This review covers literature starting from 1988 on the field of the activation of different metals (Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ti, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Al, Ga, In, and Sn), paying especial attention to their synthetic applications to organic chemistry.

^†This review is dedicated to Prof. Reuben D. Rieke for his fundamental contribution to the chemistry of active metals