Most practitioners and students of polymer chemistry are familiar, in general terms at least, with the established methods of polymer synthesis - radical, anionic, cationic and coordination addition polymerization, and stepwise con­ densation and rearrangement polymerization. These methods are used to synthesize the majority of polymers used in the manufacture of commercially important plastics, fibres, resins and rubbers, and are covered in most introduc­ tory polymer chemistry textbooks and in most undergraduate and graduate courses on polymer science. Fewer polymer chemists, however, have much familiarity with more recent developments in methods of polymer synthesis, unless they have been specifically involved for some time in the synthesis