Book excerpt: Progress in the Science and Technology of the Rare Earths, Volume 2 is a collection of papers that details the advancement in various areas of rare earth technology. The coverage of the text includes the practical applications and methods of preparation of rare earth materials. The selection also covers topics about the various properties of rare earths, such as the molecular field model of exchange coupling in rare earth materials; thermodynamic and magnetic properties of the rare earth chalcogenides and pnictides; and structural and solid state chemistry of pure rare earth oxides. The book will be of great use to individuals involved in the research and development of technologies that utilize rare earth materials.