Essentials of Polymer Science and Engineering [Hardcover]

Paul C. Painter (Author), Michael M. Coleman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1932078754 | ISBN-13: 978-1932078756 | Publication Date: June 1, 2008

T his book is at once an introduction to polymers and an imaginative invitation to the field of polymer science and engineering as a whole, including plastics and plastics processing. Created by two of the best-known scientists in America, the text explains and helps students as well as professionals appreciate all major topics in polymer chemistry and engineering: polymerization synthesis and kinetics, applications of probability theory, structure and morphology, thermal and solution properties, mechanical properties, biological properties and plastics processing methods. Essentials of Polymer Science and Engineering, designed to supercede many standard texts (including the authors'), is unique in a number of ways. Special attention has been paid to explaining fundamentals and providing high-level visuals. In addition, the text is replete with engaging profiles of polymer chemists and their discoveries. The book explains the science of polymer engineering, and at the same time, tells the story of the field from its beginnings to the present, indicating when and how polymer discoveries have played a role in history and society. The book comes well equipped with study questions and problems and is suitable for a one- or two-semester course for chemistry students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The authors will have availible an Instructors workbook, which includes a Power Point Presentation, availible on a CD-ROM by end of summer (2008).

Editorial Reviews

Review

I love the impact of the color...most texts about polymers are DULL looking and thus don t encourage student readership. The problem sets are great. I definitely plan to adopt this text. Thanks for a new outlook on plastics! Robert Chasnov Professor of Engineering and Assistant to the Chair Cedarville University --Robert Chasnov, Professor of Engineering and Assistant to the Chair, Cedarville University

It provides access to polymer technology in a very "user friendly" manner. I can recommend it to my students with the certain knowledge that they will not be disheartened by the way the technical content is presented by Mike and Paul. In New Zealand we conduct seminars for non-graduate students from the plastics industry. This text 'connects' with these students with its excellent treatment of processing techniques. --Peter Plimmer, Senior Research Fellow in Materials, University of Auckland

I especially liked the two-column layout, color diagrams and the processing section, which will be very useful for both students and our industry-based courses." --Neil Edmonds, University of Auckland

About the Author

The authors are two of the best-known professors in the field of polymer science. They are known for witty and assessable style of writing. Paul C. Painter, Professor, Penn State University Michael M. Coleman, Professor Emeritus, Penn State University

Product Details

• Hardcover: 542 pages
• Publisher: DEStech Publications, Inc (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932078754
• ISBN-13: 978-1932078756
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #231,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings, May 1, 2011

By 

MSE fanatic "MSE fanatic" (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essentials of Polymer Science and Engineering (Hardcover)

I used this for a undergraduate MSE polymers course.

Pros: 1. Extremely easy to read.
2. Great historical inserts.
3. full fledged color and gloss finish.

Cons: 1. Too EXPENSIVE for this kind of text.
2. Derivations are funky and incomplete.
3. Perhaps the most annoying, there are no example problems which always bothers me.(Aside: in my opinion this means the
authors are just regurgitating information they have acquired over their career's rather than critically giving insight to
the possible real world applications.)
3. Problem sets are weak.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Look for a different book, December 5, 2010

By 

Mark (Salt Lake City, UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essentials of Polymer Science and Engineering (Hardcover)

This is one of the worst textbooks I have ever had to rely on for a class. Perhaps the greatest failing of the work is that the authors choose to use a sort of cheeky humor as a replacement for actual explanation. Don't get me wrong, I believe humor should be included in most books to lighten the mood and prevent students from being discouraged, but this book uses it as a replacement for explanation instead of a supplement. On many of the more complicated concepts the book seems to just wave its hands and say: "look, here's the answer... just trust us on this one." Beyond this, the overall tone of the writing is a bit condescending (phrases like "it should be obvious at this point" etc), which makes for a frustrating reading experience.

This delivery coupled with seemingly non-sensical picture choices (the author's dog... really?) equates to a terrible introduction to the world of polymer science.

As a side note: this is not simply my own opinion. In a recent poll of our class (which is roughly 20 students) 100% of students said that this book was inadequate. Not a single person believed that this book was a useful tool.