"An elegantly written, introductory overview of the field, with a near perfect choice of what to include and what not, enlivened in places by historical tidbits and made eminently readable throughout by crisp language. It has succeeded in doing the near-impossible it has made a subject which is generally inhospitable to nonspecialists because of its family jargon appear nonintimidating even to a beginning graduate student."

The Journal of the Indian Institute of Science

"The book under review gives a comprehensive...