Book excerpt: The focus of the book is the modification of surfaces to tailor them for a specific purpose. Using this method of surface modification, materials chosen for their bulk properties (tensile strength, temperature stability, density, price can be optimized for any particular application, which can lead to improved hardness, biological inertness or activity, corrosion resistance, low or high friction or adhesion, water repellency or wettability, or catalytic activity. The works of the author — many of his crucial papers are included — touches upon these surface properties and spans fields including catalysis, analytical surface science, self-assembled monolayers, tribology, biomaterials, superhydrophobicity and polymer coatings.