Book excerpt: For more than a quarter century, Cotton and Wilkinson's Advanced Inorganic Chemistry has been the source that students and professional chemists have turned to for the background needed to understand current research literature in inorganic chemistry and aspects of organometallic chemistry. Like its predecessors, this updated Sixth Edition is organized around the periodic table of elements and provides a systematic treatment of the chemistry of all chemical elements and their compounds. It incorporates important recent developments with an emphasis on advances in the interpretation of structure, bonding, and reactivity.“/p> From the reviews of the Fifth Edition: "The first place to go when seeking general information about the chemistry of a particular element, especially when up-to-date, authoritative information is desired." —Journal of the American Chemical Society "Every student with a serious interest in inorganic chemistry should have [this book]." —Journal of Chemical Education "A mine of information . . . an invaluable guide." —Nature "The standard by which all other inorganic chemistry books are judged." —Nouveau Journal de Chimie "A masterly overview of the chemistry of the elements." —The Times of London Higher Education Supplement "A bonanza of information on important results and developments which could otherwise easily be overlooked in the general deluge of publications." —Angewandte Chemie