments, as the central application of these ideas, are discussed in great detail. From there, the connection is made to electron wave diffraction in solids and how it results in electronic band structure. The natural culmination of this thread is the triumph of semiconductor physics and devices.
The final section of the book considers magnetism in order to discuss a range of deeper concepts. The failures of band theory due to electron interaction, spontaneous magnetic orders, and mean field theories are presented well. Finally, the book gives a brief exposition of the Hubbard model that undergraduates can understand.
The book presents all of this material in a clear fashion, dense with explanatory or just plain entertaining footnotes. This may be the best introductory book for learning solid state physics. It is certainly the most fun to read.
To request a copy of the Solutions Manual,
The book begins with a discussion of the Einstein/Debye model of specific heat, and the Drude/Sommerfeld theories of electrons in solids, which can all be understood without reference to any underlying crystal structure. The failures of these theories force a more serious investigation of microscopics. Many of the key ideas about waves in solids are then introduced using one dimensional models in order to convey concepts without getting bogged down with details. Only then does the book turn to consider real materials.
Chemical bonding is introduced and then atoms can be bonded together to crystal structures and reciprocal space results. Diffraction experiments, as the central application of these ideas, are discussed in great detail. From there, the connection is made to electron wave diffraction in solids and how it results in electronic band structure. The natural culmination of this thread is the triumph of semiconductor physics and devices.
The final section of the book considers magnetism in order to discuss a range of deeper concepts. The failures of band theory due to electron interaction, spontaneous magnetic orders, and mean field theories are presented well. Finally, the book gives a brief exposition of the Hubbard model that undergraduates can understand.
The book presents all of this material in a clear fashion, dense with explanatory or just plain entertaining footnotes. This may be the best introductory book for learning solid state physics. It is certainly the most fun to read.
To request a copy of the Solutions Manual,
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 31, 2024
In grad school 20 years ago, I was up to my ears in high energy physics and early-universe cosmology. There was tons to learn, little time, and a good deal of looking down one's nose at lowly condensed matter physicists. As if the energy scale of the physics had something to do with just how bad ass your field of study was.
After lots of growing up, I came to realize that there's a lot of awesomeness going on in solid state physics. And while there might have been precious little time to study any of it in grad school, I should have felt regret rather than defiance back then. Anyway, this is a book review, not a therapy session.
Simon's book is perfect for people that want an easy introduction to the main concepts and principals of solid state physics. It's technical, but not overly so. It's detailed, but not overly so. There are no tangents (aside from a few literal "asides" here and there). He doesn't punch you square in the throat on page 1 with a bunch of crystal geometry drudgery. It's very well-written: witty and friendly. I read it in order, cover to cover, over the course of several months. I worked through a few problems, but mostly I just wanted the bird's eye view. And it filled some seriously shameful knowledge gaps for me.
It is a perfect alternative to Kittell and other standard textbooks for those wishing a higher-level, conceptual understanding of the subject.
After lots of growing up, I came to realize that there's a lot of awesomeness going on in solid state physics. And while there might have been precious little time to study any of it in grad school, I should have felt regret rather than defiance back then. Anyway, this is a book review, not a therapy session.
Simon's book is perfect for people that want an easy introduction to the main concepts and principals of solid state physics. It's technical, but not overly so. It's detailed, but not overly so. There are no tangents (aside from a few literal "asides" here and there). He doesn't punch you square in the throat on page 1 with a bunch of crystal geometry drudgery. It's very well-written: witty and friendly. I read it in order, cover to cover, over the course of several months. I worked through a few problems, but mostly I just wanted the bird's eye view. And it filled some seriously shameful knowledge gaps for me.
It is a perfect alternative to Kittell and other standard textbooks for those wishing a higher-level, conceptual understanding of the subject.
June 2, 2021
Hi - I got this book way back when I was doing a solid state physics module at university (University of York, UK). For me, I don't really like this book, but I acknowledge it is good and so have settled with 3 stars.
Good: Lovely sense of clarity with the formatting and nice wide pages, just a really nice book in that regard. Technical.
Bad: Excessive amount of 'section-dropping' i.e. like name-dropping but mentioning sections instead. Literally, it's everything I dislike about scientific papers now (like the ones where you get long lists of references and you wonder what the point of the paper is), but here it is just like mentioning sections all the time 'as discussed in..', 'in section #', 'we found in Section #'.. It's just too much for me, and indicates in my mind that the book is lacking.
Furthermore, I don't think it is 'basics' for me.. Not that it is complicated, but that the mathematics lack good explanation for me, and it starts off very basic, and then jumps up to lots of equations which just aren't doing much for me.
I think the book lacks substance and character in some sense, it feels a lot more like a reference book; every now and again you get the odd snippet of depth - but for me it's not a book I would recommend to most students - As I say I think it's better probably if you work in this industry or are doing a Master's or PhD and just want a good reference guide. I don't think it's good for actually developing skills in this area - (and I've owned this book for about 8 years now and still believe that)
Thanks for reading.
Good: Lovely sense of clarity with the formatting and nice wide pages, just a really nice book in that regard. Technical.
Bad: Excessive amount of 'section-dropping' i.e. like name-dropping but mentioning sections instead. Literally, it's everything I dislike about scientific papers now (like the ones where you get long lists of references and you wonder what the point of the paper is), but here it is just like mentioning sections all the time 'as discussed in..', 'in section #', 'we found in Section #'.. It's just too much for me, and indicates in my mind that the book is lacking.
