A little over ?ve years have passed since the ?rst edition of this book appeared in print. Seems like an instant but also eternity, especially considering numerous developments in the hardware and software that have made it from the laboratory test beds into the real world of powder diffraction. This prompted a revision, which had to be beyond cosmetic limits. The book was, and remains focused on standard laboratory powder diffractometry. It is still meant to be used as a text for teaching students about the capabilities and limitations of the powder diffraction method. We also hope that it goes beyond a simple text, and therefore, is useful as a reference to practitioners of the technique. The original book had seven long chapters that may have made its use as a text - convenient. So the second edition is broken down into 25 shorter chapters. The ?rst ?fteen are concerned with the fundamentals of powder diffraction, which makes it much more logical, considering a typical 16-week long semester. The last ten ch- ters are concerned with practical examples of structure solution and re?nement, which were preserved from the ?rst edition and expanded by another example - R solving the crystal structure of Tylenol .
Reviews

From a review of the first edition:

"The book is well written and organized. The authors' enthusiasm and dedication to the subject matter are clearly evident. I find the book to be not only an excellent introduction to structural characterization, but also a valuable introduction to the world of the working crystallographer. The text is rich in references to internet resources, software, literature, organizations, databases, and institutions that x-ray researchers employ routinely. As a class text the book could be used in an introductory course for third or fourth year undergraduates in materials science, chemistry, physics, or geochemistry. The detailed structural treatments may be too much for the typical introductory x-ray diffraction course, but students would be adding a valuable text for future reference to their libraries. The sections are also ideal for more advanced coursework at the graduate level. Beyond the classroom, any researcher desiring structural information on materials would benefit from this book." - Materials Today, July/August 2004

Amazon.com readers:

http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Diffraction-Structural-Characterization-Materials/dp/0387241477/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229536007&sr=8-1

Book Information
ISBN 9780387095783
Author Vitalij Pecharsky
Format Paperback
Page Count 744
Imprint Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
Publisher Springer-Verlag New York Inc.