National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 2000. xii + 156 pp. ISBN 0309-06633-6. $35 ($28 if ordered from the National Academy Web site).

The Executive Summary of this new National Academy publication opens with the sentence, "Laboratory facilities are complex, technically sophisticated and mechanically intensive structures that are expensive to build and to maintain, and therefore the design, construction, and renovation of such facilities is a major challenge for all involved." Those of us who have survived major laboratory construction or renovation projects might only add that, in many cases, this is an understatement. I urge those chemistry departments planning such a project to obtain a copy of this concise volume and read it carefully. Addressed to the scientist-user and administrator, Laboratory Design, Construction and Renovation thoughtfully addresses all the major issues in any construction project, human, process, and technical, and provides a thorough overview of the entire process. The information and practical advice provided in this book will help any project, large or small, achieve success.