"Mesoscopic physics" refers to the physics of structures larger than a nanometer (one billionth of a meter) but smaller than a micrometer (one millionth of a meter). This size range is the stage on which the exciting new research on submicroscopic and electronic and mechanical devices is being done. This research often crosses the boundary between physics and engineering, since engineering such tiny electronic components (as many as one million transistors can be fitted onto a single chip) requires a firm grasp of quantum physics. Applications for the future may include such wonders as microscopic robot surgeons that will travel through the blood stream to repair clogged arteries; submicroscopic actuators and builders; and supercomputers that fit on the head of a pin.

Yoseph Imry's Introduction to Mesoscopic Physics is a propitious beginning for Oxford University Press's series Mesoscopic Physics and Nanotechnology... Imry, who is one of the central figures in the development of this field, provides in this text a valuable overview of these new physical phenomena... Imry takes pains to identify issues that have engendered controversy... He then explains the resolution of this controversy by more careful specification of the problem... this interesting and relatively brief new book brings the reader into contact with some exciting developments in a very active area of condensed matter physics. It provides a ready reference to the main themes and results and belongs on the desks of all workers in this field. * Physics Today January 1998 *