The view of organic synthesis as a "concentrated expression of predictive ability and creative capacity" was advocated in the early 1950s. A concise account of the role of synthesis in modern science, this text presents the general ideology of pursuits in the area of organic synthesis from the beginning of the 20th century up to the present. The book serves to illustrate the evolution of well-known approaches as well as recently emerged trends most likely to determine the future development of organic synthesis. Special attention is given to the consideration of principles of molecular design in promising and challenging areas of current research.