This book pursues possible strategies for synthesising mainly organic compounds, particularly those of interest to the health sector and related industries. Topics covered include addition reactions of aldehydes and ketones; the use of organometallic reagents to form carbon-carbon bonds (for example, Grignard reagents); and radical reactions, including selectivity and chain reactions. Retrosynthetic analysis is introduced as a strategy for developing syntheses, along with biochemical pathways. The text concludes with a case study on polymers, which demonstrates how chain reactions can be used to build up useful materials with specific properties, such as contact lenses.