Students of a phenomenon as common but complex as andesite genesis often are overwhelmed by, or overlook, the volume and diversity of relevant information. Thus there is need for periodic overview even in the absence of a dramatic breakthrough which "solves the andesite problem" and even though new ideas and data keep the issues in a state of flux. Thus I have summarized the subject through mid-1980 from my perspective to help clarify the long-standing problem and to identify profitable areas for future research. Overviews are more easily justified than achieved and there are fundamental differences of opinion concerning how to go about them. It is professionally dangerous and therefore uncom- mon for single authors, especially those under 35 such as I, to summarize a broad, active field of science in book-length thor- oughness. Review articles in journals, multi-authored books, or symposia proceedings appear instead. The single-authored approach is intimidating in scale and can result in loss of thoroughness or authority on individual topics. The alternatives lack scope or integration or both.