One approach to organic synthesis is retrosynthetic analysis. In this method, chemists start with the structures of their target molecules and progressively cut bonds to generate simpler molecules. Reversing this process yields a synthetic pathway to the target molecule from simpler starting materials. This disconnection approach to synthesis has become a fundamental component of every course on organic synthesis.

The Workbook for Organic Synthesis: The Disconnection Approach, 2nd Edition offers a comprehensive, tiered collection of exercises to illustrate and further develop the topics of each chapter in the textbook Organic Synthesis: The Disconnection Approach, 2nd Edition. Each exercise is followed by a fully explained solution and discussion. The examples enhance students' experience with the types of molecules synthesized by organic chemists and the strategies they employ to control these processes.