This is one of the most ambitious projects in the publishing area and one of the most organized edited books to come to the reviewer’s desk. Hence, this is not one of the run-of-the-mill books for which the editor gathers a few well known authors into a compilation focused on a common subject. This is a book carefully structured to cover the entire subject with the help of 76 authors representing 45 companies and institutions. Each author is providing a short CV as is each company and institution. As another sign of the diligent work by the editor it should be emphasized that the lay-out of the book is excellent; illustrating the painstaking efforts to produce a book that is not only a sum of its components, but, actually, an organic whole.

The 45 chapters are gathered into 16 parts of which two cover the pertinent structures of the skin, seven the different delivery systems, three specific action of such systems, one marketing by design and one efficacy and safety. All this boils down to a tremendously wide cover of all aspects of delivery systems and the editor should be commended for a task with no comparison in the literature.

On the other hand the wide coverage has meant that the quality is to some extent mixed and it cannot be denied that the statement by one of the authors that vesicles pass through the stratum corneum in intact form causes some damage to the credibility. However, this accidental damage is more than compensated by other excellent chapters, of which should be mentioned the one on cubosomes by the P&G researchers.

As a summary it is highly appropriate to express gratitude to the editor for a gargantuan project successfully brought to conclusion. Needless to say; the book is warmly recommended and it is hoped that the editor will have the strength to update it in the future; especially chapters on more fundamental issues.

Stig E. Friberg, Chemistry Department, University of Virginia (In Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology)