The purpose of this textbook is to explain the Standard Model of
particle physics to a student with an undergraduate preparation in
physics. Today we can claim to have a fundamental picture of the strong
and weak subnuclear forces. Through an interplay between theory and
experiment, we have learned the basic equations through which these
forces operate, and we have tested these equations against observations
at particle accelerators. The story is beautiful and full of surprises.
Using a simplified presentation that does not assume prior knowledge of
quantum field theory, this book begins from basic concepts of special
relativity and quantum mechanics, describes the key experiments that
have clarified the structure of elementary particle interactions,
introduces the crucial theoretical concepts, and builds up to the full
description of elementary particle interactions as we know them today.