Historically, the starches, protein glues, and natural rubber were supplemented or replaced by phenolics and amino resins in adhesives for plywood and particle board; synthetic rubbers for construction, textile bonding, and pressure-sensitives; poly(vinyl acetate) for packaging, gypsum board, and D-I-Y; hot melts for bookbinding. Three of the newer familes of adhesives are outstanding in performance: the epoxies; the isocyanates and polyurethanes; and the versatile acrylics, including the spectacularly growing cyanoacrylates and anaerobic. They are especially useful for the bonding of metals, synthetic fibers, plastics film, and other diffi-cult substrates in product assembly, aerospace, textiles, construction, furniture, film laminates, and as pressure-sensitive adhesives. -- AATA