The third edition contains major improvements over the previous edition. In addition to updated references, each reaction is now supplemented with two to three representative examples in synthesis to showcase its synthetic utility. Biographical sketches for the chemists who discovered or developed those name reactions have been included. Furthemore, the subject index is significantly expanded.

Different from other books on name reactions in organic chemistry, Name Reactions, A Collection of Detailed Reaction Mechanisms focuses on their mechanisms. It covers over 300 classical as well as contemporary name reactions. Each reaction is delineated by its detailed step-by-step, electron-pushing mechanism, supplemented with the original and the latest references, especially review articles. Thus, it is not only an indispensable resource for senior undergraduate and graduate students for learning and exams, but also a good reference book for all chemists interested in name reactions.

Some praise for the previous edition:

"This is an excellent book for arrow pushing and learning organic name reactions as encountered in graduate school . . . Li’s book contains reactions of all mechanistic classes . . . The book is nicely balanced, containing modern-day reactions for assembly of stereocomplex molecules. Reactions such as the Corey-Bakshi-Shibata reduction are analyzed. This book is a good reference text that fills a void that has existed for some time. It is both an excellent tool for learning and a good reference source."

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION