Book excerpt: This book comprises a large selection of papers presented at the second European Scientific Computing and Automation meeting (SCA 90 (Europe)) which was held in June 1990 in Maastricht, The Netherlands. The increasing use of computers for making measurements, interpreting data, and filing results brings a new unity to science. SCA concentrates on common computer-based tools which are useful in several disciplines. Practical problems in laboratory automation, robotics and information management with LIMS are covered in depth. The process of designing and acquiring a LIMS is described and standards for data transfer between instruments, between LIMS and instruments and between different LIMS are discussed. The applications of statistics and expert systems are covered in several chapters. Strategies for drug design are discussed with various practical examples. Finally the display of scientific results as images and computer-based animations is demonstrated by several examples with their color illustrations. The book should be of interest to those managing R&D projects, doing research in laboratories, acquiring or planning LIMS, designing instruments and laboratory automation systems and those involved in data analysis of scientific results.