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22 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 An Excellent Overview of Spectroscopy for Undergrads & Grads Feb 15, 1999
Harris and Bertolucci have written an excellent overview of general spectroscopy theory, appropriate for both undergraduate and graduate students. As a chemist, I found it very helpful as I took introductory quantum mechanics in graduate school and later used it as a practical guide to interpreting and understanding infrared spectra as a graduate student. For the price, this is one of the best bargains available to students. Consider other Dover publications for great prices as well.
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
 Best book for beginners Feb 07, 2005
By Hrishikesh S. Shende
This is the best book for those who dont have or dont remember any quantum mechanics background. The language is very simple to understand for non english speakers. A good book with low price for personal liabrary.
17 of 19 found the following review helpful:
An interesting little cookie of a book... Nov 17, 2000
By Les Kismartoni
This is probably one of the most useful books that deals with the subject of Molecular symmetry and how it applies to the derivation of IR Spectra, Molecular Orbital Theory, and UV VIS spec. Some parts can be sparse (Term symbol section is a little confusing at first go) so it pays to have a good Quant. book next to you... Lots of problems that are all solved. Excellent reference for some basic QM problems as well... Perhaps the best thing about this book is the fact that it is not (expensive).... So if you have the dosh, then go for it and finally figure out Group Theory and how it relates to IR and everything else...
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
One of the best understandable text! Jul 24, 2003
By Mohsin
Although I am an undergraduate physics student but this is one of the best book on the vibrational spectroscopy, I used it to understand the application of the group theory and molecular vibrations.
Harris and Bertolucci wrote the text in a clear way with examples. I am only half way through the book but the way the text is presented, its evident how the rest of the book will be, Clear and to the point. Only minus point is that the character tables are not derived and are given in appendix and it also lacks the representation theory but after all it is a book on Spectroscopy and not on Group theory so I may not complain. In my openion, this book can be compared with Cotton and Bishop and if I have to understand the application of group theory and molecular vibrations I will certainly pick up Harris & Bertolucci.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Another Dover Bargain in Physical Chemistry Mar 09, 2008
By Timothy Hughbanks
This book has served as a companion text for courses I've taught in Symmetry and Group Theory and in Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry for the past two years. It provides a solid background for practicing chemists who will use electronic and vibrational spectroscopy in their everyday research, though it is only an introduction for serious spectroscopists. The book adopts an easy conversational tone that appeals to students but doesn't fail to provide an appropriate level of rigor - with one notable exception to be mentioned below. For a students seeking to learn by self-study there is a good supply of problems, with solutions provided, to deepen understanding. The examples are most plentiful in the vibrational spectroscopic sections.
Both photoelectron and UV-Visible spectroscopy are presented, and Harris and Bertolucci do a better job at teaching what electron states are than Cotton does in his well-known "Chemical Applications of Group Theory". Unfortunately, however, electronic spectra of transition metal complexes are given short shrift and ligand-field-theoretic problems are not adequately fleshed out. Equally unfortunate is the fact that the one transition-metal example of vibronic coupling provided in the body of the text is the same example presented by Cotton: the polarized spectra of trans-[Co(en)2Cl2]+ - and the authors have transcribed exactly the same serious error: One of the vibrational modes is wrong and one of the electronic absorption peaks are misassigned as a result.
These problems notwithstanding, this is very good book - I recommend it to students and teachers as an affordable, instructive, and very readable text.
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