This book sets out the basic, underlying framework of organic reaction mechanisms, illustrated by simple examples. The text aims to make sense out of the apparent overfacing complexity of organic chemistry on through the basis of three underlying axioms: that there are three types of reaction - substitution, addition and elimination; that these reactions can involve three types of reagent - nucleophiles, electrophiles and radicals; and that there are two effects - electronic and steric - through which the behaviour of a bond or group, undergoing reaction, can be influenced by the rest of the molecule.