Worldwide, the total number of asthma sufferers is estimated to be ~270 million with an additional 100 million expected to develop asthma by 2025, and asthma is the most common chronic disease among children. There are a number of clinical books available on asthma, but none with much discussion on current scientific findings and new disease understanding. Yet, the concept of asthma has evolved quickly in the past 5–10 years, with many clinicians struggling to keep up with new scientific findings.

• Offers an overall view of asthma and addresses notable advances in key areas such as diet and the microbiota, the genetics of asthma, and asthma-COPD overlap syndrome
• Covers hot topics such as heterogeneity of asthma beyond severe asthma, new risk factors, more common complications with climate change, a focus on chemical exposures at home, e-health, and links with frailty in an aging world
• Provides a deep understanding of a multifactorial, complex, and heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease known as asthma