Book excerpt: Reflecting the tremendous growth of this hot topic in recent years, this book covers C-H activation with a focus on heterocycle synthesis. As such, the text provides general mechanistic aspects and gives a comprehensive overview of catalytic reactions in the presence of palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, copper, iron, cobalt, and iridium. The chapters are organized according to the transition metal used and sub-divided by type of heterocycle formed to enable quick access to the synthetic route needed. Chapters on carbonylative synthesis of heterocycles and the application of C-H activation methodology to the synthesis of natural products are also included. Written by an outstanding team of authors, this is a valuable reference for researchers in academia and industry working in the field of organic synthesis, catalysis, natural product synthesis, pharmaceutical chemistry, and crop protection.