Book excerpt: This book is the first part of a two volume anthology comprising a selection of 49 articles that illustrate the depth, breadth and scope of Nigel Kalton’s research. Each article is accompanied by comments from an expert on the respective topic, which serves to situate the article in its proper context, to successfully link past, present and hopefully future developments of the theory, and to help readers grasp the extent of Kalton’s accomplishments. Kalton’s work represents a bridge to the mathematics of tomorrow, and this book will help readers to cross it. Nigel Kalton (1946-2010) was an extraordinary mathematician who made major contributions to an amazingly diverse range of fields over the course of his career.