Beautifully illustrated and engagingly written, Twelve Lectures in
Quantum Mechanics presents theoretical physics with a breathtaking array
of examples and anecdotes. Basdevant's style is clear and stimulating,
in the manner of a brisk lecture that can be followed with ease and
enjoyment. Here is a sample of the book's style, from the opening of
Chapter 1: "If one were to ask a passer-by to quote a great formula of
physics, chances are that the answer would be 'E = mc2'. In fact, of the
three watershed years for physics toward the beginning of the 20th
century...it is surely the last [the development of Quantum Mechanics]
which has the most profound implications for the development of science
and technology. There is no way around it: all physics is quantum, from
elementary particles, to stellar physics and the Big Bang, not to
mention semiconductors and solar cells."