Ž . Materials and Design 23 2002 119120 Book reviews Metal foams: a design guide Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK, ISBN 0-7506- 7219-6, Published 2000, Hardback, 251 pp., $75.00 Michael F. Ashby, Anthony Evans, Norman A. Fleck, Lorna J. Gibson, John W. Hutchinson, Hayden N.G. Wadley This design guide provides information on the novel mechanical, physical, thermal and acoustical properties of metal foams, their performance, their manufacture and their utilization in weight-dependent applications in various industries. The low density of these materials is achieved by creating gaseous pockets within the metal structure using several manufacturing processes. Therefore, these foams are able to offer significant weight savings relative to solid components fabricated by the traditional methods of casting or machining, for example. The book provides a succinct description of the field of metal foams while offering guidance on solution strategies for numerous design questions. The basis for the text is a presentation of the properties of metallic foams that facilitates comparison with traditional mate- rials and structures. Design guidelines are summarized, and illustrative examples and case studies serve to demonstrate their applications in practice. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the product real- ization process, potential applications for foams and literature sources that provide a general background to the field. In chapter 2, the focus of attention is the production processes employed to manufacture metal foams, and in chapter 3 their testing and characteriza- tion is described. The properties of these novel materi- als are then compared with the traditional structural materials in chapter 4, and the subsequent chapter provides an outline of analytical methods. These ideas are embellished in chapter 6 where formulae for ana- lyzing simple shapes are summarized. This treatment includes elastic deflections of beams and panels, buck- ling and other failure phenomena, torsional responses and contact stresses. Chapters 7, 8 and 9 consider the mechanical design of metal foams with a discussion of the definition of the yield surface of these materials through the development of constitutive equations, their response to cyclic loading and their response to loading at elevated temperatures. The subsequent chapter considers the design of sandwich structures with foam cores by presenting comparative studies with traditional designs. This is accomplished by considering strength-to-weight ratios and stiffness-to-weight ratios. The management of kinetic energy, vibrational energy and thermal energy comprise the foci of chapters 11, 12 and 13. Chapter 14 considers the electrical properties of foams in the context of design. In the subsequent chapter, the fabrication of foam parts is considered through a treatment of cutting, joining and finishing of foam structures. This leads naturally onto the topic of chapter 16, the viability of foam structures. Here a balance must be sought between performance and cost between technical and business functions. Chapter 17 provides a suite of case studies to illustrate the applica- tion of these new materials in practice. Suppliers of metal foams and web sites featuring them are the topics for chapters 18 and 19. This design guide should be featured in the libraries of all companies that routinely seek lightweight struc- tural designs. It’s easy to use, with graphical presenta- tions based on the successful visuals of Michael Ashby’s materials selection charts. Methodologies are ade- quately supported with lists of archival citations and web-based information. Brian S. Thompson, Professor and Departmental Design Co-ordinator, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State Uni  ersity, East Lansing, MI 48824-1226, USA. Ž . PII: S0261-3069 01 00049-8 Engineering design: a project-based introduction Clive L. Dym and Patrick Little, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York, ISBN 0-471-2896-0, published 2000, paperback 278 pages, $43.95 0261-306902$ - see front matter  2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Ž . PII: S 0 2 6 1 - 3 0 6 9 01 00050-4