Including Planck, Max, Physikalische Abhandlungen und Vortrage, Vols. I, II and III. (Braunschweig: Friedr. Vieweg and Sohn; London: K. G. Heyden and Co. Ltd., 1958), Vol. I. Pp. xv+776. Vol. II. Pp. xi + 716. Vol. III., Pp. xii+426. red fabric binding with gilt lettering to spine and boards, with a letter headed 'The Institute of Physics, From the Editor, British Journal of Applied Physics' with a pasted don cutting from the Febuary issue that reads:

Max Planck: Physikalische Abhandlungen und Vortrage.
Vols. I, II and III. (Braunschweig: Friedr. Vieweg and
Sohn; London: K. G. Heyden and Co. Ltd., 1958);
Vol. I. Pp. xv+776. Vol. II. Pp. xi + 716. Vol. III.
Pp. xii+426. Price DM. 150.
This collection of M. Planck's scientific papers and lectures
is a reproduction by a photographic process of the original
publications, with an index and a foreword by M. v. Laue.
It is edited by the union of German physical societies and the
Max Planck Society as a memorial to the great theoretical
physicist whose 100th birthday was celebrated in April of
this year.
The first two volumes contain Planck's doctorate thesis,
his "Habilitationsschrift" as Privatdozent in Munich and
119 papers published in various journals. The most important
of these are the classical papers on the second law of thermo-
dynamics, which was given its first precise formulation by
Planck, and the notion of entropy, as well as the famous
series of investigations on the theory of heat radiation which
led to the discovery of the elementary quantum of action h,
the notion of zero-point energy, the cell structure of the
phase space, and the general statement of Boltzmann's
entropy-probability relation in the form S k log W, first
introducing the universal constant k (gas constant per atom),
usually known as "Boltzmann's constant". There are further
papers on various aspects of electromagnetic theory, on the
theory of relativity, of which Planck was one of the first
supporters, and on the theory of electrolytes.
The third volume contains public lectures and publications
meant for a broader public, shedding light on Planck's
scientific personality, his life and his philosophical ideas.
Amongst these are his Nobel lecture and a wonderful short
auto-biography which ought to be translated into English
and widely read by young physicists. There are also a
number of essays devoted to the life and work of contem-
porary great physicists and appreciations of Planck's own
work by M. v. Laue, Otto Hahn and others.
For those physicists who are interested in studying the
original works of this great master in order to learn about
his way of thinking and his art of writing these three volumes
will be invaluable.
R. FÜRTH

Planck, Max, Einführung in die Mechanik deformierbarer Körper, 1922, with the owners name to the title page R. W. Lawson 31 - Robert William Lawson (c. 1889–1960) was a British physicist, a fellow of Institute of Physics when it was founded,

Einführung in die Mechanik deformierbarer Körper (Introduction to the Mechanics of Deformable Bodies) by Max Planck delves into the fundamental principles of elasticity and the mechanics of solid materials. The book provides a mathematical treatment of how materials deform under stress. The book shows Planck’s early contributions beyond quantum theory, demonstrating his mastery of classical mechanics and applied physics.

Max Planck (1858–1947) was a pioneering German physicist best known as the father of quantum theory. His groundbreaking work in thermodynamics and black-body radiation led to the formulation of Planck’s constant, which introduced the idea that energy is quantized rather than continuous. This discovery revolutionized physics, laying the foundation for quantum mechanics and earning him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. Planck spent much of his career at the University of Berlin, where he mentored and influenced future physicists, including Albert Einstein. Despite the turbulent political climate of early 20th-century Germany, he remained committed to scientific inquiry and ethical principles. His contributions to theoretical physics reshaped our understanding of the atomic and subatomic world, marking him as one of the most influential scientists of all time.

Helmholtz, H. Von, Vorlesungen uber Theoretische Physik (Lectures on Theoretical Physics), Band I. 1903,

Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–1894) was a German physicist and polymath whose work spanned physics, physiology, and mathematics. He made significant contributions to the understanding of energy conservation, electrodynamics, and wave theory, as well as to the study of human perception in optics and acoustics. Helmholtz is best known for formulating the principle of conservation of energy, a fundamental concept in physics. His research in sensory physiology led to discoveries in vision and hearing, influencing both science and medicine. A prolific educator and researcher, he held prestigious academic positions, including at the University of Berlin. His work laid the foundations for many modern scientific disciplines, and his name remains associated with key theories in thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and fluid dynamics.