The planning for the IUTAM Symposium on Adiabatic Waves in Liquid-Vapor Systems began in May of 1986 in G5ttingen. The Symposium was held in August of 1989 in the Max-Planck-Institut fUr Str5mungsforschung. The invitations to participants suggested that the written papers concern Fast Adiabatic Phase Changes in Fluids and Related Phenomena. Particular topics suggested were: Liquefaction shockwaves and Shock splitting; Evaporation waves; Condensation in Laval nozzles and turbines; Stability in multiphase shocks; Non-equilibrium and near-critical phenomena; Nucleation in dynamic systems;...