"This is very unique and promises to be an extremely useful guide to a host of workers in the field. They have given a generalized presentation likely to cover most if not all situations to be encountered in the laboratory, yet also highlight several specific examples that clearly illustrate the methods. They have provided an admirable contribution to the community. If someone makes their living by designing lasers, optical parametric oscillators or other devices employing nonlinear crystals, or designing experiments incorporating laser beam propagation through linear or nonlinear media,...