Originally published in 1973, this series remains entirely relevant thanks to Pauli's manner of presentation. As the Foreword to the series notes, Pauli's style is "commensurate to the greatness of its subject in its clarity and impact...Pauli's lectures show how physical ideas can be presented clearly and in good mathematical form, without being hidden in formalistic expertise".

Each volume features an index and a wealth of helpful figures and can stand independently, so readers wishing to focus on a particular topic can purchase the volume of their choice. As a complete set, the work represents a peerless resource, and many individuals, as well as libraries and institutions, will want to own the complete set.

Volume 4: Statistical Mechanics represents a concise course on the subject, centering on the historic development of the basic ideals and the logical structure of the theory, with particular emphasis on Brownian motion and quantum statistics.