Book excerpt: Basic Techniques of Preparative Organic Chemistry covers a detailed guide for carrying out the procedures commonly needed in preparative organic chemistry. The book discusses the nature of organic reactions; the basic principles of preparative organic chemistry; unit operations; and good laboratory practice. The text then provides a review of apparatus and equipment and describes the potential hazards involved in a chemical operation, such as toxicity, bodily injuries, smoking, fire, explosion, and implosion. Techniques and unit operations for carrying out a reaction and for isolating and purifying a reaction product; and the criteria for and methods of assessing purity are also considered. The book further tackles packing and storing products and samples and making reports and communications. Students taking organic chemistry courses will find the text useful.