Finally, a book on materials science for the masses. Our fascination with great disasters is here turned by Dr Nicholson into a perfect entry point into the basics of materials science. Through examinations of the TWA 800 crash, the Challenger shuttle disaster, the Chernobyl meltdown, and the Titanic's loss, we are given a brief glimpse into the theory and application of the different fields of materials science and gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the discipline and the way it is implemented in everyday life.