The idea for putting together a tutorial on zeolites came originally from my co-editor, Eric Derouane, about 5 years ago. I ?rst met Eric in the mid-1980s when he spent 2 years working for Mobil R&D at our then Corporate lab at Princeton, NJ. He was on the senior technical staff with projects in the synthesis and characterization of new materials. At that time, I managed a group at our Paulsboro lab that was responsible for catalyst characterization in support of our catalyst and process development efforts, and also had a substantial group working on new material synthesis. Hence, our interests overlapped considerably and we met regularly. After Eric moved back to Namur (initially), we maintained contact, and in the 1990s, we met a number of times in Europe on projects of joint interest. It was after I retired from ExxonMobil in 2002 that we began to discuss the tutorial concept seriously. Eric had (semi-)retired and lived on the Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. In January 2003, my wife and I spent 3 weeks outside of Lagos, and I worked parts of most days with Eric on the proposed content of the book. We decided on a comprehensive approach that ultimately amounted to some 20+ chapters covering all of zeolite chemistry and catalysis and gave it the title Zeolite Chemistry and Catalysis: An integrated Approach and Tutorial.

The idea for putting together a tutorial on zeolites came originally from my co-editor, Eric Derouane, about 5 years ago. I ?rst met Eric in the mid-1980s when he spent 2 years working for Mobil R&D at our then Corporate lab at Princeton, NJ. He was on the senior technical staff with projects in the synthesis and characterization of new materials. At that time, I managed a group at our Paulsboro lab that was responsible for catalyst characterization in support of our catalyst and process development efforts, and also had a substantial group working on new material synthesis. Hence, our interests overlapped considerably and we met regularly. After Eric moved back to Namur (initially), we maintained contact, and in the 1990s, we met a number of times in Europe on projects of joint interest. It was after I retired from ExxonMobil in 2002 that we began to discuss the tutorial concept seriously. Eric had (semi-)retired and lived on the Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. In January 2003, my wife and I spent 3 weeks outside of Lagos, and I worked parts of most days with Eric on the proposed content of the book. We decided on a comprehensive approach that ultimately amounted to some 20+ chapters covering all of zeolite chemistry and catalysis and gave it the title Zeolite Chemistry and Catalysis: An integrated Approach and Tutorial.

When I began to write this book, I originally had in mind the needs of university students in their first year. May aim was to keep the mathematics simple. No advanced techniques are used and there are no complicated applications. The emphasis is on an understanding of the basic ideas and problems which require expertise but do not contribute to this understanding are not discussed. How ever, the presentation is more sophisticated than might be considered appropri ate for someone with no previous knowledge of the subject so that, although it is developed from the beginning, some previous acquaintance with the elements of the subject would be an advantage. In addition, some familiarity with element ary calculus is assumed but not with the elementary theory of differential equations, although knowledge of the latter would again be an advantage. It is my opinion that mechanics is best introduced through the motion of a particle, with rigid body problems left until the subject is more fully developed. However, some experienced mathematicians consider that no introduction is complete without a discussion of rigid body mechanics. Conventional accounts of the subject invariably include such a discussion, but with the problems restricted to two-dimensional ones in the books which claim to be elementary. The mechanics of rigid bodies is therefore included but there is no separate discussion of the theory in two dimensions."

Tennessee is home to more than four hundred species of woody plants, but until now there has been no comprehensive guide to them. This work fills that gap, as B. Eugene Wofford and Edward W. Chester provide identification keys to all native and naturalized species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines found in the state.
The book is organized by plant types, which are divided into gymnosperms and angiosperms. For each species treated, the authors include both scientific and common names, a brief description, information on flowering and fruiting seasons, and distribution patterns. Photographs illustrate more than ninety five percent of species, and the text is fully indexed by families and genera, scientific names, and common names. A glossary is keyed to photographs in the text to illustrate definitions.
In their introduction, Wofford and Chester provide an overview of the Tennessee flora and their characteristics, outline Tennessee's physiographic regions, and survey the history of botanical research in the state. The authors also address the historical and environmental influences on plant distribution and describe comparative diversity of taxa within the regions.
Guide to Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Tennessee will be a valuable resource and identification guide for professional and lay readers alike, including students, botanists, foresters, gardeners, environmentalists, and conservationists interested in the flora of Tennessee.
The Authors: B. Eugene Wofford is director of the herbarium at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge.
Edward W. Chester is professor of biology at Austin Peay State University. His articles on subjects ranging from taxonomy to plant systematics have appeared in Journal of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society, Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, Wetlands, and many other publications.