This book is the second of a three-volume set of books on the theory of algebras, a study that provides a consistent framework for understanding algebraic systems, including groups, rings, modules, semigroups and lattices. Volume I, first published in the 1980s, built the foundations of the theory and is considered to be a classic in this field.

The long-awaited volumes II and III are now available. Taken together, the three volumes provide a comprehensive picture of the state of art in general algebra today, and serve as a valuable resource for anyone working in the general theory of algebraic systems or in related fields.

The two new volumes are arranged around six themes first introduced in Volume I. Volume II covers the Classification of Varieties, Equational Logic, and Rudiments of Model Theory, and Volume III covers Finite Algebras and their Clones, Abstract Clone Theory, and the Commutator. These topics are presented in six chapters with independent expositions, but are linked by themes and motifs that run through all three volumes.