Die Kunst of Phonons

Between 15 and 27 February 1993, the XXIX Winter School of Theoretical Physics was held in the Hotel Gwarek in Kudowa Zdroj, Poland. The present volume contains the proceedings of the Winter School. In keeping with the name Die Kunst of Phonons, the School was dedicated to the physics of phonons. Historically the field of phonons has been a conglomeration of various directions related only by the fact that phonons were involved. The subject has matured greatly and it is now possible to speak of a field of phonon physics proper. Further, it is possible to speak of many of the phenomena seen in phonon physics as being, truly, beautiful. As the object of the book is to present tutorial reviews of the state of the art (Kunst) together with the fact that the state of the art often times reveals beautiful phenomena (more Kunst) we chose a title that reflected this and was also arresting, forcing the prospective reader to stop and reconsider his preconceptions about phonon physics. The use of the german word (with its echoes of Bach's "die Kunst der Fuge") enhances the effect on the prospective reader.