This text is written for a second-level materials science course. It assumes that the students have had a previous course covering crystal structures, phase diagrams, diffusion, Miller indices, polymers, ceramics, metals, and other basic topics. Many of those topics are discussed in further depth, and new topics and concepts are introduced. The coverage and order of chapters are admittedly somewhat arbitrary. However, each chapter is more or less self-contained so those using this text may omit certain topics or change the order of presentation.

The chapters on microstructural analysis, crystal symmetry, Miller–Bravais indices for hexagonal crystals, and stereographic projection cover material that is not usually covered in introductory materials science courses. The treatment of crystal defects and phase diagrams is in greater depth than the treatments in introductory texts. The relation of phase diagrams to free energy will be entirely new to most students. Although diffusion is covered in most introductory texts, the coverage here is deeper. It includes the Kirkendall effect, Darken's equation, and diffusion in the presence of two phases.

The topics of surfaces and sintering will be new to most students. The short chapter on bonding and the chapters on amorphous materials and liquid crystals introduce new concepts. These are followed by treatment of molecular morphology. The final chapters are on magnetic materials, porous and novel materials, and the shape memory.

This text may also be useful to graduate students in materials science and engineering who have not had a course covering these materials.