Book excerpt: This extensively illustrated book by Alexander McPherson, a master practitioner, accomplishes several important goals: it presents the underlying physical and chemical principles of crystallization in an approachable way; it provides the reader with a biochemical context in which to understand and pursue successful crystal growth; it instructs the reader in practical aspects of the technologies required; and it lays out effective strategies for success that investigators can readily apply to their own experimental questions. This readable volume has been created for every investigator in biomedicine whose studies may require a shift in focus from gene to protein product, as well as chemists and physicists interested in the functions of biologically active macromolecules.