Book excerpt: Silicon in Organic Synthesis provides an introduction to the organic chemistry of silicon. This book places particular emphasis on the concept of silicon as a "ferryman, mediating the transformation of one wholly organic molecule into another. The book begins by reviewing the discovery and development of organosilicon compounds. This is followed by separate chapters on the physical properties of organosilicon compounds; the preparation of a-metallated organosilanes, which play a key role in preparative organosilicon chemistry; migration/rearrangement reactions of silicon; the preparation and chemistry of vinylsilanes, allylsilanes, arylsilanes, and organosilyl metallic compounds. Subsequent chapters cover the synthesis of compounds such as alkene, alkynylsilanes, allenylsilanes, silylketenes, alkyl silyl ethers, acyloxysilanes, and silyl enol ethers. This book aims to serve as a timely introduction to organic chemistry for students and practitioners of synthetic organic chemistry, as well as provide a source of useful information and possibly of new ideas to those already experienced in the area.