Ali S. Argon is Quentin Berg Professor Emeritus at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is recognized world-wide as an authority on the mechanical behaviour of engineering solids, he has published over 300 papers and three books and he is one of the internationally most widely cited authors in materials science. He has received a number of honours and awards including membership in the US National Academy of Engineering, Fellowship in the American Physical Society, Distinguished Life Membership in the Sigma Alpha Mu (International Professional Society of Materials and Engineering), the Heyn Medal of the German Materials Society and a US Senior Scientist Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Society for Research in Germany.

• 1. Structure of non-polymeric glasses; 2. Structure of solid polymers; 3. Overview of deformation and fracture mechanisms; 4. Small strain elastic response; 5. Linear visco-elasticity of polymers; 6. Rubber elasticity; 7. Inelastic behaviour of non-polymeric glasses; 8. Inelastic behaviour of glassy polymers; 9. Plasticity of semi-crystalline polymers; 10. Deformation instabilities in extensional plastic flow of polymers; 11. Crazing in glassy homo and hetero polymers; 12. Fracture of polymers; 13. Toughening of brittle polymers.

'This is an excellent book on inelastic deformation and fracture of polymers from a mechanistic point of view. It is written by a leading researcher who has studied this subject at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for more than thirty years. A large part of the book is based on the author's own contribution to the field. It is concisely written yet contains sufficient details. This book is a good reference for graduate students as well as engineers in the field.' SuPing Lyu, MRS Bulletin

Ali S. Argon is Quentin Berg Professor Emeritus at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is recognized world-wide as an authority on the mechanical behaviour of engineering solids, he has published over 300 papers and three books and he is one of the internationally most widely cited authors in materials science. He has received a number of honours and awards including membership in the US National Academy of Engineering, Fellowship in the American Physical Society, Distinguished Life Membership in the Sigma Alpha Mu (International Professional Society of Materials and Engineering), the Heyn Medal of the German Materials Society and a US Senior Scientist Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Society for Research in Germany.

• 1. Structure of non-polymeric glasses; 2. Structure of solid polymers; 3. Overview of deformation and fracture mechanisms; 4. Small strain elastic response; 5. Linear visco-elasticity of polymers; 6. Rubber elasticity; 7. Inelastic behaviour of non-polymeric glasses; 8. Inelastic behaviour of glassy polymers; 9. Plasticity of semi-crystalline polymers; 10. Deformation instabilities in extensional plastic flow of polymers; 11. Crazing in glassy homo and hetero polymers; 12. Fracture of polymers; 13. Toughening of brittle polymers.

'This is an excellent book on inelastic deformation and fracture of polymers from a mechanistic point of view. It is written by a leading researcher who has studied this subject at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for more than thirty years. A large part of the book is based on the author's own contribution to the field. It is concisely written yet contains sufficient details. This book is a good reference for graduate students as well as engineers in the field.' SuPing Lyu, MRS Bulletin

Ali S. Argon is Quentin Berg Professor Emeritus at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is recognized world-wide as an authority on the mechanical behaviour of engineering solids, he has published over 300 papers and three books and he is one of the internationally most widely cited authors in materials science. He has received a number of honours and awards including membership in the US National Academy of Engineering, Fellowship in the American Physical Society, Distinguished Life Membership in the Sigma Alpha Mu (International Professional Society of Materials and Engineering), the Heyn Medal of the German Materials Society and a US Senior Scientist Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Society for Research in Germany.

• 1. Structure of non-polymeric glasses; 2. Structure of solid polymers; 3. Overview of deformation and fracture mechanisms; 4. Small strain elastic response; 5. Linear visco-elasticity of polymers; 6. Rubber elasticity; 7. Inelastic behaviour of non-polymeric glasses; 8. Inelastic behaviour of glassy polymers; 9. Plasticity of semi-crystalline polymers; 10. Deformation instabilities in extensional plastic flow of polymers; 11. Crazing in glassy homo and hetero polymers; 12. Fracture of polymers; 13. Toughening of brittle polymers.

'This is an excellent book on inelastic deformation and fracture of polymers from a mechanistic point of view. It is written by a leading researcher who has studied this subject at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for more than thirty years. A large part of the book is based on the author's own contribution to the field. It is concisely written yet contains sufficient details. This book is a good reference for graduate students as well as engineers in the field.' SuPing Lyu, MRS Bulletin