Masayuki Kawakita is Associate Professor at the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Kyoto University. He has established a classification of threefold divisorial contractions and is a leading expert in algebraic threefolds.
'This book is an excellent introduction to the classification of complex algebraic threefolds. It includes a thorough modern treatment and a glimpse into many of the recent higher dimensional breakthroughs.' Christopher Hacon, University of Utah