This first systematic overview for more than a decade is tailor-made for the medicinal chemist. All the chapters are written by experienced drug developers and include practical examples from real drug candidates. Following an introduction to global drug properties and their impact on drug research, screening and combinatorial chemistry libraries, this handbook demonstrates the best and fastest way to estimate those properties most relevant for the efficiency and pharmacokinetic performance of a drug molecule: lipophilicity,solubility, electronic properties and conformation.