Book excerpt: This SEAOC Blue Book: Seismic Design Recommendations is the premier publication of the SEAOC Seismology Committee. The name Blue Book is renowned worldwide among engineers, researchers, and building officials. Since 1959, the SEAOC Blue Book, previously titled Recommended Lateral Force Requirements and Commentary, has been a prescient publication of earthquake engineering. The Blue Book has been at the vanguard of earthquake engineering in California and around the world. This edition of the Blue Books offers a series of articles, that cover specific topics, some related to a particular code provision and some more general relating to an area of practice. While different than the previous editions of the Blue Books, it builds upon the tremendous effort of those who have forged earthquake engineering practice via the previous half-century of Blue Book editions. The Blue Book provides: insight and discussion of earthquake engineering concepts; interpretations of sometimes ambiguous or conflicting provisions of various codes, standards, and guidelines; and practical guidance on design implementation.