The 'best' of the ASM Handbook in a single volume. If you only own one book on metals and their alloys, this is it. The definitive Desk Edition - a complete revision of ASM's perennial best seller, packed with new and updated information. Highly practical (avoids theoretical content), assumes minimal prior knowledge. We've taken ASM's bestselling book and made it even better! The original Desk Edition was published in 1984, but the second edition contains about 60 per cent new and improved information published in the ASM Handbooks over the past 14 years - making this the definitive Desk Edition. Parts one through five comprehensively cover more than a decade worth of information in the field of metals. Special care has been taken to include new information and update existing text. Contents include: General Information Irons, Steels and High-Performance Alloys Nonferrous Alloys and Special Purpose Materials Processing Testing, Inspection, Characterization and Quality Control.