 | Transmaterial: Materials that Redef rating:  asin: 1568985630 binding: Paperback list price: $30.00 USD amazon price: $19.80 USD |
Transmaterials is a fascinating look at the latest and greatest in materials. Set up as a catalogue, it is well organized, stylish, and it has information on potential applications, a few specs, and most importantly, supplier contact information.
This book would be tremendously useful for a manufacturer, anyone in construction or architecture, or the arts. Product developers will also likely find inspiration here.
However this is a good book even for the idly curious - it's a great survey of the state of the art in materials science. And if you like to tinker and build in your garage, workshop or basement, this is a great resource for getting your hands on some of the coolest new stuff. The purchase price isn't out of the way either.
I couldn't read this book without thinking of ways I wanted to use many of the materials. Although it is intended as a reference work, reading it from cover to cover is enjoyable and highly informative, and just flipping through a few pages may easily trigger a new idea.