Book excerpt: This book discusses critical areas of progress in stem cell research, including the most recent research and applications of pluripotent embryonic cells, induced pluripotent cells, oligopotent tissue stem cells and cancer stem cells. The text covers basic knowledge of stem cell biology, stem cell ethics, development of techniques for applying stem cell therapy, the technology of obtaining appropriate cells for transplantation as well as the role of stem cells in cancer and how therapy may be directed to cancer stem cells. This new volume is essential reading for all scientists currently in the field or allied research areas, and those for those graduate students who envision a career in stem cells.