Fundamentals of Ceramics (Series in Materials Science and Engineering)

Rating:
Summary: Barsoum's text
Review: Barsoum's text, "Fundamentals of Ceramics", is the best theoretical treatment of materials science that I am familiar with. He provides in-depth coverage of many mat-sci principles and derivations, from the elementary to the advanced. Caveat emptor, however, as there are also many mistakes in this book. Barsoum would do a great service to the mat-sci community by updating this text and publishing a new edition that corrects the mistakes and provides a more thorough explanation of experimental principles to compliment his theoretical information.

Rating:
Summary: Barsoum's text
Review: Barsoum's text, "Fundamentals of Ceramics", is the best theoretical treatment of materials science that I am familiar with. He provides in-depth coverage of many mat-sci principles and derivations, from the elementary to the advanced. Caveat emptor, however, as there are also many mistakes in this book. Barsoum would do a great service to the mat-sci community by updating this text and publishing a new edition that corrects the mistakes and provides a more thorough explanation of experimental principles to compliment his theoretical information.

Rating:
Summary: No Books in the Field Compare
Review: Dr. Barsoum has covered all the bases in this well thought out and beautifully organized book! The author makes the field of ceramics interesting even to people new to the field. This book was used in a course I took, and I will not sell it because it is such an authoritative reference source. There are no other books that compare to Fundamentals of Ceramics.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent broad based intro text
Review: This text is very clearly written, and an absolute must as a reference for the fundamentals of ceramics. The text ties basic priciples of physics to the structure and behavior of ceramics. The text is ideal for late undergrad, early graduate studies - and is also perfect for scientists and engineers without a background in Materials Engineering *because* it draws on basic physics to clearly cover the topic. Especially useful are the numerous examples within the chapters to highlight important ideas, and the last six chapters - which give important infrmation on electrical, optical, and mechanical properties of ceramics.