It was seven years ago this month when I had the pleasure of writing the Foreword to the Proceedings of the Eighth Conference on Thermal Conductivity hosted by TPRC/ Purdue University in 1968. Since then this Conference has developed to the point where one can say it has just entered a new phase. At its meeting in June 1975, the Board of Governors of the International Thermal Conductivity Conferences passed a resolution which formalizes two main policies that were felt to be desirable for a number of years, A key item of the resolution was for CINDAS/Purdue University to become the permanent Sponsor of the Conferences and in this capacity assist the Conferences in all matters which will result in the effective implementation of its goals and mission. In short, CINDAS will serve as a home base for the Conferences thus providing continuity and a permanent point of contact. CINDAS/Purdue University is pleased to accept this respons ibility as it is well within its mission to promote the advancement and dissemination of knowledge on thermophysica! properties of matter. A second important aspect of the Conference resolution was the establishment of a policy to publish the Proceedings of future conferences on a continuing and uniform basis effective with this, the Fourteenth Conference.

Thermoelectrics is the science and technology associated with thermoelectric converters, that is, the generation of electrical power by the Seebeck effect and refrigeration by the Peltier effect. Thermoelectric generators are being used in increasing numbers to provide electrical power in medical, military, and deep space applications where combinations of their desirable properties outweigh their relatively high cost and low generating efficiency. In recent years there also has been an increase in the requirement for thermoelectric coolers (Peltier devices) for use in infrared detectors and in optical communications. Information on thermoelectrics is not readily available as it is widely scattered throughout the literature. The Handbook centralizes this information in a convenient format under a single cover. Sixty of the world's foremost authorities on thermoelectrics have contributed to this Handbook. It is comprised of fifty-five chapters, a number of which contain previously unpublished material. The contents are arranged in eight sections: general principles and theoretical considerations, material preparation, measurement of thermoelectric properties, thermoelectric materials, thermoelectric generation, generator applications, thermoelectric refrigeration, and applications of thermoelectric cooling. The CRC Handbook of Thermoelectrics has a broad-based scope. It will interest researchers, technologists, and manufacturers, as well as students and the well-informed, non-specialist reader.