The book is a useful reference for architects, builders, building surveyors and structural engineers and is an essential text book for professional students in these disciplines. Kenneth Thomas is well known in the construction industry for his many papers and articles on masonry and has for the past eleven years been a consulting engineer and building technologist specialising in masonry. He is a chartered structural engineer, a chartered builder and in 1970 was awarded a Master of Science degree by the University of Salford for his research into brickwork and materials. He was formerly Chief Technical Officer of the Brick Development Association; Head of Construction Technology at Birmingham Polytechnic (now the University of Central England) and Deputy Director of the Timber Research and Development Association. He has for many years served on numerous BSI, DOE and Professional Institutional committees and is a recipient of the Institution of Structural Engineers Oscar Faber Bronze Medal and the BSI's Distinguished Service Certificate.