springer apr 1993 (189 risultati)

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The thirteenth edition of McGregor's Who Owns Whom presents a summary of the annual report of every company listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange, plus those on the stock exchanges of Harare, Windhoek and Gaberone. For each company, the data presented include: ultimate controlling shareholder, shareholders above 1%, directors, addresses of registered offices, nature of business, year end, number of employees, capital structure, financial statistics and ratios, subsidiaries, associated companies and investments.Comprehensive indexes reveal the ownership of approximately 16,000 companies, the share portfolios of major S.African investors, and the cross-directorships of 4000 directors of listed companies.Detailed schedules provide additional data including newly listed companies, companies recently delisted, companies categorised by sector, companies listed by financial year end, company name changes, unit trusts, mines working results, and much more.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 1128 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book is meant as a text for a first year graduate course in analysis. Any standard course in undergraduate analysis will constitute sufficient preparation for its understanding, for instance, my Undergraduate Anal ysis. I assume that the reader is acquainted with notions of uniform con vergence and the like. In this third edition, I have reorganized the book by covering inte gration before functional analysis. Such a rearrangement fits the way courses are taught in all the places I know of. I have added a number of examples and exercises, as well as some material about integration on the real line (e.g. on Dirac sequence approximation and on Fourier analysis), and some material on functional analysis (e.g. the theory of the Gelfand transform in Chapter XVI). These upgrade previous exercises to sections in the text. In a sense, the subject matter covers the same topics as elementary calculus, viz. linear algebra, differentiation and integration. This time, however, these subjects are treated in a manner suitable for the training of professionals, i.e. people who will use the tools in further investiga tions, be it in mathematics, or physics, or what have you. In the first part, we begin with point set topology, essential for all analysis, and we cover the most important results.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 600 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This textbook covers the basic properties of elliptic curves and modular forms, with emphasis on certain connections with number theory. The ancient 'congruent number problem' is the central motivating example for most of the book. My purpose is to make the subject accessible to those who find it hard to read more advanced or more algebraically oriented treatments. At the same time I want to introduce topics which are at the forefront of current research. Down-to-earth examples are given in the text and exercises, with the aim of making the material readable and interesting to mathematicians in fields far removed from the subject of the book. With numerous exercises (and answers) included, the textbook is also intended for graduate students who have completed the standard first-year courses in real and complex analysis and algebra. Such students would learn applications of techniques from those courses. thereby solidifying their under standing of some basic tools used throughout mathematics. Graduate stu dents wanting to work in number theory or algebraic geometry would get a motivational, example-oriented introduction. In addition, advanced under graduates could use the book for independent study projects, senior theses, and seminar work.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 268 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Integrating both theoretical and applied aspects of electrochemistry, this acclaimed monograph series presents a review of the latest advances in the field. The current volume includes chapters on the mechanism of nerve excitation from an electrochemical standpoint, the electronic factor in the kinetics of charge-transfer reaction, and five other subjects. 484 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -I consider it a privilege to have been invited to write a preface for 'The Limits to Certainty'. It is however paradoxical that a theo retical physicist be asked to write about a monograph dealing mainly with service economics. Notwithstanding, I am delighted to do so. Indeed, it is striking that two so widely different fields like physics and social science, and more especially economics, can interact in such a constructive way. There is no question here of reductionism. Nobody claims to be able to reduce social scien ces to physics, nor to use patterns of social interaction in order to formulate new laws for atoms. What is at stake here is more im portant than reduction; the age-old separation between the so-cal led 'hard' and 'soft sciences' is breaking down. This separation has a long history. First, one should recall the influence of Newton's achievement on the formulation of scienti fic goals. This influence led to the formulation of equilibrium mo dels for supply/demand adjustment. As was noticed by Walter Weisskopf: 'the Newtonian paradigm underlying classical and non-classical economics interpreted the economy according to the patterns developed in classical physics and mechanics, in analogy to the planetary system, to a machine or clockwork: a closed auto nomous system ruled by endogenous factors of a highly selective nature, self-regulating and moving to a determinate, predictable point of equilibrium' (The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance (1984), Vol. 9, no. 33, pp. 335-360).Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 300 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The origins of the mathematics in this book date back more than two thou sand years, as can be seen from the fact that one of the most important algorithms presented here bears the name of the Greek mathematician Eu clid. The word 'algorithm' as well as the key word 'algebra' in the title of this book come from the name and the work of the ninth-century scientist Mohammed ibn Musa al-Khowarizmi, who was born in what is now Uzbek istan and worked in Baghdad at the court of Harun al-Rashid's son. The word 'algorithm' is actually a westernization of al-Khowarizmi's name, while 'algebra' derives from 'al-jabr,' a term that appears in the title of his book Kitab al-jabr wa'l muqabala, where he discusses symbolic methods for the solution of equations. This close connection between algebra and al gorithms lasted roughly up to the beginning of this century; until then, the primary goal of algebra was the design of constructive methods for solving equations by means of symbolic transformations. During the second half of the nineteenth century, a new line of thought began to enter algebra from the realm of geometry, where it had been successful since Euclid's time, namely, the axiomatic method.