The merits of this book are first and foremost the combination of theory and practice, then the unique presentation of a philosophical dialogue between prominent authors in the field: Peter Lipton and Wesley C. Salmon, who present in a conciliatory spirit opposing views of explanation. Finally the book features an interdisciplinary account of the application of explanation in philosophy, philosophy of science, psychology, perception, cognition, social sciences, political science, and aesthetics. There is currently a great interest in this kind of interdisciplinary collection of papers, not only among students and researchers of philosophy of science, but also among psychologists and social scientists. The interdisciplinary character of the book will attract readers from various fields of research. Practicing scientists and students who are interested in a particular field of study, will also find in this book insightful theoretical analyses of explanation. The aim of the book is to shed light on the very concept of explanation and to examine its application in diverse settings.