Book excerpt: Fundamental study and industrial application of ion exchange membranes started over half a century ago. Through ongoing research and development, ion exchange membrane technology is now applied to many fields and contributes to the improvement of our standard of living. Ion Exchange Membranes, 2nd edition states the ion exchange membrane technology from the standpoint of fundamentals and applications. It discusses not only various phenomena exhibited by membranes but also their applications in many fields with economical evaluations. This second edition is updated and revised, featuring ten expanded chapters. New to this edition is a computer simulation program of ion-exchange membrane electrodialysis for water desalination that provides a guideline for designing, manufacturing and operating a practical-scale electrodialyzer. Meant to replace experiments, this program will be an important asset to those with time and monetary budgets.