Book excerpt: This first-of-its-kind four-volume book series, Amino Acids: Insights and Roles in Heterocyclic Chemistry, provides readers with up-to-date information on alpha-amino acids, the potential challenges in working with alpha-amino acids, the protecting groups for the carboxyl, amino and side chain groups of the amino acids, and the most popular heterocyclic compounds that are originating from alpha-amino acids. These heterocyclic compounds include hydantoins, thiohydantoins (including 2-thiohydantoins, 4-thiohydantoins, 2,4-dithiohydantoins), 2,5-diketopiperazines, N-carboxyanhydrides, N-thiocarboxyanhydrides, sydnones, sydnonimines, azlactones, pseudoazlactones, and oxazolidin-5-ones. This is the first resource to comprehensively collect all the heterocycles that can be directly prepared from alpha-amino acids. In addition, almost all kinds of synthetic methods for a particular type of heterocycles from alpha-amino acids are included, along with the detailed mechanistic discussions and experimental procedures. Volume 1: Protecting Groups collects and discusses the 260 protecting groups relating to amino acids, which have been organized by carboxyl group, amino group, and side chain groups. The conditions to introduce these protecting groups as well as their deprotecting procedures have also been incorporated, along with the physical properties, solvent effects, and temperature effects on the solubility of amino acids. It presents the solubility of glycine and phenylalanine in a variety of solvent systems to show the impact on amino acid, where glycine generally represents the polar amino acid whereas phenylalanine represents the amino acid of non-polar side chain. In Volume 2: Hydantoins, Thiohydantoins, and 2,5-Diketopiperazines, the author has compiled the three IUPAC accepted nomenclature systems for heterocyclic compounds, which will be very useful for readers working in the heterocyclic chemistry field for giving the synthesized molecules their correct names. In addition, three groups of heterocyclic compounds, i.e., hydantoins, thiohydantoins (including 2-thiohydantoin, 4-thiohydantoin and 2,4-dithiohydantoin), and 2,5-diketopiperazines, have been organized with updated literature information. Particularly, all three groups of heterocyclic compounds have demonstrated many important biological activities, particularly anticancer and antibacterial activities. On the other hand, these three groups of heterocycles can be applied as substrates to make other chemical derivatives, particularly novel unnatural amino acids. All their reactivities have been compiled and updated. These will be very valuable for readers who have been working in this area or have interest in this area. Volume 3: N-Carboxyanhydrides, N-Thiocarboxyanhydrides, and Sydnones presents up-to-date detailed information on two types of heterocyclic compounds that are originated from alpha-amino acids: NCAs/NTAs and sydnones/sydnonimines. The volume also covers the more than 10 initiating systems for the NCA monomers to undergo the ring-opening polymerization, which are very useful for readers in order to make living polypeptides/polypeptoids. In addition, the method to characterize these prepared polypeptides/polypeptoids are included. Particularly, two modern mass spectrometric techniques (MALDI-TOF and ESI-TOF) have been explained with detailed examples, where the elucidation of molecular weight of protein based on the ESI-TOF spectra have been given with a practical example as well as the theory that is based on, a unique feature of the volume. Volume 4: Azlactones and Oxazolidin-5-ones discusses two types of simple heterocycles that can be prepared from alpha-amino acids, i.e., azlactones (also known as oxazolones, 4-unsaturated azlactones included) and oxazolidin-5-ones. These heterocyclic compounds behave differently in both biological and chemical properties, and their biological activities are presented in a well-organized manner in this volume. This unique 4-volume set thoroughly covers more than seven types of heterocyclic compounds that are originated from alpha-amino acids, providing carefully compiled updated information with detailed examples. The author has shared many thoughtful insights based on his strong background in physical organic chemistry. The volumes will be highly valuable for graduate students and senior students, as well as for professors and researchers working in the field of medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry, organic chemistry, organic synthesis, heterocycles, and proteins and peptides.