To utilize heat capacity determinations in the chemical thermodynamic region effectively, it is essential to be able to resolve the "excess" contributions, be they electronic (e.g. Schottky), magnetic, order-disorder, or one of the named transitions (Anderson, Verwey, etc.), from the often predominant lattice heat capacity. This paper addresses recent developments in bridging the experimental/utilization gap and compares the recent high precision approaches with each other and with experimental work on homologous series and selected substances.