String Theory is our current best candidate for the unification of all fundamental forces, including gravity, in a consistent quantum framework. In this collection of lectures delivered at the Carg se Summer School "String Theory: from Gauge Interactions to Cosmology'', world leading experts provide an up-to-date survey of the latest developments in this topic, including the gauge/gravity correspondence, superstring cosmology and cosmic strings, topological string theory and matrix models, physics beyond the standard model and the landscape of vacua of string theory, conformal field theory and critical phenomena in statistical mechanics. Many more topics are also discussed in shorter contributions by School participants. Written with an emphasis on pedagogy, this volume will be a invaluable resource to students and experts alike.

String Theory is our current best candidate for the unification of all fundamental forces, including gravity, in a consistent quantum framework. In this collection of lectures delivered at the Carg se Summer School "String Theory: from Gauge Interactions to Cosmology'', world leading experts provide an up-to-date survey of the latest developments in this topic, including the gauge/gravity correspondence, superstring cosmology and cosmic strings, topological string theory and matrix models, physics beyond the standard model and the landscape of vacua of string theory, conformal field theory and critical phenomena in statistical mechanics. Many more topics are also discussed in shorter contributions by School participants. Written with an emphasis on pedagogy, this volume will be a invaluable resource to students and experts alike.

The NATO Advanced Study Institute and EC Summer School "Progress in String Field and Particle Theory" was held in Cargse from June 25th till July 11th 2002. The main focus of the school was the recent progress in the very ac tive areas of superstring theory, quantum gravity and the theory of elementary particles. It covered topical problems in domains such as duality between gravity and gaugeinteractions, string field theory, tachyon condensation, non-commutative field theory, string cosmology and string phenomenology. The School featured daily introductory lectures and topical seminars. An informal Gong Show session allowed young post-doctoral researchers and senior graduate students to make a concise presentation oftheir current work. The School gave an excellent opportunity to the youngest researchers to establish a close relationship with their seniors and with the lecturers. These proceedings will further serve in fixing the acquired knowledge, and hopefully, become a useful reference for anyone working in this fascinating do main of physics. Some of the contributions provide an elementary introduction to their subject, while other ones are more geared to the specialist. We are deeply indebted to the NATO Division for Scientific Affairs for funding, and for their constant attention for our meetings, and to the European Commission for a High-Level Scientific Conference grant HPCFCT 2001-00298."

The NATO Advanced Study Institute and EC Summer School "Progress in String Field and Particle Theory" was held in Cargse from June 25th till July 11th 2002. The main focus of the school was the recent progress in the very ac tive areas of superstring theory, quantum gravity and the theory of elementary particles. It covered topical problems in domains such as duality between gravity and gaugeinteractions, string field theory, tachyon condensation, non-commutative field theory, string cosmology and string phenomenology. The School featured daily introductory lectures and topical seminars. An informal Gong Show session allowed young post-doctoral researchers and senior graduate students to make a concise presentation oftheir current work. The School gave an excellent opportunity to the youngest researchers to establish a close relationship with their seniors and with the lecturers. These proceedings will further serve in fixing the acquired knowledge, and hopefully, become a useful reference for anyone working in this fascinating do main of physics. Some of the contributions provide an elementary introduction to their subject, while other ones are more geared to the specialist. We are deeply indebted to the NATO Division for Scientific Affairs for funding, and for their constant attention for our meetings, and to the European Commission for a High-Level Scientific Conference grant HPCFCT 2001-00298."

Jacob Bekenstein, an Israeli physicist of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, planted the seeds of a revolution of our understanding of space-time. Using conservative intuitive methods including time-old gedanken experiments, he discovered that black holes have thermodynamical properties such as entropy.Moreover, he found that their entropy was not extensive, unlike that of any other thermodynamical system considered before, but rather is proportional to the surface of their horizon. Furthermore, Bekenstein pioneered the study of black holes by focusing on their information content aspects. This led him to obtain bounds of a holographic nature on the amount of information that can be stored in a given region of space-time.This book contains a series of scientific and personal contributions by his contemporaries who recall the struggle against his ideas and then with them: the fate accompanying many revolutionary ideas. This is followed by original scientific contributions by many of the leaders of current research on black hole physics and holography. They have trodden his path and expanded it. The impact of Jacob Bekenstein's visionary ideas is just starting to be understood.