Book excerpt: The fifth volume in this series is focused on the chemical and physical interactions between rocks undergoing metamorphism and the fluids that they generate and that pass through them. The recognition that such pro cesses can profoundly affect the course of metamorphism has resulted in a number of recent papers and we consider that it is time for a review by some of the interested parties. We hope our selection of contributors provides an adequate cross section and demonstrates some of the flavor of this rapidly developing field. A cursory examination of the volume will reveal that there are widely divergent opinions on the compositions of metamorphic fluids and on the ways in which they interact physically and chemically with the rocks through which they pass. Since our own views are extensively discussed in Chapters 4 and 8, we leave the reader to determine his own brand of the "truth. " We wish to thank D. Bird, S. Bohlen, D. Carmichael, G. Flowers, C. Foster, C. Graham, E. Perry, J. Selverstone, R. Tracy, J. Valley, and R. Wollast for their chapter reviews. Thanks are also due C. Cheverton for her editorial assistance, and the helpful staff at Springer-Verlag New York.