Jay Phelan's What is Life? A Guide to Biology is written in a delightfully readable style that communicates complex ideas to non-biology majors in a clear and approachable manner. After reading Phelan's book, students will understand why they would want to know and talk about science. His skillful style includes asking stimulating questions (called Q questions) which encourage the student to keep reading to find the answer and will illuminate just how relevant science is to their life.

Volume 45 in the highly successful series Handbook of Porphyrin Science presents three very informative chapters of significant topical interest to researchers in the broad field of porphyrin science. The first chapter (Chapter 215) systematically describes in great detail the many synthetic methods utilized for the preparation of both metal-free and metallo-phthalocyanines. In the second chapter (Chapter 216), new developments in the synthesis, structure, and circular dichroism of chiral porphyrin systems are discussed in depth. The third and final chapter in this volume (Chapter 217) describes up-to-date advances in the use of computational methodology for the design and synthesis of functionally useful tetrapyrroles such as phthalocyanines, porphyrins and 9. The volume concludes with a useful comprehensive index.The overall emphasis of Volume 45 of the Handbook of Porphyrin Science series, centers on synthetic methodology and processes, with a diversion in Chapter 217 to include predictive computational methodology, and in Chapter 216 to address the importance of chirality in tetrapyrrole systems. All three chapters will be of interest to researchers in the field and should provide powerful tools for anyone involved in the chemistry of phthalocyanines, porphyrins and related systems.