For this issue, his last as editor, Shneidman has chosen pieces representative of his past writings on suicide which illustrate its multiple aspects: cognitive, affective, psychodynamic, socio-cultural & philosophic. He includes an overview of suicide followed by papers on specific components e.g. a psychological theory of suicide, suicide notes, suicide & the gifted. His emphasis is on psychodynamics, the person’s existential-philosophic orientation & cognitive style. (GW)