Book excerpt: Atomically precise metal nanocluster research has emerged as a new frontier. This book serves as an introduction to metal nanoclusters protected by ligands. The authors have summarized the synthesis principles and methods, the characterization methods and new physicochemical properties, and some potential applications. By pursuing atomic precision, such nanocluster materials provide unprecedented opportunities for establishing precise relationships between the atomic-level structures and the properties. The book should be accessible to senior undergraduate and graduate students, researchers in various fields (e.g., chemistry, physics, materials, biomedicine, and engineering), R&D scientists, and science policy makers.