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Abstract

Anyone interested in the element boron or refractory materials derived from this element will be delighted by the wealth of detailed information that is presented in this book. The material essentially reflects the state of the art as discussed at a 1972 meeting in Tbilisi, USSR. The contributions by 52 authors (33 separate articles) are grouped into three major sections, i.e., concerning theoretical aspects, preparation and general properties, and thirdly special applications. Most of the articles are written quite concise but are still extremely informative. As may be expected for any compilation of data involving that many contributors to a relatively limited topic, some duplication is apparent. Some articles are extremely specialized while others should find a wide range of interested readers, e.g., on the classification of borides, and on transition-metal borides. The entire works are presented in English. Unfortunately, some of the translations did not turn out too well and could stand improvement. Furthermore, numerous typing errors as well as consistent misspellings should have been eliminated in the proofs. Nevertheless this book is a very worthwhile addition to an institution's library; the rather stiff price for this compilation of (neatly typed) photo-reproduced articles is likely to limit purchases for a personal library. K. Niedenzu