This is a textbook for students new to solid-state physics or materials science, and covers topics ranging from basic crystal structure to superconductivity. Each chapter features a set of problems, some of which extend the work in the text.

In this third edition the author has added a chapter on the properties of amorphous solids. Progress in this field over the past decade has made it one of the most exciting areas of solid state studies - no longer can a book on solids deal only with crystalline materials.

The text has also been revised to amplify or clarify certain points, and there are new short sections on low-dimensional semiconducting structures and magnetic materials. Extra problems have been added, some involving the use of computers or programmable calculators, which enable readers to tackle more significant practical problems.