This volume focuses on the mechanisms of biological crystal growth, including identification of biogenic mineralisation strategies and ""non-classical"" crystallisation pathways. While it had long been assumed that crystalline biominerals typically form by ion-by-ion growth, it is now recognised that they often precipitate via amorphous precursor phases. This is well established for calcium carbonate and there is growing evidence that biogenic crystalline calcium phosphate phases may form via an analogous route. Significantly, these mechanisms are not unique to the biological world. There is currently great interest from the general crystal growth community in these new and controversial ideas. A number of studies on crystal nucleation have recently re-examined classical nucleation theory, and the observation of pre-nucleation clusters is a recurrent theme of great interest. This controversial result contradicts classical nucleation theory which leads the subject of crystal nucleation and growth via assembly to demand attention. Work is presented in a range of areas including biological crystallisation mechanisms, current ideas in nucleation, amorphous precursor phases and self-assembly crystal growth mechanisms.