Liquid crystals combine the material properties of solids with the flow properties of fluids. As such they have provided the foundation for a revolution in low-power, flat-panel display technology (LCDs). In this book, the essential elements of liquid crystal science are introduced and explained from the perspectives of both the chemist and the phycisist, making it the only available primer for liquid crystals. The text begins with an historical account of the discovery of liquid crystals and continues with a description of how different phases are generated and how different molecular architectures affect liquid crystalline properties.The rest of the book is concerned with understanding and explaining the properties of the various types of liquid crystal, and in the final part of the book, the technology of LCDs is discussed and illustrated. The book is a unique introductory level treatment of the science of liquid crystals. The text relies on only introductory level physics and chemistry as the foundation for understanding liquid crystal science.