Supramolecular chemistry – the branch of chemistry associated with the formation of complex multimolecular entities from relatively simple molecular components – has been a major research theme over the past four decades. Researchers were provided with a unifying vision of the field following the award of the 1987 Nobel Prize in chemistry to three of its pioneers: Jean-Marie Lehn, Donald Cram and Charles Pedersen. Subsequently there have been a number of excellent texts on the subject ranging from undergraduate primers and books on supramolecular design to comprehensive works and encyclopaedias. To date the theoretical aspects of this fascinating area of science have been well served by texts at all levels.