Contemporary Physics

ISSN: 0010-7514 (Print) 1366-5812 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tcph20

Polymers: Chemistry and Physics of Modern

Materials, 3rd edition, by J.M.G. Cowie and V.
Arrighi
Professor Ian M. Ward
To cite this article: Professor Ian M. Ward (2009) Polymers: Chemistry and Physics of Modern
Materials, 3rd edition, by J.M.G. Cowie and V. Arrighi, Contemporary Physics, 50:6, 670-670,
DOI: 10.1080/00107510902992270
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00107510902992270

Published online: 06 Oct 2009.

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Date: 24 September 2016, At: 23:12

670

Book reviews

Polymers: Chemistry and Physics of Modern Materials,

3rd edition, by J.M.G. Cowie and V. Arrighi, New
York, CRC Press, 2008, 499 pp., $75.56 (paperback),
ISBN 978 0 8493 9813 1. Scope: textbook. Level:
undergraduate.
Polymer science and technology has developed to
a very great extent over the last hundred years, so
that this textbook which oers a comprehensive
introduction to the subject is to be welcomed.
Professor Cowies extensive experience is that of a
physical organic chemist who has an excellent
appreciation of the synthetic chemistry and the
related physical chemistry and physics and he has
been ably assisted by Dr Arrighi in producing an upto-date text.
The rst 200 pages of this 500 page textbook are
devoted to synthetic chemistry, including discussion of
the recent developments such as dendrimers and
metallocene catalysts. Liquid crystalline polymers,
high temperature specialty polymers such as polyimides
and polysulfones and electrically conducting polymers
are discussed in later chapters. The emphasis on
chemical composition, followed by discussion of
structure and properties, gives this textbook its original
quality.
The remaining 300 pages are designed to give
the reader a sound introduction to the characterisation of polymers and their key properties. Solution
properties, crystallisation, melt rheology, viscoelastic
behaviour are all discussed in very adequate
detail for a rst introduction, although in
some instances the discussion is inevitably rather
brief. For example, mechanical properties are dealt
with in only 40 pages so that students of physics and
engineering would certainly have to read some of the
bibliography which is given at the end of the
chapters.
An impressive aspect of this book, which makes
it very valuable for teaching the subject, is the
inclusion of carefully considered problems at the end
of the chapters. The references are very satisfactory
indeed, covering publications from the 1950s to the
present date, reecting the senior authors active
involvement in the subject over many years. In this
regard, it was perhaps surprising that in the chapters on
structureproperty relationships and polymers for electronic applications, the authors did not nd it necessary
to refer to publications more recently published than in
1989.
In summary, this book can be recommended as a
denitive text for undergraduates and postgraduates
studying many aspects of polymer science. It is also
a valuable reference book for those involved in
research and teaching. The quality of production is

excellent and this reviewer found very few minor

points with which to take issue.
Professor Ian M. Ward
University of Leeds
i.m.ward@leeds.ac.uk
2009, Ian M. Ward

Essentials of Photonics, 2nd edition, by A. Rogers, New

York, CRC Press, 2009, 488 pp., 49.99 (hardback), ISBN
978 0 8493 3836 6. Scope: textbook covering classical
photonic devices and systems. Level: undergraduate or
introductory postgraduate courses.
In 1997, Professor Rogers published Essentials of
Optoelectronics making an important contribution to
a book-series entitled Quantum and Optical Electronics
with Professors Parry and Baets as the series editors.
This review is about a revised 2nd edition of that
book, now appearing outside of the original series. The
title has been changed by replacing the word Optoelectronics with Photonics to reect a more modern
perspective. This new edition retains the clear accounts
of the well-established fundamental principles of
classical devices and systems using photons and
electrons. At appropriate stages in the book, the
author has added new short sections on: (i) a detailed
account of the Jones polarisation calculus; (ii) a
concise account of photonic crystal bres; (iii) the
important features of polarisation mode dispersion;
(iv) the widely used techniques of wavelength division
multiplexing; (v) expanded the account of distributed
optical bre sensors. This book, like its 1st edition,
should be helpful to lecturers or students who are
giving or attending either undergraduate courses or
introductory postgraduate courses in classical optoelectronics. As in the 1st edition, questions and answers
are helpfully provided.
Regrettably the changes to this 12-year-old classic
book, although strongly welcome, are not enough to
maintain its position. For example, too few new
references have been added and almost nothing has
changed in the authors Epilogue looking into the
future. It may be that the publisher could not aord
more space but, ideally from this reviewers perspective, at least two additional sections could have
helped to justify the change in title. One additional
section would have discussed more fully the changes
in photonic materials that are displacing exemplars
based on GaAs. The wide range of materials now
allows photon emission and lasing ranging from
infra-red into ultra-violet. Inecient light bulbs may
be replaced soon with ecient white-light emitting