"The whole book is an easy-to-read introduction into some of the most important and interesting parts of materials science. It focuses on the main issues and treats these in a clear and precise manner … . A number of end-of-chapter problems and well-selected self-assessment questions (with answers) will enable students to test their understanding of the text … . [Some] textbooks … try to introduce microstructural characterization and micromechanical modelling at the undergraduate stage, but many statements … turn out to be incorrect ... . This is what the present book carefully avoids and what might be a key to its success."- Materials World, Vol. 13, No. 7, July 2005