Students of chemistry are not hard-pressed to fi nd a text to support their learning in organic chemistry through their years at university. The shelves of a university bookshop will usually offer a choice of at least half a dozen—all entitled ‘Organic Chemistry’, all with substantially more than 1000 pages. Closer inspection of these titles quickly disappoints expectations of variety. Almost without exception, general organic chemistry texts have been written to accompany traditional American sophomore courses, with their rather precisely defi ned requirements. This has left the authors of these books little scope for reinvigorating their presentation of chemistry with new ideas.