M. Fiona Shortt de Hernandez, Science of Synthesis, Georg Thieme Verlag, Ruedigerstrasse 14, D-70469 Stuttgart, Germany, Fax: 0049-711-8931777

Josef Houben and Theodor Weyl were two German chemists who made a significant contribution to the field of chemical information in the early 20th century. They structured and assessed organic synthetic chemical information in an exhaustive and comprehensive manner. Their reference work series, Methoden der Organischen Chemie (Houben–Weyl), provided extensive experimental detail and literature references as well as a critical assessment of synthetic methodology by experts. This meant that the reader did not have to refer to other chemistry handbooks or even the original journal articles when searching for an organic synthesis strategy thus saving valuable time. The Houben–Weyl concept involved not only processing and evaluating synthetic chemistry information, it also provided the context associated with each organic synthetic method, thus helping to inspire the chemist as well as encourage creativity. Josef Houben and Theodor Weyl were pioneers in developing a new methodology for the processing and presentation of organic synthetic information. Houben–Weyl, which is available today electronically as part of Science of Synthesis, is still cherished and valued by the organic chemist 100 years later for its structured organization and comprehensiveness.