The two volumes divide naturally into three categories. Descriptive Analysis and the Dimensions of Sensory Perception comprises the first category and contains five papers. These papers lie at the foundation of sensory analysis, for they discuss alternative methods for developing and using language to describe the sensory nuances of foods. The second category, Difference Testing and Intensity Scaling , presents six papers dealing with basic measurement tools. These papers cover alternative methods, including new ones such as signal detection theory, which derive from other disciplines and only recently have entered the domain of sensory analysis. The third category, Multivariate Methods , comprises four chapters and deals with new approaches, such as multidimensional scaling to represent stimuli in a geometric space, and the experimental design and optimization of products and concepts.These volumes thus present a spectrum of approaches, designed both to introduce the novice to the wealth of approaches, and to invite the professional to try these new techniques.