Book excerpt: Organic Chemistry, A Series of Monographs, Volume 5-C: Oxidation in Organic Chemistry covers the preparative use and the mechanistic aspects of the various oxidation reactions. This book contains five chapters that particularly consider oxidations that involve organoselenium intermediates. Chapter I describes the developments of selenium in organic chemistry, particularly the organoselenium reagents for performing selective oxidative transformations under unusually mild conditions. Chapter II deals with the problems encountered in oxygenation reactions carried out by several microorganisms, with an emphasis on a variety of fermentation techniques. Chapter III examines the oxidation of various organic peroxy acids and other peroxides, while Chapter IV discusses the oxidation with nitric acid or nitrogen oxides. Chapter V focuses on the properties of various oxidants and their application to hypohalite oxidation. This text will be of value to organic chemists, researchers, teachers, and students who are interested in oxidation of organic compounds.