Book excerpt: The two-part, fifth edition of Advanced Organic Chemistry has been substantially revised and reorganized for greater clarity. The material has been updated to reflect advances in the field since the previous edition, especially in computational chemistry. Part A covers fundamental structural topics and basic mechanistic types. It can stand-alone; together, with Part B: Reaction and Synthesis, the two volumes provide a comprehensive foundation for the study in organic chemistry. Companion websites provide digital models for study of structure, reaction and selectivity for students and exercise solutions for instructors.