What sets this book apart from others on the introduction to super-conductivity and high-T_c materials is its simple and pragmatic approach. The authors describe all relevant superconducting phenomena and rely on the macroscopic Ginzburg-Landau theory to derive the most important results. Examples are chosen from selected conventional superconductors like NbTi and compared to those of high-T_c materials. The text should be of interest to students and researchers in all branches of science and engineering, with the possible exception of theoretical physicists, who may require a more mathematical approach.