In May of 1991, Victor Van Buren, who was then with Springer Verlag in New York City, asked us for timely topics in the earth sciences that would be appropriate for publication as a book. We all quickly agreed that recent interest and research activity on the role of organic acids in geological processes would make a timely book on this diverse and controversial topic. As coeditors, we outlined chapter topics for such a book that maintained a good balance between geological and geochemical interests. Specific authors were then sought for each of the chapter topics. We had exceptional success...