Book excerpt: One of the few textbooks in the field, this volume deals with several aspects of the dynamics of colloids. A self-contained treatise, it fills the gap between research literature and existing books for graduate students and researchers. For readers with a background in chemistry, the first chapter contains a section on frequently used mathematical techniques, as well as statistical mechanics.Some of the topics covered include:• diffusion of free particles on the basis of the Langevin equation•the separation of time, length and angular scales;• the fundamental Fokker-Planck and Smoluchowski equations derived for interacting particles• friction of spheres and rods, and hydrodynamic interaction of spheres (including three body interactions)• diffusion, sedimentation, critical phenomena and phase separation kinetics• experimental light scattering results.For universities and research departments in industry this textbook makes vital reading.