Book excerpt: Practical Approaches to Biological Inorganic Chemistry, Second Edition, reviews the use of spectroscopic and related analytical techniques to investigate the complex structures and mechanisms of biological inorganic systems that contain metals. Each chapter presents an overview of the technique, including relevant theory, a clear explanation of what it is, how it works, and how the technique is actually used to evaluate biological structures. New chapters cover Raman Spectroscopy and Molecular Magnetochemistry, but all chapters have been updated to reflect the latest developments in discussed techniques. Practical examples, problems and many color figures are also included to illustrate key concepts. The book is designed for researchers and students who want to learn both the basics and more advanced aspects of key methods in biological inorganic chemistry. - Presents new chapters on Raman Spectroscopy and Molecular Magnetochemistry, as well as updated figures and content throughout - Includes color images throughout to enable easier visualization of molecular mechanisms and structures - Provides worked examples and problems to help illustrate and test the reader's understanding of each technique - Written by leading experts who use and teach the most important techniques used today to analyze complex biological structures