Summary:
From the Stone Age through the Bronze Age and the Iron Age to the present Age of Superstuff, human tools have become more powerful and versatile because of an ever-increasing selection of new materials. Until the publication of an adult book on the topic in 1997, SUPERSTUFF was the only popular book on materials science and engineering for readers of any age. It connects the application of materials -- semiconductors and superconductors, glass and ceramics, polymers, alloys, composites, and more -- to the scientific knowledge underlying their properties and their manufacture.

The American Institute of Physics Children's Science Writing Awards Committee commended the author with "special mention" for his efforts to convey this important subject to young readers.