This special publication Perspectives in Carbonate Geology is a collection of papers most of which were presented at a symposium to honor the 80th birthday of Bob Ginsburg at the meeting of Geological Society of America in Salt Lake City in 2005. The majority of the papers in this publication are connected with the study of modern carbonate sediments. Bob Ginsburg pioneered the concept of comparative sedimentology - that is using the modern to compare to and relate to and understand the ancient. These studies are concerned with Bob's areas of passion: coral reefs and sea-level; submarine cementation and formation of beach rock; surface sediments on Great Bahama Bank and other platforms; origin of ooids; coastal sediments; formation of stromatolites; impact of storms on sediments; and the formation of dolomite. The remainder of the papers apply the study of modern environments and sedimentary processes to ancient sediments.   Recent other publications of the International Association of Sedimentologists   SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS 40           Analogue and Numerical Modelling of Sedimentary Systems From Understanding to Prediction Edited by P. de Boer, G. Postma, K. van der Zwan, P. Burgess and P. Kukla 2008, 336 pages, 172 illustrations 39           Glacial Sedimentary Processes and Products                 Edited by M.J. Hambrey, P. Christoffersen, N.F. Glasser and B. Hubbard                 2007, 416 pages, 181 illustrations 38           Sedimentary Processes, Environments and Basins                 A Tribute to Peter Friend                 Edited by G. Nichols, E. Williams and C. Paola                 2007, 648 pages, 329 illustrations 37           Continental Margin Sedimentation From Sediment Transport to Sequence Stratigraphy Edited by C.A. Nittrouer, J.A. Austin, M.E. Field, J.H. Kravitz, J.P.M. Syvitski and P.L. Wiberg 2007, 549 pages, 178 illustrations 36           Braided Rivers                 Process, Deposits, Ecology and Management                 Edited by G.H. Sambrook Smith, J.L. Best, C.S. Bristow and G.E. Petts                 2006, 390 pages, 197 illustrations 35           Fluvial Sedimentology VII                 Edited by M.D. Blum, S.B. Marriott and S.F. Leclair                 2005, 589 pages, 319 illustrations REPRINT SERIES 4              Sandstone Diagenesis: Recent and Ancient                 Edited by S.D. Burley and R.H. Worden                 2003, 648 pages, 223 illustrations Please see inside the book for the full list of IAS publications Cover design by Code 5 Design For information, news, and content about Wiley-Blackwell books and journals in Earth Sciences please visit www.earthpages.com