Furthermore, I don't think it is 'basics' for me.. Not that it is complicated, but that the mathematics lack good explanation for me, and it starts off very basic, and then jumps up to lots of equations which just aren't doing much for me.
I think the book lacks substance and character in some sense, it feels a lot more like a reference book; every now and again you get the odd snippet of depth - but for me it's not a book I would recommend to most students - As I say I think it's better probably if you work in this industry or are doing a Master's or PhD and just want a good reference guide. I don't think it's good for actually developing skills in this area - (and I've owned this book for about 8 years now and still believe that)
Thanks for reading.
January 22, 2022
Very clear explanations. I like the witty prose and entertaining style, though it might not be to everybody's taste.
It presupposes some knowledge of quantum mechanics (eg. perturbation theory) but most of the book can be followed without it.
It presupposes some knowledge of quantum mechanics (eg. perturbation theory) but most of the book can be followed without it.
June 9, 2015
Simon is a funny guy, and a better teacher than the one I've got. Not sure if I'm done with Solid State yet but I'm done with the book anyway.
December 10, 2025
Buen libro, me ha ayudado mucho a aprobar mi examen escrito de física de la materia, espero que también me ayude a aprobar el examen oral. Lo recomiendo.
May 16, 2019
In combination with Simon's lectures this book is perfect introduction to solid state physics. However don't make the same mistake as I did and pass your statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics first.
Also I would really like to know what was the audience's reaction to the jokes he made because I thought they were great!
Also I would really like to know what was the audience's reaction to the jokes he made because I thought they were great!
July 1, 2015
It's a great book for those who are really interested in Solid State Physics (not me, because it looks like chemistry and chemistry stinks). Simon makes lots of jokes and even taught me that Olivia Newton-John from Grease is the granddaughter of Max Born.
January 13, 2021
It's that sort of a book when you begin reading you don't need to ask what's this or what's that. The book is so well written and rather simple that it is complete on its own. additionally, I actually like the formatting of the book, Two-column one for the main writing and the other for the footnote or side note that helps a lot. And Simon had used them in a great way by adding lots of history, jokes, and even his own experience. My personal favorite is this one in Chapter 9
The pronunciation of “Brillouin” is
something that gives English speakers a great deal of difficulty. If you
speak French you will probably cringe
at the way this name is butchered.
(I did badly in French in school, so
I’m probably one of the worst offenders.) According to online dictionaries
it is properly pronounced somewhere
between the following words: br¯ewan,
breel-wahn, bree(y)lwa(n), and bree-l-
(uh)-wahn. At any rate, the “l” and the
“n” should both be very weak. I’ve also
been told that it can be thought of as
Brie, the cheese, and Rouen the town in
France (which I’ve never known how to
pronounce, so that doesn’t help much).
I actually laugh many times during reading these side notes. That's rarely seen in books made for science. I have tried two books by Oxford university press this one and the other by Blundell and both of them are a well written and complete gem.
After I read it whole, It reminded me of this quote:
“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.”
- J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
The pronunciation of “Brillouin” is
something that gives English speakers a great deal of difficulty. If you
speak French you will probably cringe
at the way this name is butchered.
(I did badly in French in school, so
I’m probably one of the worst offenders.) According to online dictionaries
it is properly pronounced somewhere
between the following words: br¯ewan,
breel-wahn, bree(y)lwa(n), and bree-l-
(uh)-wahn. At any rate, the “l” and the
“n” should both be very weak. I’ve also
been told that it can be thought of as
Brie, the cheese, and Rouen the town in
France (which I’ve never known how to
pronounce, so that doesn’t help much).
I actually laugh many times during reading these side notes. That's rarely seen in books made for science. I have tried two books by Oxford university press this one and the other by Blundell and both of them are a well written and complete gem.
After I read it whole, It reminded me of this quote:
“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.”
- J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
July 10, 2025
Very solid alongside Dr. Simon’s lectures (which are on YouTube). Lacking empiriological depth especially in second half of the book. If you go to Oxford you’ll love this, the rest of us should probably just stick to Ashcroft and Mermin.
August 29, 2018
Good book I still refer to often
February 25, 2019
Probably the best introduction to solid state physics book out there. (I read Kittel, Ashcroft, and Ali Omar).
February 21, 2020
One of the best physics textbooks I have ever encountered. Direct, precise, with fully tractable motivation.
May 7, 2022
Fantastic
December 10, 2023
Should have taken nuclear instead of solid state but I have no complaints about the textbook. Excited to be finished with (the physics portion) of my degree!
June 22, 2024
IM DONE!!! Best Lines:
"Stoner Criterion*
*This has nothing to do with the length of your dreadlocks or the number of Grateful Dead shows you have been to (I've be to six shows...I think)."
"Stoner Criterion*
*This has nothing to do with the length of your dreadlocks or the number of Grateful Dead shows you have been to (I've be to six shows...I think)."
June 27, 2024
The subject matter is so difficult it makes me wanna cry but the humor of the author helped me preservere through
May 31, 2025
Very very funny commentary in the footnotes. Plus the recommendation of Brittney Spears guide to semiconductor physics website gave me a whole new view on how semiconductors work.
July 2, 2025
the bible
July 23, 2025
twas a good read, as easily digestible as it could be considering the subject matter
November 20, 2023
The only textbook that I might finish front to back... truthfully that's never happened before so we'll see. The preface and first couple chapters were too good for me to not rate prematurely. Oxford better give my absolute dawg Steven a raise
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews