This book, first published in 1982, presents a comprehensive introduction to studies of the singular chemical and physical properties of chiral molecules, both organic and inorganic. The topics discussed include the physical basis of the optical activity and the selective interactions of chiral molecules, and the general principles underlying enantiomer separation and asymmetric synthesis. In addition, the successive stages in the development of structural theory that were dependent upon the study of optically active materials are briefly surveyed.