Materials science has undergone a revolutionary transformation in the past two decades. It is an interdisciplinary field that has grown out of chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering departments. In this book, Gonzalez-Vinas and Mancini provide an introduction to the field, one that emphasizes a qualitative understanding of the subject, rather than an intensely mathematical one.

The book covers the topics usually treated in a first course on materials science, such as crystalline solids and defects. It describes the electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of matter;...