The textbook, written by a well-known specialist from Germany with many years of teaching practice, outlines the basics of modern materials science. At the same time, fundamental concepts, representations and patterns from other areas of knowledge - physics, chemistry, mathematics, as well as crystallography and metallurgy - are fully used. Various models are considered, including on the basis of phase diagrams and the theory of chemical bonding. Much attention is paid to the use of thermodynamic approaches in the study of materials. The theory of defects in crystalline solids, crystallization and recrystallization processes, methods for controlling the composition of composite materials, structural organization in glasses and polymers are discussed in detail. For undergraduate and graduate students of universities, as well as other universities that train specialists in the field of materials sciences.