Book excerpt: This volume constitutes the proceedings of the tenth meeting of the International school on Condensed Matter Physics. Since 1980, this community of condensed matter scientists has gathered in Varna, Bulgaria, every two years, to review and discuss the development of various investigations in the field, to present the latest results, and to outline the most important trends in condensed matter science.The book reflects the development of the field, and points to the growing interest in the application of theoretical achievements and to the mutual inspirations of science and technology.