When this book was first conceived as a project the expanding interest in the clinical use of platinum and gold complexes made a survey of the relevant biological properties of metal complexes timely and appropriate. This timeliness has not diminished during the gestation and final publica­ tion of the manuscript. The introduction contains an explanation of the layout and approach to the book, which I wrote as an overall survey of the wide variety of biological properties of metal complexes. Hopefully, the reader will see the parallels in mechanisms and behavior, even in different organisms. The writing was considerably helped by the enthusiasm and confidence (totally unearned on my part) in the project of Professor Brian James and lowe him my special thanks. I also owe a great debt of gratitude to my colleagues, and especially to Eucler Paniago, of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, for their comprehension and for the initial leave of absence which allowed me to begin the project. To those who read some or all of the manuscript and made suggestions, Bernhard Lippert, Kirsten Skov, and Tom Tritton, as well as the editor's reviewer I am also grateful. As usual, the final responsibility for errors or otherwise rests with the author.