Book excerpt: Progress in the Science and Technology of the Rare Earths, Volume 1 is a 16-chapter text that brings together significant advances in understanding the scientific and technological aspects of rare earths. The first chapters deal with the geochemical properties, mass extraction, separation, fractionation, and solution chemistry of rare earths (RE). The next chapter related the U.S.S.R. efforts in delineating the chemistry of RE and in the discovery of other groups of substances for separation of RE mixtures. These topics are followed by discussions on phase equilibrium properties of RE and other oxides in mixed systems; the crystal chemistry of RE derivatives; physical and structural properties of alloys and intermetallic compounds; and the thermodynamic and magnetic properties of RE chalcogenides. The final chapter discusses the technical, industrial, and commercial applications of RE, with emphasis on their metallurgical potential. This book is of value to inorganic and organic chemists and researchers in the allied fields.