This book covers linear and nonlinear optics as well as optical spectroscopy at solid surfaces and at interfaces between a solid and a liquid or gas. The authors give a concise introduction to the physics of surfaces and interfaces. They discuss in detail physical properties of solid surfaces and of their interfaces to liquids and gases and provide the theoretical background for understanding various optical techniques. The major part of the book is dedicated to a broad review on optical techniques and topical applications such as infrared and optical spectroscopy or optical microscopy. Discussions of nonlinear optics, but also nano-optics and local spectroscopy complement this self-contained work. Helpful features include about 50 problems with solutions, a glossary and a thoroughly elaborated list of topical references. The book is suited as a text for graduate students but also for scientists working in physics, chemistry, materials or life sciences who look for an expert introduction to surface optical aspects of their studies.

At the close of the Second World War, when industrialized nations faced serious trade and financial imbalances, delegates from forty-four countries met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in order to reconstruct the international monetary system. In this volume, three generations of scholars and policy makers, some of whom participated in the 1944 conference, consider how the Bretton Woods System contributed to unprecedented economic stability and rapid growth for 25 years and discuss the problems that plagued the system and led to its eventual collapse in 1971. The contributors explore adjustment, liquidity, and transmission under the System; the way it affected developing countries; and the role of the International Monetary Fund in maintaining a stable rate. The authors examine the reasons for the System's success and eventual collapse, compare it to subsequent monetary regimes, such as the European Monetary System, and address the possibility of a new fixed exchange rate for today's world.