This second edition in paperback provides an up-to-datereview of the state of the art in different generationprocesses for ultrashort laser pulses. Inaddition,extensive applications in a wide range of fields - inphysics,engineering, chemistry, and biology - arediscussed:Eight chapters dealwith the following topics:-the generation of picosecond and femtosecond laser pulses-nonlinear wave interactions- new investigations in solid-state physics- recent progress in optoelectronics- advances in coherent material excitations- ultrafast vibrational lifetimes and energy redistribution in liquids- new observations of chemical reactions in the liquid state- the primary processes of important biological systemsThe book is essential reading for scientists and engineerswho want to know what is going on in this rapidly advancingfield. It should also interest graduate students and otherswho seek an introduction to laserpulses.