Finally...materials for the masses. Our fascination with great disasters is turned by Dr. Nicholson into a perfect entry point into the basics of materials science in this volume. Through examinations of the TWA 800 crash, the Challenger shuttle disaster, the Chernobyl meltdown, and the Titanic's loss, we are given a brief glimpse into the theory and application of the different fields of materials science and gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the discipline and the way it is implemented in every-day life.