Xiao (materials, U. of Manchester, UK) and Ralph (engineering and design, Brunel U., UK) assemble 10 articles describing current research on ceramic materials and developments in ceramic sciences and technology. Coverage encompasses thermal barrier coatings on nickel superalloy substrates; silicon nitride ceramics; the integration of piezoelectric ceramics into microelectrochemical systems; the use of microwaves in processing; ceramic and glass matrix composites containing carbon nanotubes; stresses in multilayered ceramics; nano-scale metrology for the characterization of materials; microstrucutral modeling; processing, microstructure, and properties of nanograin barium titanate ceramics; and other topics. Contributors work in materials science and engineering and ceramic physics in the UK, US, and Asia. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)