Book excerpt: This book presents contributions on the following topics: discretization methods in the velocity and space, analysis of the conservation properties, asymptotic convergence to the continuous equation when the number of velocities tends to infinity, and application of discrete models. It consists of ten chapters. Each chapter is written by applied mathematicians who have been active in the field, and whose scientific contributions are well recognized by the scientific community. Contents: From the Boltzmann Equation to Discretized Kinetic Models (N Bellomo & R Gatignol); Discrete Velocity Models for Gas Mixtures (C Cercignani); Discrete Velocity Models with Multiple Collisions (R Gatignol); Discretization of the Boltzmann Equation and the Semicontinuous Model (L Preziosi & L Rondoni); Semi-continuous Extended Kinetic Theory (W Koller); Steady Kinetic Boundary Value Problems (H Babovsky et al.); Computational Methods and Fast Algorithms for the Boltzmann Equation (L Pareschi); Discrete Velocity Models and Dynamical Systems (A Bobylev & N Bernhoff); Numerical Method for the Compton Scattering Operator (C Buet & S Cordier); Discrete Models of the Boltzmann Equation in Quantum Optics and Arbitrary Partition of the Velocity Space (F Schrrer). Readership: Higher level postgraduates in applied mathematics.