For graduate students and researchers in condensed matter physics, chemical physics, materials science, and engineering, Singh (Banaras Hindu U.) reviews the literature reporting developments over the past three decades concerning the nature of liquid crystals and their application to various purposes. He generally assumes readers to be new to the materials, but does delve deeply into a few topics for readers with considerable background in them. After discussing the main types and classification, distribution functions and order parameters, and physical properties; he surveys the various types; and concludes by examining defects and textures.