For over 2,000 years, books have been part of the history of Humanity. In many cases, they are the only testimony of events of the past. Scientific books have shared in the education process of students and researchers alike, generation upon generation, in the transmission of new ideas, thoughts, new findings and the compilation of related themes. They represent the intellectual contribution of person(s) in connection to a specific subject. They represent the contribution of multiple authors in connection to a special symposium, a workshop, etc.  

The goals of scientific books are many and the subjects vast. But all of them are the result of a comprehensive understanding of a certain theme in time. Despite their relevance, the interest in writing books and/or contributing to a chapter in a book is slowly dying. Apparently, the responsible factor is the new method to evaluate intellectual thought — i.e., the so-called “impact factor.”  The inventor(s) of the “impact factor” had his/her/their interest solely on journal writing.  The result, journals got an “impact factor” and books did not.  To write a book and/or a chapter in a book can be as demanding, if not more, than writing for a journal publication. Books are likewise peered-reviewed, particularly those representing a compilation of chapters. The question to ask ourselves in the intellectual community is, what can we do to revert this situation before is too late?