Book excerpt: Now in paperback, this classic book is addresssed to all lovers of number theory. On the one hand, it gives a comprehensive introduction to constructive algebraic number theory, and is therefore especially suited as a textbook for a course on that subject. On the other hand many parts go beyond an introduction an make the user familliar with recent research in the field. For experimental number theoreticians new methods are developed and new results are obtained which are of great importance for them. Both computer scientists interested in higher arithmetic and those teaching algebraic number theory will find the book of value.