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 604 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The subject matterofsolid state chemistry lies within the spheres ofboth physical and inorganic chemistry. In addition, there is a large overlap with solid state physics and materials engineering. However, solid state chemistry has still to be recognized by the general body ofchemists as a legitimate subfield ofchemistry. The discipline is not even well defined as to content and has many facets that make writing a textbook a formidable task. The early studies carried out in the United States by Roland Ward and his co workers emphasized the synthesisofnew materials and the determination oftheir structure. His work on doped alkaline earth sulfides formed the basis for the development of infrared phosphors and his pioneering studies on oxides were important in understanding the structural features of both the perovskite oxides as well as the magnetoplumbites. In 1945, A. F. Wells published the first edition of Structural Inorganic Chemistry. This work attempts to demonstrate that the synthesis, structure, and properties of solids form an important part of inorganic chemistry. Now, after almost 50 years during which many notable advances have been made in solid state chemistry, it is still evident that the synthesis, structure determination, and properties of solids receive little attention in most treatments of inorganic chemistry. The development of the field since the early studies of Roland Ward (early 1940s) has been rapid.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 260 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -There exists a large variety of image reconstruction methods proposed by different authors (see e. g. Pratt (1978), Rosenfeld and Kak (1982), Marr (1982)). Selection of an appropriate method for a specific problem in image analysis has been always considered as an art. How to find the image reconstruction method which is optimal in some sense In this book we give an answer to this question using the asymptotic minimax approach in the spirit of Ibragimov and Khasminskii (1980a,b, 1981, 1982), Bretagnolle and Huber (1979), Stone (1980, 1982). We assume that the image belongs to a certain functional class and we find the image estimators that achieve the best order of accuracy for the worst images in the class. This concept of optimality is rather rough since only the order of accuracy is optimized. However, it is useful for comparing various image reconstruction methods. For example, we show that some popular methods such as simple linewise processing and linear estimation are not optimal for images with sharp edges. Note that discontinuity of images is an important specific feature appearing in most practical situations where one has to distinguish between the 'image domain' and the 'background' . The approach of this book is based on generalization of nonparametric regression and nonparametric change-point techniques. We discuss these two basic problems in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 is devoted to minimax lower bounds for arbitrary estimators in general statistical models.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 276 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -'Et moi, . , si j'avait su comment. One service mathematics has ren en revenir, je n'y serais point alle'. dered the human race. It has put common sense back where it be Jules Verne longs, on the topmost shelf next to the dusty canister labelIed 'discard The series is divergent; therefore we ed nonsense'. may be able to do something with Eric T. Bell it. O. Heaviside Mathematics is a tool for thought. A highly necessary tool in a world where both feedback and nonlinearities abound. Similarly, all kinds of parts of mathematics serve as tools for other parts and for other sciences. Applying a simple rewriting rule to the quote on the right above one finds such statements as: 'One service topology has rendered mathema tical physics . '; 'One service logic has rendered computer science . '; 'One service category theory has rendered mathematics . '. All ar guably true. Alld all statements obtainable this way form part of the raison d 'etre of this serics.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 316 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Paul M. Minus Overview The papers gathered in this volume were first presented for reflection and discussion at a landmark event in March 1992. The International Conference on the Ethics of Business in a Global Economy, held in Columbus, Ohio, brought together over 300 participants from twenty-two nations in six continents. This was the most geographically diverse body of leaders ever assembled to consider issues of ethics in business. Approximately two-thirds of them were business executives; the others came mainly from the fields of education and religion. Knowing the context from which this book emerged will help readers understand its composition and content. As can be quickly seen, the fourteen authors who have contributed to it come from different areas of the world and from different fields of endeavor. One finds, first, essays on the book's central theme by business leaders from four nations. Next there are analyses of three key topics by scholars active in the fields of economics and ethics. Then come statements by practitioners of four major world religions on the relevance of their respective traditions to the ethics of business. Finally there are six brief case studies prepared by two business ethicists about specific ethical issues arising in international business. The authors address different facets of one of the most dramatic new facts of our time: the globalization of business. With many corporations now operating around the world and others planning a significant expansion of markets, this development is destined to accelerate in coming decades.