Aspects of symmetry : selected Erice lectures of Sidney Coleman

This book's most valuable points are its treatment of renormalization and non-perturbative effects in quantum field theory. Although the renormalization discussion does not get to the heart of Wilson's conceptual picture, it provides a coherent picture of the renormalization procedure without cluttering the pages with computations (a la Peskin/Schroeder). The section on instantons (ch. 7) is almost entirely self-contained, beginning with an analysis of classical mechanics, slowly ascending to quantum field theory. A few of the earlier chapters are on topics that were hot in the 60s and 70s, so you may not want to spend the money for a book where only ~1/2 of the pages are currently relevant, especially considering the fact that it's a bit expensive.Also, don't expect any spectacular insights into QCD, as most lectures in the book predate or are concurrent with the advent of the field. For Almost Two Decades, Sidney Coleman Has Been Giving Review Lectures On Frontier Topics In Theoretical High-energy Physics At The International School Of Subnuclear Physics Held Each Year At Erice, Sicily. This Volume Is A Collection Of Some Of The Best Of These Lectures. To This Day They Have Few Rivals For Clarity Of Exposition And Depth Of Insight. Although Very Popular When First Published, Many Of The Lectures Have Been Difficult To Obtain Recently. Graduate Students And Professionals In High-energy Physics Will Welcome This Collection By A Master Of The Field. Includes Bibliographies.

This collection of review lectures on topics in theoretical high energy physics has few rivals for clarity of exposition and depth of insight. Delivered over the past two decades at the International School of Subnuclear Physics in Erice, Sicily, the lectures help to organize and explain material that a the time existed in a confused state, scattered in the literature. At the time they were given they spread new ideas throughout the physics community and proved very popular as introductions to topics at the frontiers of research.