Book excerpt: "While many books focus on the cutting of metals, The Science and Engineering of Cutting is the only one devoted to the cutting of materials generally, creating the first unified science and engineering of cutting for engineers, bioengineers, medics and manufacturers, and anyone who has to separate materials. Starting with just enough of the basic of fracture mechanics to enable non-experts to use the book, it considers all solids - from hard, stiff and tough materials like metals, ceramics, minerals, wood, plastics and composites to soft floppy solids like biological materials, flesh, skin and bone. The mechanics of cutting (toughness, fracture, deformation, plasticity, tearing, grating, chewing, etc.) have wide ranging implications for engineers, medics, manufacturers, and process engineers, making this text useful to a wide range of engineers and specialists." --Book Jacket.