This book is the most comprehensive treatment available of the general theory of C*-algebras and von Neumann algebras. Beginning with the basics, the theory is developed through such topics as tensor products, nuclearity and exactness, crossed products, classification of injective factors, K-theory, finiteness, stable rank, and quasidiagonality.
The presentation concentrates on carefully and precisely explaining the main features of each part of the theory of operator algebras; most important arguments are at least outlined, and many are presented in full detail, so the volume is much more than a mere survey.