Book excerpt: Although coordination chemistry naturally centers on the synthesis of coordination compounds, the synthesis of these materials is typically not an end in itself. Coordination compounds are utilized in all branches of chemistry; from theoretical modeling to industrial and consumer products. While a large amount of information is available on coordination chemistry in general and synthetic methods in particular, no comprehensive work has been presented on the preparation of coordination compounds with an emphasis on synthetic strategies rather than on detailed descriptions of specific syntheses. The goal of this book is to provide an approach to coordination chemistry that is based upon preparative strategies.The main aim of the authors is to present a systematic classification of synthetic reactions rather than an encyclopedic listing of experimental results. Hence, the coverage is more selective than exhaustive. Despite this, the book provides access to the original literature with ca. 2000 references. The edition is well-illustrated and contains almost 250 schemes, figures and illustrations of crystal structures of selected complexes.