This book, "Finite-Temperature Field Theory: Principles and Applications," by Joseph L. Kapusta and Charles Gale, is a comprehensive treatment of relativistic quantum field theory at high temperature and density. It covers fundamental theories such as QED, QCD, electroweak theory, and effective nuclear field theories of hadronic and nuclear matter. The book delves into topics including functional integral representation of the partition function, diagrammatic expansions, linear response theory, screening and plasma oscillations, spontaneous symmetry breaking, the Goldstone theorem, resummation and hard thermal loops, lattice gauge theory, phase transitions, nucleation theory, quark–gluon plasma, and color superconductivity. Applications are discussed in astrophysics and cosmology, such as white dwarf and neutron stars, neutrino emissivity, baryon number violation in the early universe, and cosmological phase transitions. The book also covers relativistic nucleus–nucleus collisions. This second edition, reissued as an Open Access publication, has been updated to reflect recent developments in the field.This book, "Finite-Temperature Field Theory: Principles and Applications," by Joseph L. Kapusta and Charles Gale, is a comprehensive treatment of relativistic quantum field theory at high temperature and density. It covers fundamental theories such as QED, QCD, electroweak theory, and effective nuclear field theories of hadronic and nuclear matter. The book delves into topics including functional integral representation of the partition function, diagrammatic expansions, linear response theory, screening and plasma oscillations, spontaneous symmetry breaking, the Goldstone theorem, resummation and hard thermal loops, lattice gauge theory, phase transitions, nucleation theory, quark–gluon plasma, and color superconductivity. Applications are discussed in astrophysics and cosmology, such as white dwarf and neutron stars, neutrino emissivity, baryon number violation in the early universe, and cosmological phase transitions. The book also covers relativistic nucleus–nucleus collisions. This second edition, reissued as an Open Access publication, has been updated to reflect recent developments in the field.