Solid State Is Adrianus J. Dekker forgotten or irrelevant?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Slimy0233
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Solid state physics
AI Thread Summary
Adrianus J. Dekker's 1956 book on Solid State Physics is considered beginner-friendly but has received little attention in online discussions, raising concerns about its relevance and accuracy. While some participants suggest that Kittel's and Ashcroft & Mermin's texts are more established, they also acknowledge that no textbook is entirely straightforward for beginners. The age of Dekker's book raises questions about its coverage of modern concepts in solid state physics. Despite its low cost and availability, potential readers express hesitance due to its outdated nature and lack of contemporary discussion. Overall, while Dekker may serve as an introductory resource, users are encouraged to consider more recent alternatives for a comprehensive understanding.
Slimy0233
Messages
167
Reaction score
48
I was previously thinking of buying Solid State Physics by Kittel, but it turns out it's not beginner friendly and neither is Ashcroft & Mermin. One book that is supposedly beginner friendly is AJ Dekker (1956) but it has received little discussion on this physics forum and on reddit (as a whole). I wonder why that is?

Also, I want to understand the basics of Solid State Physics and I want the information to be relevant and accurate. Is AJ Dekker what I should read? So, should I buy AJ Dekker and is there a different book on solid state physics which is not cryptic and can be easily understood by a beginner.

PS: I really want to buy Dekker, but the fact that the book has received no discussion on reddit and in here concerns me.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What does beginner mean to you? What physics courses have you taken? I would regard Kittel as an introductory book for solid state and Ashcroft as a more advanced book. I'm not sure I would expect a decent textbook to be easily understood. Any textbook will have you grappling with ideas and calculations you haven't been exposed to before. Never heard of Dekker, so can't help there, sorry.
 
One book has never been enough for me.
There are cheap $20 to $40, new or second hand copies of both available.

Dekker is clearly old school and cheap, second hand or reprinted 2008.
https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?...=KJ5gumaVsN1YGWahLPYIXfbx6gU_1685574818_1:1:2

Kittel, in the 2018 edition, is more up to date.
https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?...e=introduction%20to%20solid%20state%20physics

At those prices, I could buy both, and a third, but I have electronic copies and a University library nearby.
 
Haborix said:
I'm not sure I would expect a decent textbook to be easily understood. Any textbook will have you grappling with ideas and calculations you haven't been exposed to before.
Sir/Madam, I have one answer to that, Introduction to Electrodynamics by DJ Griffiths.

And as for textbook with unknown ideas and calculations, I am ok with that.

Meanwhile, since English is not my native language, I need it to be relatively simple to understand.
 
Baluncore said:
One book has never been enough for me.
There are cheap $20 to $40, new or second hand copies of both available.

Dekker is clearly old school and cheap, second hand or reprinted 2008.
https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?...=KJ5gumaVsN1YGWahLPYIXfbx6gU_1685574818_1:1:2

Kittel, in the 2018 edition, is more up to date.
https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&ref=bf_s2_a1_t1_1&qi=s.Ga63WLa.2KmVGBFFxX,lbaoHs_1685575427_1:11:46&bq=author=charles%20kittel&title=introduction%20to%20solid%20state%20physics

At those prices, I could buy both, and a third, but I have electronic copies and a University library nearby.
Unfortunately as I am dealing with financial constraints, this has never been an option for me.
 
There is an online version of the Dekker book here
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015002003716&view=1up&seq=1

The book you are considering was first written when I was a child. If it hasn't been updated for a while, it could easily be missing modern ideas.

I once had to teach a university course on Solid State Chemistry, a subject I had only ever done a single term course on 20 years earlier. The book that was suggested to me by another lecturer had several interesting things I had never been taught at all. ( A R West, Solid State Chemistry, an updated version / title change of which is available from amazon, while an copy from 1999 is quite cheap.)
 

Similar threads

Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
86
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
5K
Replies
5
Views
5K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
7K
Back
Top