This invaluable reference is the first to present the general theory of algebras of operators on a Hilbert space, and the modules over such algebras. The new theory of operator spaces is presented early on and the text assembles the basic concepts, theory and methodologies needed to equip a beginning researcher in this area. A major trend in modern mathematics, inspired largely by physics, is toward noncommutative' or quantized' phenomena. In functional analysis, this has appeared notably under the name of operator spaces', which is a variant of Banach spaces which is particularly appropriate...