This book has been designed to appeal to both chemists working in, and new to, the area of polymer synthesis. It contains detailed instructions for the preparation of a wide-range of polymers by a wide variety of different techniques, and describes how this synthetic methodology can be applied to the development of new materials. It includes details of well-established techniques,e.g. chain-growth or step-growth processes together with more up-to-date examples using methods such as atom-transfer radical polymerisation. Less-well known procedures are also included, e.g. electrochemical synthesis of conducting polymers and the preparation of liquid crystalline elastomers with highly ordered structures. Other topics covered include general polymerisation methodology, controlled/'living' polymerisation methods, the formation of cyclic oligomers during step-growth polymerisation, the synthesis of conducting polymers based on heterocyclic compounds, dendrimers, the preparation of imprinted polymers and liquid crystalline polymers. The main bulk of the text is preceded by an introductory chapter detailing some of the techniques available to the scientist for the characterisation of polymers, both in terms of their chemical composition and in terms of their properties as materials. The book is intended not only for the specialist in polymer chemistry, but also for the organic chemist with little experience who requires a practical introduction to the field.