Positioning their work as a graduate-level textbook for courses in physics and astronomy, but suggesting that it can also serve as a reference for professional researchers, Stahler (research astronomer, U. of California at Berkeley, US) and Palla (senior astronomer, INAF- Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Italy) synthesize the current research into a broad narrative of star formation. They start from a general description of stars and their birth environments, moving on to look at the physical processes occurring within interstellar clouds, the transition from clouds to stars, the thermal and mechanical effects of young stars on their surroundings, the evolution to maturity after the shedding of cloud gas, and star formation in local cloud galaxies. A final chapter summarizes ongoing key issues in the field. A solid background in undergraduate physics is expected of the reader, but no similar experience in astronomy is needed as the authors feel that the volume provides a good introduction to astrophysical concepts in itself.

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