This broad introduction to some of the principal areas of the physical phenomena in solid materials includes the electronic, mechanical, magnetic and optical properties of all materials. These subjects are treated in depth and provide the reader with the tools necessary for an understanding of the varied phenomena of materials. Particular emphasis is given to the reaction of materials to specific stimuli, such as the application of electric and magnetic fields. The final chapter of the book provides a broad introduction to nanotechnologies and uses some of the main tools of solid state physics to explain the behavior of nanomaterials and why they are of importance for future technologies.