Book excerpt: Touted as the new darling of the chemical industry, alkyl polyglycosides are gaining in popularity due to the fact that they are readily biodegradable, low-toxic, and made from renewable resources. Sugar-Based Surfactants compiles the most recent and relevant aspects of sugar-based surfactants, including self-association, phase behavior, and interfacial properties. Focusing on both colloidal and interfacial science, the book deals with the adsorption of surfactants in both the air-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces. It also covers new advances in surfactant science, such as the development of a family of potent surface active agents that are non-toxic, and thus usable in ubiquitous consumer products