Book excerpt: From basic performing of sequence alignment through a proficiency at understanding how most industry-standard alignment algorithms achieve their results, Multiple Sequence Alignment Methods describes numerous algorithms and their nuances in chapters written by the experts who developed these algorithms. The various multiple sequence alignment algorithms presented in this handbook give a flavor of the broad range of choices available for multiple sequence alignment generation, and their diversity is a clear reflection of the complexity of the multiple sequence alignment problem and the amount of information that can be obtained from multiple sequence alignments. Each of these chapters not only describes the algorithm it covers but also presents instructions and tips on using their implementation, as is fitting with its inclusion in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series. Authoritative and practical, Multiple Sequence Alignment Methods provides a readily available resource which will allow practitioners to experiment with different algorithms and find the particular algorithm that is of most use in their application.