Introduction to XAFS. A Practical Guide to X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy. By Grant Bunker. Pp. viii + 260. Cambridge University Press, 2010. Price (hardback) GBP 40. ISBN-13: 978-0-521-76775-0.

X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (XAFS) is a powerful and versatile technique for studying structures of materials in chemistry, physics, biology and other fields. This textbook is a comprehensive practical guide to carrying out and interpreting XAFS experiments. Assuming only undergraduate-level physics and mathematics, the textbook is suited for graduate students in physics and chemistry starting XAFS-based research. It contains concise executable example programs in Mathematica7. Supplementary material available at https://www.cambridge.org/9780521767750 includes Mathematica code from the book, related Mathematica programs, and worked data analysis examples. The textbook addresses experiment, theory and data analysis, but is not tied to specific data analysis programs or philosophies. This makes it accessible to a broad audience in the sciences, and a useful guide for researchers entering the subject. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Basic physics of X-ray absorption and scattering; 3. Experimental; 4. Theory; 5. Data analysis; 6. Related techniques and conclusion; References; Appendices; Index.