Solid-state spectroscopy has still the character of an analytical tool but in a few special cases as for example in the field of luminescence the breakthrough to the market has occurred.
The format of the textbook as it was originally designed was retained in the new edition. In the first and main part of the book basic concepts of the various types of spectroscopy are described with particular emphasis on the physical background of the methods. The sections on synchrotron radiation, photo emission, and on spin resonance were extended and a new chapter was added on spectroscopy of nanostructured solids. On the other hand the contributions from positron annihilation and myon spin resonance were shortened in order to limit the overall text to an acceptable volume. The dedication of the textbook remains as given in the preface of the first English edition and can be inspected there.