Since its inception in 1966, the series of numbered volumes known as has distinguished itself through the careful selection of well-known authors, editors, and contributors. The "Willardson and Beer" Series, as it is widely known, has succeeded in publishing numerous landmark volumes and chapters. Not only did many of these volumes make an impact at the time of their publication, but they continue to be well-cited years after their original release. Recently, Professor Eicke R. Weber of the University of California at Berkeley joined as a co-editor of the series. Professor Weber, a well-known expert in the field of semiconductor materials, will further contribute to continuing the series' tradition of publishing timely, highly relevant, and long-impacting volumes. Some of the recent volumes, such as and others promise indeed that this tradition will be maintained and even expanded.Reflecting the truly interdisciplinary nature of the field that the series covers, the volumes in have been and will continue to be of great interest to physicists, chemists, materials scientists, and device engineers in modern industry. Volumes 54 and 55 present contributions by leading researchers in the field of high pressure semiconductors. Edited by T. Suski and W. Paul, these volumes continue the tradition of well-known but outdated publications such as Brigman's (1931 and 1949) and edited by Bradley. Volumes 54 and 55 reflect the industrially important recent developments in research and applications of semiconductor properties and behavior under desirable risk-free conditions at high pressures. These developments include the advent of the diamond anvil cell technique and the availability of commercial piston–cylinder apparatus operating at high hydrostatic pressures. These much-needed books will be useful to both researchers and practitioners in applied physics, materials science, and engineering.