In recent years, the surface science of metal oxides has experienced a remarkable increase in terms of research papers published, systems studied, and level of detail of the obtained information. A long-standing paradigm -- that surface defects on oxides are dominant reactivity centers -- is now scrutinized with scanning probe techniques. In this talk, I will give a representative overview of surface structural and adsorption studies on various surface orientations of TiO@sub 2@, ZnO, and SnO@sub 2@. Our experimental investigations are significantly enhanced through collaborations with theoretical groups.