The boost libraries are a set of libraries designed to work in conjunction with the standard C++ libraries. In fact, a lot of the libraries that are currently being provided by C++ originated from the boost libraries. The boost libraries provide everything from containers, clocks, and timers to more complicated mathematical APIs such as graphs and CRC calculations. In this recipe, we will learn how to use the boost libraries, specifically to demonstrate what a large library looks like and how such a library would be included in a user's project. This recipe is important as it will demonstrate just how complicated a library can get, teaching you how to write your own libraries accordingly.