Rubber elasticity is an important sub-field of polymer science. This book is in many ways a sequel to the authors' previous, more introductory book,
Rubberlike Elasticity: A Molecular Primer
(Wiley-Interscience, 1988), and will in some respects replace the now classic book by L.R.G. Treloar,
The Physics of Rubber Elasticity
(Oxford, 1975). The present book has much in common with its predecessor, in particular its strong emphasis on molecular concepts and theories. Similarly, only equilibrium properties are covered in any detail. Though this book treats much of the same subject matter, it is a more comprehensive, more up-to-date, and somewhat more sophisticated treatment.