Volume 2 of Contnnporary Xephrology updates the major developments which ha\'e occurred during the past 2 years in 15 major areas of both basic and clinical nephrology. In addition, this volume has a section, Chapter 8, \uitten by Drs. Pederson, Llach, and Papper, from the Med- ical School at the Universitv of Oklahoma, which reviews the recent developments on nonilwasive diagnostic techniques in nephrology. The other chapters are presented in such a way as to emphasize the major advances that have occurred in the different areas in the last 2 years. In Chapter 1, Dr. Schafer analyzes in detail the new information available regarding the action of aldosterone both in anuran membranes and in the mammalian kidney. Drs. Knox and Romero, in Chapter 2, update the information accrued du ring the last 2 years in the area of renal hemodynamics and sodium chloride excretion. In the area of renal me- tabolism (Chapter 3), Schoolwerth, Little, and Idell-Wenger review in detail the metabolism of lipids in the kidney and its potential relation to renal function. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first compre- hensive review of this subject in any textbook of nephrology. Dr. Dunn provides an authoritative review of the major advances in the rapidly expanding field of prostaglandins with particular emphasis on renal prostaglandins (Chapter 4). Drs. Batlle and Kurtzman update new con- cepts of acid-base phvsiology and pathophysiology, and Dr.