Materials are the stuff of design From the very beginning of human history materials have been taken from the natural world & shaped modified & adapted for everything from primitive tools to modern electronics This renowned book by noted materials engineering author Mike Ashby & industrial designer Kara Johnson explores the role of materials & materials processing in product design with a particular emphasis on creating both desired aesthetics & functionality The new edition features even more of the highly useful "materials profiles" that give critical design processing performance & applications criteria for each material in question The reader will find information ranging from the generic & commercial names of each material its physical & mechanical properties its chemical properties its common uses how it is typically made & processed & even its average price & with enhanced photographs & drawings the reader is taken even more closely to the way real design is done by real designers selecting the optimum materials for a successful product