Book excerpt: A thorough understanding of stereochemistry is essential for the comprehension of almost all aspects of modern organic chemistry. It is also of great significance in many biochemical and medicinal disciplines, since the stereoisomers of a compound can have dramatically different biological properties. This text explains how the different properties of stereoisomers of a compound arise, and what processes can be used to prepare and analyze stereoisomerically pure compounds. It also presents prominent coverage of the stereochemistry of inorganic and organometallic compounds, which is likely to increase in importance, as these compounds are used as symmetric catalysts in asymmetric synthesis. Modern stereochemical terminology is used throughout, although reference is also made to older terms which are still widely used. A set of problems at the end of each chapter aims to further the reader's understanding of how the content can be applied. The book is designed mainly as a textbook for undergraduate students and as a reference source for more advanced levels, but is also intended for academic and professional organic chemists.