Book recommendations

Chemistry

• Title: Lehrbuch der Anorganischen Chemie, 102nd Ed.
  Authors/identity: Holleman ● Wiberg, Walter de Gruyter, ISBN 978-3-11-017770-1 (2007)
  Content: This is the Bible for inorganic chemists in Germany. It contains all gathered experience in this field, including the most prominent observations like colors. Every elements has its own section and possible oxidation states are listed and discussed. I use it as a lexicon for interesting observations to see if they are previously known. There is supposed to be an English version of it as well.

• Title: Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd Ed.
  Authors/identity: Greenwood ● Earnshaw, Elsevier Ltd., ISBN-13: 978-0-7506-3365-9 (2006)
  Content: This ledger contains chemistry of all elements, discussed either in groups or individuals. The content is focused on general views and chemical trends. Metal-organic complexes are extensively elaborated on. I use this book as a chemical dictionary and to see if chemical substitutions in solid state compounds are possible.

• Title: Solid State Chemistry and its Applications
  Authors/identity: Anthony R. West, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0-471-90377-9 (1984)
  Content: This book contains most of the basic knowledge that a solid state chemist needs, to begin with. Syntheses and analyses of crystalline and amorphous materials are displayed along with the explanations of several analysis techniques. Phase diagrams and diffraction patters are discussed with examples, making this a starting point for practical issues. This was one of my first books on solid state sciences.

• Title: Principles of Instrumental Analysis, 4th Ed.
  Authors/identity: Skoog ● Leary, Saunders College Publishing, LCCCN 91-058036 (1992)
  Content: Almost all relevant spectroscopic, potentiometric, and chromatographic analysis techniques are presented in a, to me, sound manner. I especially like the manifold of error sources presented and what they could cause in your obtained data.

• Title: Inorganic Chemsitry
  Authors/identity: Miessler ● Tarr, Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN 0-13-465659-8 (1991)
  Content: Although the title is very general, this book is very focused on metal-organic complexes and their description: Molecular orbitals, spectral interpretations, and point groups (Schönflies). The uses of Tanabe-Sugano diagrams for electronic excitation and IR as well as Raman phononic vibrations are well described. Whoever does this on dayly basis might use this as introduction for their students.

• Title: Principles of Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry
  Authors/identity: Gary Wulfsberg, University Science Books, ISBN 0-935702-66-0 (1991)
  Content: This book deals with some unusual but important parts of inorganic chemistry: how to understand pK_a (pK_b)-values, Pour-baix diagrams, Ellingham diagrams, and Madelung potentials for crystallographic lattices. This makes the book to an important asset for scientist working with thermodynamics of reactions in gas, liquids, and solid states.

• Title: Chemical Vapor Transport Reactions
  Authors/identity: Binnewies ● Glaum ● Schmidt ● Schmidt, Walter de Gruyter, ISBN 978-3-11-025464-8 (2012)
  Content: For anyone working with this technique in science, this book is a necessity. It contains the needed thermodynamics and extensive lists of known examples with references. The latter makes this book into a lexicon when trying out new transport reactions.

Physics

• Title: Introduction to Solid State Physics, 7th Ed.
  Authors/identity: Charles Kittel, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., ISBN 0-471-11181-3 (1996)
  Content: For physics studies, this book is obligatory in my point of view. Most of the physical properties and phenomena are presented with accuracy and simplicity. The only set-back would be that advanced mathematical knowledge is needed to understand some of the formulas. But, as a whole, I am impressed by the amount of knowledge present on these book pages.

• Title: Magnetism in Condensed Matter
  Authors/identity: Stephen Blundell, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-850591-4 (2006)
  Content: For someone, who works on magnetism, this book is very useful and covers the most fundamental magnetic states with extensive physics understanding. In addition, several of the analyses of magnetism are presented together with practical examples. This book can also be used to compare with your own observations on long range magnetic ordering.

• Title: Relativity, an introduction to space-time physics
  Authors/identity: Steve Adams, Taylor & Francis Ltd., ISBN 0-7484-0621-2 (1997)
  Content: This book is a very nice introduction to the field of relativity. It presents the proposed models and experiments done so far and the people behind them. There are some formulas in it but not as difficult as it can get. Instead, the phenomena are presented with words and very intuitive figure. I like it.

• Title: An Introduction to Experimental Physics
  Authors/identity: Colin Cooke, UCL Press, ISBN 1-85728-578-4 (1996)
  Content: A completely different kind of approach to science is presented in this relatively thin book. Mostly, the acquisition of data and their statistical relevance are shown together with an exact error analysis. I would recommend this book to most experimental scientists in physics and chemistry, as this topic is seldom demonstrated in other books.

Others

• Title: Properties of Materials - Anisotropy, symmetry, structure
  Authors/identity: Robert E. Newnham, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-852076-X (2005)
  Content: This book in certainly for anyone who wants to describe physical properties in Nature with vectors. This alternative approach gives an understanding for the importance of crystal symmetry in relation to magnetic and electric properties.

• Title: Properties of Materials
  Authors/identity: Mary Anne White, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-511331-4 (1999)
  Content: Almost all parts of solid-state science are mentioned in this book. In agreement with the general book title, this book acts as an introduction to many different physical phenomena but only very briefly touches each topic. However, it is a great book for students, who are starting at university level in natural sciences and might inspire students to go further into a certain topic.

• Title: The Elements of Style, 3rd Ed.
  Authors/identity: Strunk ● White, Allyn and Bacon, ISBN 0-205-19158-4 (1979)
  Content: When writing English this book will help you avoiding crucial writing mistakes that Word-auto-corrections cannot fix. For someone who uses the language in its written form, this thin booklet even offers comedy apart from correctness; The "rights" and "wrongs" are set next to oneanother displaying the ackward situations that can occur, for example on using the wrong punctuation. I like to read this again and again.