Book excerpt: Eating is defined as the act of taking food into the mouth, chewing and then swallowing it for nourishment. The purpose of this volume is to present a number of up-to-date scientific reviews on the mechanisms involved in the process of eating and to introduce the reader to some of the problems encountered when these complex processes malfunction. Topics include a discussion on the peripheral mechanisms of taste and smell, taste and olfactory processing in the brain and its relation to the control of eating, and a section on mastication with an account of the scientific basis of masticatory disorders. The control mechanisms involved in salivation and swallowing are also extensively reviewed. Because this book reviews the fundamental understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved in eating and includes an insight into the scientific basis of the malfunction of these mechanisms, it will be of equal value to both clinical and basic scientists. In particular, basic and clinical oral biologists and neurophysiologists, dental and medical researchers and postgraduate students will find it a valuable source of information.