The book grew out of a two-semester course the Rudras have been teaching to first-year Masters students at the University of Kalyani, India; they say it could be also used at the senior undergraduate level. The four core chapters introduce the basic concepts of statistical physics as well as the description of states, their time evolution, and methods. The connection to thermodynamics is emphasized throughout. Other matters they discuss are classical statistical physics and its applications to chemical equilibria, interacting systems, and strong electrolytes; quantum statistical physics and its application to Bose-Einstein condensate and statistical astrophysics; systematics of phase transition and Landau Theory for systems not very close to the phase-coexistence line; and the linear response theory of irreversible processes and fluctuating-dissipation theorem. A final chapter gathers up all the relevant mathematical tools that found no place earlier. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)