The recent upsurge in interest in Gram-positive organisms as biotechnological workhorses has made this volume a timely addition to the bookshelf. The contributors list reads like a 'who's who' of Corynebacterium biology, and the chapters progress in a logical manner. It is nice that the Editors chose to begin by placing the importance of this organism in an historical context, before progressing through to the real 'meat' of the volume. When discussing an organism such as this, the obvious importance of physiology and metabolism is apparent; however, a rounded view of genomics and expression systems is also provided. The real delight of the volume though, is the 'Experiments' section, easy to follow and should make the uninitiated want to grab a pipette! I feel this volume is well timed, and up-to-date, providing a great introduction to this organism. Anyone with an interest should add this to his or her collection.