I've been teaching an upper-level course in math methods of physics on and off for thirty-five years or so.  This is as good a text as I've found.  In fact, I've been using this book since it began life as a much smaller volume by Riley alone.  It has always provided a down-to-earth exposition of applicable mathematics.  Now it provides more than ever, include two nice chapters on group theory, with more problems than the previous editions.<br><br>Despite its broad coverage, it is not an encyclopedia.  Individual sections are thorough, well illustrated by examples, and comprehensible.  Yes, I might have organized some of the material somewhat differently.  But that is largely a matter of taste.<br><br>The reviewer who alleges that one must have mastered a lot of math to benefit from this book clearly has not read the first chapter.  The book by Boas with which he compares it is a) less comprehensive, b) at a lower level overall, c) and a lot more expensive.<br><br>At $63, this volume is a real bargain.