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 164 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -From the reviews:'., the book must be of great help for a researcher who already has some idea of Lie theory, wants to employ it in his everyday research and/or teaching, and needs a source for customary reference on the subject. From my viewpoint, the volume is perfectly fit to serve as such a source, . On the whole, it is quite a pleasure, after making yourself comfortable in that favourite office armchair of yours, just to keep the volume gently in your hands and browse it slowly and thoughtfully; and after all, what more on Earth can one expect of any book 'The New Zealand Mathematical Society Newsletter'. Both parts are very nicely written and can be strongly recommended.'European Mathematical Society 252 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -All the gamuts pertaining to the nervous system have been excerpted into this book from Reeder and Felson's Gamuts in Radiology, the world's best known, most trusted, and most comprehensive guide to radiologic differential diagnosis. Clinicians are given easy access to complete lists of possible causes that guide the interpretation of findings or patterns on MR, CT, angiography, and plain film studies. The user-friendly listings are concise and well organized. They are arranged by relative frequency to help radiologists, neuroradiologists, and residents arrive at an immediate diagnosis. Other features include a slim 5'x8' trim size for handy portability and an easy-to-read single-column format. This ideal pocket guide is a must have for everyday use in clinical practice and is also an excellent teaching tool and study guide for board exams.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 380 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -AESTHETICIZING PRAGMATICS The Gamut of Pragmatics Pragmatics emerged among the sciences of language at the end of the 1960's in reaction to certain totalizing models in linguistics: structuralism (primarily in Europe) and generative grammar (initially in the United States). Certain disciples of Chomsky became dissatisfied with autono mous syntax and later with generative semantics: they decided to break away from their mentor. Whereas Chomsky continued to talk a lot about very little, they defied him by speaking very suggestively about an exces sively broad range of phenomena. Pragmatics -which Bar-Hillel consid ered as a 'wastebasket discipline' in the fifties - nevertheless gained respectability. The history of pragmatics spans, of course, much more than three decades. The Stoic conception of language, in the shadow of the great Greek tradition and therefore intensely subversive, had in fact a pragmatic aim. The term pragmatisch appears in Kant: it expresses a relation with a human goal, this goal being only determinable within a community. This characterization naturally inspires the pragmaticism of l the Neo-Kantian Charles Sanders Peirce . It is this Kant-Peirce lineage that led to Morris and Carnap's rather bland conceptions of pragmatics, after the heavy losses incurred by positivism and behaviorism. In any case, despite the constant presence of a pragmatic approach in the history of thought, this reassessment of pragmatics (against the triumphs proclaimed by structuralism and generativism) was experienced as a Significant break through. A whole range of pragmatics came to the attention of linguists.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 188 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - 1 Overview of Guided Wave Optics.- 2 Slab Waveguides.- 3 The Semiclassical Laser Equations.- 4 Semiconductor Lasers.- 5 Optical Fibers.- 6 Integrated Optics.- List of Symbols Used.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Differences between people are a fascinating and long-standing area of psychological inquiry. However, previous research has largely been confined to studies at the descriptive level. This book tries to explain individual difference, rather than merely describe them. Explanations are derived from two major competing frameworks: the biological and social approaches to individuality. The book is based on the contributions of specialists from Europe and North America invited to represent the biological and social points of view. Thus, a direct confrontation is obtained of two approaches that, hitherto, have proceeded with virtually no reference to each other. Attention is paid to behavior genetics, psychophysiology and temperament, as well as to social learning, behavioral strategies and person-environment interactions. Differences and commonalities between the biological and social approaches are scrutinized and a common framework is outlined to stimulate future research. Due to its innovative character, the book is particularly relevant for investigators in the field. In addition, it may be fruitfully used in advanced graduate level courses in personality psychology.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The perception of the atomic-scale world has greatly changed since the discovery and development, in the early '80s, of scanning tunneling microscopy by Binnig and Rohrer. Beyond the observation of individual atoms, which is now routine, the concept of playing with atoms has become commonplace. This has led to the fashioning of tools at the atomic scale, to the deposition, the displacement and the creation of atomic structures and also to a knowledge of interactions and contacts between atoms. Nanotips ending with a single atom are sources of ultra-fine charged beams. They can be unique tools for high resolution observations, for microfabrications by micro-machining and deposition at a scale not previously attainable, with a working distance less stringent than with STM devices. These nanosources should then be the starting point for the development of high-performance miniature devices. For all the subjects mentioned above, new laws have been identified and circumscribed in the different articles.These proceedings marked the shift of emphasis from a passive attitude of analysis towards a more active role of the scientist in the creation and use of atomic configurations.(ABSTRACT)This volume contains the proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop which reviewed the basic principles and highlighted the progress made during the last few years on the atomic scale sources and the interactions between microprobes and samples. The motivation is to use the novel properties attached to the atomic dimensions to develop nanoscale technologies.