Index: p. 333-339.

This is a book for electrical and electronic engineers, not for materials scientists. I have tried to render every explanation in its simplest and clearest form and especially I have included as many relevant examples as possible. If the reader finds him- or herself wondering why on earth an electrical or electronic engineer should need to know this or that, then I shall have failed. I have tried to make clear at every point the direct relevance of every topic to the reader's main course of study: electrical or electronic engineering. I hope, however, that some of the excitement I felt when I was researching this book—coming a complete innocent (in electrical terms) to the subject, and discovering so many fascinating things—I hope some of this excitement will communicate itself to you. Although the structure of the book is my own, the main topics were taken from the IEE suggested syllabus, which satisfies component E1A of an Electronic and Electrical first degree in the U.K. For those readers outside this country, E1A is the materials related part of the general engineering background which students receive in their first year.