Book excerpt: An English translation of the 1994 second edition, this book is an outstanding source of etchants of all types, and electrolytic polishing solutions used by metallographers to reveal the structure of nearly any material ever prepared and examined. The introductory text on specimen preparation and theory of etching has been expanded and updated to cover all common procedures as well as some infrequently used methods. Safety procedures and precautions is a valuable addition as well.