Book excerpt: This book will enable students to navigate through materials science and engineering courses with increased motivation, reflection and depth. It contains a series of guides that will help students learn about materials while enhancing their thinking and learning skills.The first chapter serves as an introduction to the general concepts and terminology of materials science. The remaining chapters focus on specific materials—polymers, metals, ceramics, biomaterials, composites, natural materials, and electronic and magnetic materials. Throughout the text, expert contributors highlight key concepts and ideas and how they relate to other areas of science.Navigating the Material is based on current educational theory in higher education, which puts the student at the center of learning and encourages learning with understanding.· Introduces general concepts and provides a thorough review of specific types of materials· Based on current educational theory that helps students not only learn important facts, but also helps them understand core concepts and improve their thinking and learning skills· Adopts a style that is appealing to faculty and students and is enhanced with a large number of illustrations