Materials: A Very Short Introduction

The study of materials and their properties forms an important area of research. Christopher Hall introduces the field of material science using gold, sand, and string - familiar things that represent the big families of metals, ceramics, and polymers. By explaining their properties, how materials are created, and the processes involved in their fabrication into objects, he shows how materials science brings together engineering and technology with physics, chemistry, and biology. He also shows how materials influence communications, the media, architecture, building, and the fine arts.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Christopher Hall was appointed to the University of Edinburgh as its first Professor of Materials in 2000, and played a leading role in establishing the integrated School of Engineering in 2004. He was awarded the first Senior Brian Mercer award by the Royal Society in 2001 for his work on water transport, elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2010, and in 2013 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.