In the interest of transparency, MRS is a co-publisher of this title. However, this review was requested and reviewed by an independent Book Review Board.

This book by two acclaimed experts contains an excellent account of the origins and implications of imperfections in crystalline materials, and offers a vivid introduction to the behavior of defects in crystalline materials. The presentation of concepts is superb and is guided by a thorough description of the fundamentals of the chemistry, mechanics, and thermodynamics of defects in solids. The book is distinguished from other solid-state physics and chemistry approaches by illustrating the influence of atomic and microstructural irregularities on macroscopic properties. The contextual elaborations are refreshing and easy to grasp due to descriptive illustrations and an intuitive style reinforced by mathematical derivations. The authors emphasize the importance of the book in preparing materials science and engineering students to understand the behavior of defects in crystalline compounds, but the book is equally suited as a well-configured introduction to specialists and researchers working in the field of materials science and related disciplines.

The book begins with an introductory chapter on the fundamentals of crystal chemistry as an effective way to describe not only the crystal systems, but also to reinforce critical interdependence of composition and microstructure on the properties manifested by engineered materials. The book then divides into four thematic sections.

Part I describes the basic principles and equations underlying stress, strain, and elasticity in solids that are critically important in the study of imperfections. Part II focuses on theoretical background and fundamental principles of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics governing the distribution and motion of defects in solid matter under external or internal stresses and their implications on material properties. For instance, the flow of vacancies gives rise to creep deformation of crystalline materials. Part III introduces the geometrical properties of dislocations and the rules governing dislocation mechanics. In particular, the chapters in this section rationalize the understanding of the orientational relationships and energy of dislocations responsible for dislocation mobility. Part IV advances the relationship between dislocations and intergranular arrangements in polycrystalline materials to discuss the orientation, energies, and elastic fields of grain boundaries and their influence in modifying material behavior.

Through its well-chosen selection of topics and explanation of theoretical principles with practical insights, this book serves as a useful resource for students and researchers engaged in materials science and engineering. Each chapter includes a summary and an elaborate exercise section for the reader to analyze and apply the concepts. The book’s figures and tables are well done. References are adequate, although they do not include recent work from the past four or five years regarding new insights into coupled grain-boundary motion in metals that results in structural multiplicity for similar chemical compositions.

For future editions, the authors might consider including sections on the role and response of defects in governing the performance of functional materials (conductivity, light absorption, catalytic activity) and engineering concepts to create defects (doping, strain, laser patterning, high energy radiation) that would make this book more comprehensive and an enlightening resource for research scientists and engineers alike. However, this minor limitation does not affect the importance and impact of this authoritative book that excels at all levels of presentation due to its integrated and comprehensive approach to the subject matter. This book was a delight to read.

Reviewer: Sanjay Mathur of the Institute of Inorganic and Materials Chemistry, University of Cologne, Germany.