Since the 1950s shock compression research contributed greatly to scientific knowledge and industrial technology. As a result, for example, our understanding of meteorite impacts has substantially improved, and shock processes have become standard industrial methods in materials synthesis and processing. Investigations of shock-compressed matter involve physics, electrical engineering, solid mechanics, metallurgy, geophysics and materials science. The description of shock-compressed matter presented here, which is derived from physical and chemical observations, differs significantly from the classical descriptions derived from strictly mechanical characteristics. This volume, with over 900 references, provides an introduction for scientists and engineers interested in the present state of shock compression science.