The book contains several well-written, accessible survey papers in many interrelated areas of current research. These areas cover various aspects of the representation theory of Lie algebras, finite groups of Lie types, Hecke algebras, and Lie super algebras. Geometric methods have been instrumental in representation theory, and these proceedings include surveys on geometric as well as combinatorial constructions of the crystal basis for representations of quantum groups. Humphreys' paper outlines intricate connections among irreducible representations of certain blocks of reduced enveloping algebras of semi-simple Lie algebras in positive characteristic, left cells in two sided cells of affine Weyl groups, and the geometry of the nilpotent orbits. All these papers provide the reader with a broad picture of the interaction of many different research areas and should be helpful to those who want to have a glimpse of current research involving representation theory.