Gupta and Krishnamurthy survey the scientific and engineering literature to provide an overview of current practices for extracting rare earths and preparing their derivatives for specific applications. They identify the location, quality, and quantity of the world's rare earth resources and present a detailed account of classical and modern extraction methods. Chemical and electrochemical reduction methods are also covered, as well as metal refining techniques. The authors are affiliated with the Bhabha Atomic Research Center in Mumbai, India.