Book excerpt: Most current state-of-the-art overview of this important class of compounds, encompassing many new and emerging applications The number of articles on organic azides continues to increase tremendously; on average, there are more than 1000 new publications a year Covers basic chemistry as well as state-of-the-art applications in life science and materials science World-ranked authors describe their own research in the wider context of azide chemistry Includes a chapter on safe synthesis and handling (azides can decompose explosively)