Book excerpt: This is a well-established series for the publication of authoritative reviews on the methods and results of the application of quantitative physical and mathematical methods to organic chemistry. The authors are acknowledged experts in their particular fields, and the contributions give the reader an up-to-date account of different aspects of physical organic chemistry. In the pursuit of challenging problems of organic chemistry, the series encourages forward-looking reviews on a variety of topics, not all of which may as yet conform to conventional notions of the scope of the field.