Physics of ice. By Victor F. Petrenko and Robert W. Whitworth. Pp. xiii + 373. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Price US$ 65.00 (paper). ISBN 0 19 851894 3.

A paperback reprint of the book of the same title published in 1999. The 13 chapters in this excellent book cover all aspects of the physical properties of ice in its various manifestations and serve to remind us of the complexity of this material and its importance. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between crystalline structure and the properties of the water molecule. A penultimate chapter, of general interest, Ice in nature, offers a wealth of observations on ice on and in land, sea, air and the solar system. A useful bibliography and 43 pages of references underline the widespread study ice attracts.