Book excerpt: Following Contemporary Drug Synthesis and The Art of Drug Synthesis (Wiley, 2004 and 2007), two well-received works, is this new book that demystifies the process of modern drug discovery for practitioners and students. An enhanced introduction covers areas such as background, pharmacology, SAR, PK/PD, efficacy, and safety. Focusing on the advantages of process synthesis versus the discovery synthetic route, Modern Drug Synthesis features authoritative coverage by distinguished editors and authors (some chapter authors are the actual inventor of the drug) of twenty different drug molecules.