Book excerpt: Contents: B. Alcaide ∙ P. Almendros: Novel Aspects on the Preparation of Spirocyclic and Fused Unsual β-Lactams.- S.S. Bari ∙ A. Bhalla: Spirocyclic β-Lactams: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Heterocycles.- L. Troisi ∙ C. Granito ∙ E. Pindinelli: Novel and Recent Synthesis and Applications of β-Lactams.- C. Palomo ∙ M. Oiarbide: β-Lactams Ring Opening: A Useful Entry to Amino Acids and Relevant Nitrogen-Containing Compounds.- B. Mandal ∙ P. Ghosh ∙ B. Basu: Recent Approaches Towards Solid Phase Synthesis of β-Lactams.- A.Arrieta ∙ B. Lecea ∙ F.P. Cossio: Computational Studies on the Synthesis of β-Lactams Via [ 2+2] Thermal Cycloadditions.- B. K. Banik ∙ I. Banik ∙ F. F. Becker: Novel Anticancer β-Lactams