Book excerpt: Edwin C. Constable Metals and Ligand Reactivity An Introduction to the Organic Chemistry of Metal Complexes New, revised and expanded edition This book is a highly readable introduction to the reactions of coordinated ligands, which have become a useful tool in organic synthesis. Bridging the gap between the traditional fields, this text presents the basic concepts of ligand reactivity as well as synthetic applications of these reactions. Topics covered include Principles of metal-ligand interaction Reactions of coordinated ligands with nucleophiles and electrophiles Oxidation and reduction of coordinated ligands Cyclic and encapsulating ligands, template effects and supramolecular chemistry Carefully selected examples, lucidly designed figures and schemes as well as numerous study problems make this book an ideal guide for students and practitioners of organic synthesis. References to further reading are also included.