In this graduate-level text, Lipkin (The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel) describes the aspects of beta decay that can be understood without reference to the formal theory about the reactions that follow directly from conservation laws and elementary quantum mechanics. After a brief introduction Lipkin describes the specification of the initial and final states, shows allowed beta decay in words and pictures, describes angular momentum in beta decay and allowed beta decay with formulas, and closes by showing the connection with beta decay theory. This is a reprint of the 1962 edition published by North-Holland Publishing Company and Interscience Publishers, Inc. Annotation 2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
