Students at all levels find considerable difficulty in applying their knowledge of organic chemistry to the solution of problems, often relying on memory alone. This book takes a unique approach to show that a general problem-solving strategy is applicable to many of the common reactions. Using a novel 'at-a-glance' layout, the left-hand page provides a stepwise procedure for working through the reaction mechanisms, with helpful hints about the underlying chemistry, and the facing page contains a fully worked-through answer.

The jump from an understanding of organic chemistry at lower undergraduate level to that required at postgraduate level or in industry can be difficult. Many advanced textbooks contain a level of detail which can obscure the essential mechanistic framework that unites the huge range of facts of organic chemistry. Understanding this underlying order is essential in any advanced study or application of organic chemistry. Structure and Reactivity in Organic Chemistry aims to bridge that gap.

The text opens with a short overview of the way chemists understand chemical structure, and...