Book excerpt: A "z pinch" is a deceptively simple plasma configuration in which a longitudinal current produces a magnetic field that confines the plasma. Z-pinch research is currently one of the fastest growing areas of plasma physics, with revived interest in z-pinch controlled fusion reactors along with investigations of new z-pinch applications, such as very high power x-ray sources, high-energy neutrons sources, and ultra-high magnetic fields generators. This book provides a comprehensive review of the physics of dense z pinches and includes many recent experimental results.