Customer Reviews

Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a terrific book on the subject of Materials Science.
This is the sort of book more engineers should read, as they lack knowledge in this department. It covers metals, ceramics, plastics and composites as well as briefly covering other materials such as semiconductors. It talks about fabrication processes, microstructures as well as the properties of typical materials - for example with metal alloys, casting, forging etc are discussed as well as phase diagrams.

The last section discusses the application of various materials for use in several different parts. In the edition I have, they are automobile valve springs, an artificial femoral component, and space shuttle tiles, as well as the strength-weight optimisation of various beams. It goes into each aspect of the design, for example how many stress cycles the valve will undergo in the typical lifetime, and give a specific failure rate. Quite interesting.

There are also sections on thermal properties, electrical properties, atomic lattices, and more... I can't remember, it's been a while since I last looked through it properly. In summary, this book is packed with sufficient information to give you general knowledge of each field covered and get you interested, without going overboard -something that most university textbooks tend to do.

I purchased this book for a course in materials science. The course was structured as an independent study. I was responsible for studying the materials and I would take quizzes through e-mail. This book was my primary source of instruction for the course. Where the book could not support me in the quizzes, it was necessary to seek information elsewhere. My judgement of this book, therefore, is based on its thoroughness, mathematical rigorousness and its ability to explain concepts. Most of the topics covered in the course were well presented by the book. In particular, chapter 3, on the Structure of Crystalline Solids, was very well done. In general the writing style is good. The use of many figures and diagrams enhanced the explanations of physical phenomenon. I highly recommend it for an intuitive viewpoint into material science. Where the book falls down is in the realm of calculation. There are too few formula given. Where they are given, there are too few examples on their use. Chapter 6 on the Mechanical Properties of Metals, and chapter 9 on Phase Diagrams, are sections that failed in this regard. However, the books lack of over-reliance on formula and mathematics is a great enhancement for those just beginning an exploration of the science or a career in engineering. Too many numbers on a page would be a discouragement to those wishing to enjoy the material. Therefore, I would recommend this book as a sophomore level introduction to Material Science, for which, in fact, it has been written.

Materials by Callister is a detailed, yet verbose book. I used it as a textbook for a 1st year Materials course at university, and while the book contains a lot of detail, most of it is contained within great slabs of written language, often without the aid of diagrams.

This may be fine for senior undergraduate or postgraduate students, but for beginner students it simply isn't the way to teach a subject. My suggestions for future editions would be to tone down the language to a more basic level, and to include more diagrams to aid the student in conceptualisation.

Don't waste your money. William D. Callister has rewritten this book into many editions, some of which occur under different titles. The price for this book also seems to be increasing disproportionately with the addition of valuable information (the book is just overpriced). I would recommend this book to anyone perusing a degree other then materials science. The book does provide a good amount of breadth and is a good reference if this is the only materials science course work that you will ever do. If you are a materials scientist then taking a class with this book as the primary text will only result in redundancy. The book is an overview of processing and properties that doesn't provide enough background theory and explanation to develop an understanding of materials science. I used this book in my sophomore year in my very first materials science class and it is my understanding that most other materials science programs use this book in the same fashion. The catch of the book is that until you have studied thermodynamics, crystallography, and mechanical properties in your later years of study this book only forces you to memorize rules, properties, and theories without understanding why or how such things exist. The book couldn't even be called a top down approach to materials science because it doesn't go down at all. All of the information in this book will be reiterated in later course work using other texts that will actually help you to understand in a more complete way the concepts of materials science.

The depth, clarity with which he surveys materials science concepts will make this text indispensable for both studying and practicing engineers for years to come. Without a doubt, this is one of the most well written textbooks I have ever had the pleasure of reading.All the figures are well drawn, the green fonts here and there seem quiet. All the tough theories, concepts just jump out of the line and hit my forehead.

This is the best textbook for sophore with a materials science major. It gives you a whole spectrum of the materials from the very fundemantal standpoint like electronic structure. I also like its plain and straight-forward style. The author really tried hard to boil down the complicate theories and to make it friendly to the beginners of this area. For instance, when talking about mechanical properties, he avoided a lot of scary mathematic equation but still keep its original flavor. It is an art that you use non-fat and sweetener but the dish is still delicious. I also like the format of this book. All the figures are well drawn, the green fonts here and there seem quiet. When I read this book, I feel that all the tough theories, concepts just jump out of the line and hit my forehead. This is one of my favorie textbook. It is the best book for sophmore. Jane Y. Howe Ph.D. candidate NYS College of ceramics at alfred university

This is an excellent textbook, particularly contrasted with other alternatives. The subjects are presented in a rational, systematic manner with the appropriate emphasis put on the necessary fundamental concepts. The example problems are relevant and appropriately challenging.

Having audited a course using this text, and having since used it as a reference volume, I am particularly appreciative of the clarity of explanations and the balance of information necessary for introduction vs. the more detailed excursions that are more appropriate to specialized texts.

I have to admit that I never used the associated software, and was mildly amused by the similarity of the various subject icons with the "for Dummies" series of books. Other than these minor complaints, the text is flawless for its purposes.

The quality of Callister's educational approach on basic Materials Science is out of question. His long time experience in the area is reflected by the success of the prior editions of this book. As Materials Science evolves quite fast -almost day by day- textbooks need to adapt. In this respect, Callister has demonstrated to be on top of the wake always.

My concerns arise when I compare this edition with the prior one and find very few enhancements in terms of the text itself. The only noticeable aspect in the printed edition is the use of more colors in the graphs. The publisher (Wiley) tries to justify the steep price of this book by placing online additional perks for educators and students. Honestly, although I may sound "old-schoolish," I believe that all that is unnecessary and cannot justify overpricing this resource.

As a college professor of a minority school, I do not feel fine by requiring this expensive book to my students. Yes, it can -in time- become a reference for the students; but then, as a reference, the web perks will become unusable since Wiley will keep changing them with newer editions. Most likely, due to its price, most of the students will try to sell their copies. Indeed, they will realize that there are better "reference" texts than this one.

Although i found it to be mundane at times, it was a great book when it came to teaching the material. the examples are made very clear and the text cleanly explains anything that you may find confusing. very highly recommended

Dr Callister book shows his unprecedented skill in the art of teaching. The breadth, depth, and clarity with which he surveys materials science concepts will make this textbook indispensable for both studying and practicing engineers for years to come. Without a doubt, this is one of the most well written textbooks I have ever had the pleasure of reading.