Book excerpt: This is volume 1 of two-volume book that presents an excellent, comprehensive exposition of the multi-faceted subjects of modern condensed matter physics, unified within an original and coherent conceptual framework. Traditional subjects such as band theory and lattice dynamics are tightly organized in this framework, while many new developments emerge spontaneously from it. In this volume,• Basic concepts are emphasized; usually they are intuitively introduced, then more precisely formulated, and compared with correlated concepts.• A plethora of new topics, such as quasicrystals, photonic crystals, GMR, TMR, CMR, high Tc superconductors, Bose-Einstein condensation, etc., are presented with sharp physical insights.• Bond and band approaches are discussed in parallel, breaking the barrier between physics and chemistry.• A highly accessible chapter is included on correlated electronic states — rarely found in an introductory text.• Introductory chapters on tunneling, mesoscopic phenomena, and quantum-confined nanostructures constitute a sound foundation for nanoscience and nanotechnology.• The text is profusely illustrated with about 500 figures.