From the spectroscopy of molecules to energy changes, chemical principles underlie all that we see and do. Yet organic synthesis seems to stand apart, as a hugely creative and artistic pursuit of a structural target from a seemingly infinite palette of chemical transformations. This book assumes an eagerness to learn and aims simply to nurture a synoptic approach to the mastery of the subject. The distinction between novice and virtuoso has the understanding of key chemical principles at its heart - the ability to connect them to experimental observations and an elegant model of mechanism, as well as having the confidence to blend those wonderful colours to make a masterpiece.