Binary life after the AGB - towards a unified picture

A unified evolutionary scheme that includes post-AGB systems, barium stars, symbiotics, and related systems, explaining their similarites as well as differences. Can we construct it? We compare these various classes of objects in order to construct a consistent picture. Special attention is given to the comparison of the barium pollution and symbiotic phenomena. Finally, we outline a `transient torus' evolutionary scenario that makes use of the various observational and theoretical hints and aims at explaining the observed characteristics of the relevant systems.