Book excerpt: This book is the second volume of review papers on advanced problems of phase transitions and critical phenomena, following the success of the first volume in 2004. Broadly, the volume aims to demonstrate that the phase transition theory, which experienced its 'golden age' during the 70s and 80s, is far from over and there is still a good deal of work to be done, both at the fundamental level and in respect of applications.The topics presented in this volume include: critical behavior as explained by the non-perturbative renormalization group, critical dynamics, a spacetime approach to phase transitions, self-organized criticality, and exactly solvable models of phase transitions in strongly correlated systems. As the first volume, this book is based on the review lectures that were given in Lviv (Ukraine) at the “Ising lectures” — a traditional annual workshop on phase transitions and critical phenomena which brings together scientists working in the field with university students and those who are interested in the subject.