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book is intended as an introductory text. It starts at the very fundamentals of the interaction of light and matter and progresses through the laws of light absorption, instrumentation and standards to the newer chemometric techniques. Other chapters cover colour, structural aspects of UV spectroscopy, detection in high performace liquid chromatography and flourescence.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 164 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This Workshop was organized to assess the status of knowledge on the behaviour of phosphorus in sediments and to define gaps and reassess research strategies, particularly with respect to prevalent methodology and future approach; and to define gaps and reassess research strategies for water management measures in aquatic ecosystems, especially in relation to the release of phosphorus from the sediments and its impact on the functioning of the whole system.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -It is common to assert that utility investors are compensated in the allowed rate of return for the risk of large disallowances, such as arise for investments found imprudent or not `used and useful'. However, this book develops a new theory of asymmetric regulatory risk that shows that infallible estimates of the cost of capital are sure to provide downward-biased estimates of the necessary allowed rates of return in the presence of such regulatory risks. The book uses the new theory of regulatory risk to understand recent developments in the risk of natural gas pipelines and other regulated industries.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 364 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -A critical issue in research and development (R&D) management is the structure and use of evaluative efforts for R&D programs. The book introduces the different methods that may be used in R&D evaluation and then illustrates these methods by describing actual evaluation in practice using those methods.The book is divided into two sections. The first section provides an introduction and details on several popular methodologies used in the evaluation of research and development activities. The second half of the book focuses on evaluation in practice and is comprised of several chapters offering the perspectives of individuals in different types of organizations. The book concludes with an annotated bibliography of selected R&D evaluation literature, focusing on post-1985 literature, on research evaluation.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 324 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Pesticides have contributed impressively to our present-day agricultural productivity, but at the same time they are at the center of serious concerns about safety, health, and the environment. Increasingly, the public wonders whether the benefits of pesticides - `the perfect red apple' - outweigh the costs of environmental pollution, human illness, and the destruction of animals and our habitat. Scientists and government officials are suspected of promoting commercial interests rather than protecting human welfare.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 460 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This volume contains a selection of papers presented at the 1991 Conrad Conference, held in Gainesville, Florida, USA, in December, 1991. Together, these give an overview of some recent advances in the area of ordered algebraic structures. The first part of the book is devoted to ordered permutation groups and universal, as well as model-theoretic, aspects. The second part deals with material variously connected to general topology and functional analysis. Collectively, the contents of the book demonstrate the wide applicability of order-theoretic methods, and how ordered algebraic structures have connections with many research disciplines.For researchers and graduate students whose work involves ordered algebraic structures.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 274 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -QUALICO has been held for the first time as an international conference to demonstrate the state of the art in quantitative linguistics. This domain of language study and research is gaining considerable interest due to recent advances in linguistic modelling, particularly in computational linguistics, cognitive science, and developments in mathematics like modern systems theory. Progress in hardware and software technology, together with ease of access to data and numerical processing, has provided new means of empirical data acquisition and the application of mathematical models of adequate complexity. This volume contains the papers read at QUALICO 91, and provides a representative overview of the state of the art in quantitative linguistic research.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 448 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Spectroscopy of Defects in Organic Crystals presents a masterly summary of the widespread and voluminous literature on the subject, presenting theoretical and experimental investigations of electron and vibronic optical spectra of organic crystals. Electronic states of defects combine to form crystal near-to-band and band levels. These are discrete states in the vicinity of exciton bands, surface and dislocational excitons, etc. Some studies have expressed dissimilar or even conflicting opinions about the nature of observed phenomena. In the choice of the material, preference has been given to phenomena which have received a theoretical interpretation. Some attention is paid to observations which are not completely understood and also to effects predicted but not yet confirmed.The monograph will be useful for scientists as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students of solid state physics.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 274 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Science, Technology, and the Art of Medicine contains papers by eminent scholars who discuss issues and concepts regarding the character of medicine. Special attention is given to the extent to which medicine is a science, art, and technology. Investigations are carried out with a particular focus on the nature of medical knowledge. Concepts of medical research, medical causality, intuition, and medical decision-making are examined in the light of medicine's revolutionary advances in the twentieth century. Past perspectives and present perplexities are also examined, bringing together a volume in the philosophy of medicine that treats a broad range of issues in medical epistemology and practise in a careful, critical fashion.