Book excerpt: An ideal text for an advanced course in the theory of complex functions, this book leads readers to experience function theory personally and to participate in the work of the creative mathematician. The author includes numerous glimpses of the function theory of several complex variables, which illustrate how autonomous this discipline has become. In addition to standard topics, readers will find Eisenstein's proof of Euler's product formula for the sine function; Wielandts uniqueness theorem for the gamma function; Stirlings formula; Isssas theorem; Besses proof that all domains in C are domains of holomorphy; Wedderburns lemma and the ideal theory of rings of holomorphic functions; Estermanns proofs of the overconvergence theorem and Blochs theorem; a holomorphic imbedding of the unit disc in C3; and Gausss expert opinion on Riemanns dissertation. Remmert elegantly presents the material in short clear sections, with compact proofs and historical comments interwoven throughout the text. The abundance of examples, exercises, and historical remarks, as well as the extensive bibliography, combine to make an invaluable source for students and teachers alike