Almost fifteen years have now elapsed since the first observations of per sistent spectral hole-burning in inhomogeneously broadened absorption lines in solids. The fact that the spectral shape of an inhomogeneously broadened line can be locally modified for long periods of time has led to a large number of investigations of low-temperature photophysics and photochemistry that would not have been possible otherwise. Using hole burning, important information has been obtained about a variety of in teractions, including excited-state dephasing processes, host-guest dynam ics, proton tunnelling, low-frequency excitation in amorphous hosts, relaxation mechanisms for vibrational modes, photochemical mechanisms at liquid helium temperatures, and external field perturbations. At the same time, the possibility that persistent spectral holes might be used to store digital information has led to the study of materials and configura tions for frequency-domain optical storage and related possible applica tions. This is the first full-length book on persistent spectral hole-burning. The goal is to provide a broadly based survey of the scientific principles and applications of persistent spectral hole-burning. Since the topic is quite interdisciplinary, the book is intended for researchers, graduate stu dents, and advanced undergraduates in the fields of chemical physics, solid-state physics, laser spectroscopy, solid-state photochemistry, and high-performance optical storage and optical processing.

No culture is ever completely successful or satisfied with its synthesis of romantic love, companionship, and sexual desire. Whether the setting is a busy metropolis or a quiet farming village, a tension always exists between a community's sexual habits and customs and what it believes to be the proper context for love. Even in Western societies, we prefer sexual passion to romance and companionship, and no study of any culture has shown that individuals regard passion and affection equally.

The pursuit of love and sex has generated an infinite number of ambiguities and contradictions, yet every community hopes to find a resolution to this conflict either by joining, dividing, or stressing one act over the other. In this follow-up to "Romantic Passion: A Universal Experience?," William R. Jankowiak examines how different cultures rationalize the expression of passionate and comfort love and physical sex. He begins by mapping out the intricacies of the love/sex conundrum and the psychological dilemma of reconciling these competing forces. He then follows with essays on sex, love, and intimacy among Central African foragers and farmers; the love dyad in Lithuania; intimacy among the Lahu of Southwestern China; the interplay of love, sex, and marriage in the High Himalayas; verbalized experiences of love and sexuality in Indonesia; love work as it relates to sex work among prostitutes; intimacies and estrangements in the marital and extramarital relationships of Huli men; infidelity and masculinity in Southwestern Nigeria; and the ritual of sex and the rejuvenation of the love bond among married couples in the United States.

Contributors: Denise Brennan, Georgetown University;Shanshan Du, Tulane University; Barry Hewlett, Washington State University; Bonnie L. Hewlett, Washington State University; William Jankowiak, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Laura Hicks Mixson, anthropologist; Victor de Munck, SUNY-New Paltz; Thomas Paladino, essayist and poet; Birgitt RAttger-RAssler, Max-Planck Institute of Social Anthropology; Holly Wardlow, University of Toronto; Daniel Jordan Smith, Brown University; Geetanjali Tiwari, wildlife ecologist.

No culture is ever completely successful or satisfied with its synthesis of romantic love, companionship, and sexual desire. Whether the setting is a busy metropolis or a quiet farming village, a tension always exists between a community's sexual habits and customs and what it believes to be the proper context for love. Even in Western societies, we prefer sexual passion to romance and companionship, and no study of any culture has shown that individuals regard passion and affection equally.

The pursuit of love and sex has generated an infinite number of ambiguities and contradictions, yet every community hopes to find a resolution to this conflict either by joining, dividing, or stressing one act over the other. In this follow-up to "Romantic Passion: A Universal Experience?," William R. Jankowiak examines how different cultures rationalize the expression of passionate and comfort love and physical sex. He begins by mapping out the intricacies of the love/sex conundrum and the psychological dilemma of reconciling these competing forces. He then follows with essays on sex, love, and intimacy among Central African foragers and farmers; the love dyad in Lithuania; intimacy among the Lahu of Southwestern China; the interplay of love, sex, and marriage in the High Himalayas; verbalized experiences of love and sexuality in Indonesia; love work as it relates to sex work among prostitutes; intimacies and estrangements in the marital and extramarital relationships of Huli men; infidelity and masculinity in Southwestern Nigeria; and the ritual of sex and the rejuvenation of the love bond among married couples in the United States.

Contributors: Denise Brennan, Georgetown University;Shanshan Du, Tulane University; Barry Hewlett, Washington State University; Bonnie L. Hewlett, Washington State University; William Jankowiak, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Laura Hicks Mixson, anthropologist; Victor de Munck, SUNY-New Paltz; Thomas Paladino, essayist and poet; Birgitt RAttger-RAssler, Max-Planck Institute of Social Anthropology; Holly Wardlow, University of Toronto; Daniel Jordan Smith, Brown University; Geetanjali Tiwari, wildlife ecologist.