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 354 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Computer Simulation in Chemical Physics contains the proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute held at CORISA, Alghero, Sardinia, in September 1992. In the five years that have elapsed since the field was last summarized there have been a number of remarkable advances which have significantly expanded the scope of the methods. Good examples are the Car--Parrinello method, which allows the study of materials with itinerant electrons; the Gibbs technique for the direct simulation of liquid--vapor phase equilibria; the transfer of scaling concepts from simulations of spin models to more complex systems; and the development of the configurational--biased Monte-Carlo methods for studying dense polymers. The field has also been stimulated by an enormous increase in available computing power and the provision of new software.All these exciting developments, an more, are discussed in an accessible way here, making the book indispensable reading for graduate students and research scientists in both academic and industrial settings.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Presenting the latest advances in artificial structures, this volume discusses in-depth the structure and electron transport mechanisms of quantum wells, superlattices, quantum wires, and quantum dots. It will serve as an invaluable reference and review for researchers and graduate students in solid-state physics, materials science, and electrical and electronic engineering. 612 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book represents the first European effort to provide a collection of test descriptions used in evaluation of the compatibility of biomaterials in contact with tissues and blood. The urge to compile this book arose from the fact that it is the properties of the material which ultimatively seem to determine the functional outcome of a medical device, almost regardless of how ingenious the construction of the very device is. The longer the exposure is, the more important these basic properties become. Unfortunately only a small part of the interactive phenomena is fully elucidated and understood. This challenge reflects itself in an effort to cover numerous aspects of testing, beginning with fundamental analysis of the material, continuing with the mechanical properties, the resistance to degradation and the analysis of surface and chemical properties including adsorption patterns of proteins ending with test on cell cultures, ex vivo and in vivo. A number of the tests which are generally accepted as being important are already described as official requirements (primarily Pharmacopeas). These official requirements are not included in order to limit the size of the book. It is the aim of this book to present the tests like a recipe in a uniform way to ease the reader in finding his/her way through the material and to present it as a kind of 'cook-book' in an order to provide an easy access to copy the procedures. This has unfortunately not been possible in all circumstances.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 702 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Ecotones, or boundary zones between land and inland waters (such as lakes, streams and rivers), are the principal routes for transport of organic matter and nutrients across landscapes via physical and biological vectors. The ecotone is the place of cumulation and transformation of in situ production as well as of allochthonous material from adjacent aquatic and terrestrial systems. The ecotype functions as an important barrier or filter for principal nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, responsible for the eutrophication and degradation of surface waters. Intensive forest cutting, agriculture, pollution and bank regulation, urbanization and hydrotechnical constructions seriously endanger the ecotone systems and damage their protective function. It is vital to develop a scientific understanding of the behaviour of phosphorus and nitrogen in these transitional boundary habitats. Such an understanding is important for the rational protection, management and restoration of ecotones connected with lakes and rivers. The importance of nutrient cycling and retention is discussed from the point of view of ecotone function, management and reconstruction in order to sustain its protective role for water bodies. Various types of land/water transitory zones are discussed: wetlands, lake littoral systems, riparian zones of rivers, streams and brooks, the contact zones between groundwater and surface waters of lakes and rivers, air--water interfaces, and patch/ecotone structures in watersheds.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 376 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The unexpected and therefore really amazing discovery of J. G. Bednorz and K. A. R32 Miiller , that certain oxide compounds enter a superconducting state at temperatures above 30 K pushed research on superconductivity into the limelight of science in general in a way that seemed reserved for a while for high-energy or particle physics only. The common interest was then even more aroused when subsequent work rather quickly established that in the same class of compounds (oxides), critical temperatures of superconductivity above R36 the boiling point of nitrogen could be achieved . It might therefore be expected, that this entire review would solely deal with superconductivity at high temperatures, i. e. , above the boiling point of hydrogen. From my point of view, however, any unexpected occurrence of superconductivity is a challenge to scientists interested either in the physics of this phenomenon or in its materials-science aspects. In this respect, the last ten years have been quite revolutionary in the sense that on various occasions, superconductivity was discovered in materials whose physical properties were not obviously favourable for adopting this ground state. This period started with the observation that homogeneous coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic order in the same material was possible. Later it was found that electrons whose effective mass was tremendously enhanced by magnetic interactions, may also form a superconducting state, namely in materials that were subsequently identified as heavy electron superconductors.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 340 pp. Englisch.