This is the seventh volume of a well-established series in which expert practitioners discuss topical aspects of light scattering in solids. Emphasis is placed on electronic excitations between crystal-field split levels of transition-metal and rare-earth ions in crystals, among them high-Tc superconductors and magnetic excitations that appear in superlattices containing magnetic metals. The contents of this volume again demonstrates the usefulness of Raman spectroscopy for the investigation and characterization of this class of materials. It will be useful to advanced students and to all researchers who apply Raman spectroscopy in their work.