Book excerpt: The Steiner tree problem is one of the most important combinatorial optimization problems. It has a long history that can be traced back to the famous mathematician Fermat (1601-1665). This book studies three significant breakthroughs on the Steiner tree problem that were achieved in the 1990s, and some important applications of Steiner tree problems in computer communication networks researched in the past fifteen years. It not only covers some of the most recent developments in Steiner tree problems, but also discusses various combinatorial optimization methods, thus providing a balance between theory and practice.