Book excerpt: Scientific visualization is concerned with exploring data and information insuch a way as to gain understanding and insight into the data. This is a fundamental objective of much scientific investigation. To achieve this goal, scientific visualization utilises aspects in the areas of computergraphics, user-interface methodology, image processing, system design, and signal processing. This volume is intended for readers new to the field and who require a quick and easy-to-read summary of what scientific visualization is and what it can do. Written in a popular andjournalistic style with many illustrations it will enable readers to appreciate the benefits of scientific visualization and how current tools can be exploited in many application areas. This volume is indispensible for scientists and research workers who have never used computer graphics or other visual tools before, and who wish to find out the benefitsand advantages of the new approaches.