1.1. Polymers: The Industrial and Economic Reality Compared to Traditional Materials1.2. What Are Thermoplastics, Thermoplastic Elastomer, Thermosets, Composites, and Hybrids?1.3. Plastics: An Answer to the Designer’s Main Problems1.4. Outline of the Technical and Economic Possibilities of Processing1.5. The Final Material/Process/Cost Compromise1.6. Useful Source Examples for Initiation of In-Depth StudiesFurther Reading