Book excerpt: This title is designed to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of tribology. The book introduces the notion of a surface in tribology where a solid surface is described from topographical, structural, mechanical, and energetic perspectives. It also describes the principal techniques used to characterize and analyze surfaces. The title then discusses what may be called the fundamentals of tribology by introducing and describing the concepts of adhesion, friction, wear, and lubrication. The book focuses on the materials used in tribology, introducing the major classes of materials used, either in their bulk states or as coatings, including both protective layers and other coatings used for decorative purposes. Of especial importance to the tribology community are sections that provide the latest information on Nanotribology, Wear, Lubrication, and Wear-Corrosion: Tribocorrosion and Erosion-Corrosion.