This book deals with the underlying astrophysical mechanisms of the objects known as asymptotic giant branch stars -- the structures that occur during the dramatic period prior to a star's death.

From the reviews:

"AGB stars have red giants as progenitors, and are fated to become planetary nebulae and white dwarfs. This book comprises a set of papers dealing with all aspects of the physics of these stars. It is intended for a graduate study level . the chapters which are designed to be self-standing do provide interesting discussions about theory and corroborative observations, and I think there is lot that can be gleaned ." (Callum Potter, Journal of the British Astronomical Association, Vol. 114 (3), 2004)

Inhalt
1 AGB Stars: History, Structure, and Characteristics.- 2 Evolution, Nucleosynthesis, and Pulsation of AGB Stars.- 3 Synthetic AGB Evolution.- 4 Atmospheres of AGB Stars.- 5 Molecule and Dust Grain Formation.- 6 Dynamics and Instabilities in Dusty Winds.- 7 Circumstellar Envelopes.- 8 AGB Stars as Tracers of Stellar Populations.- 9 AGB Stars in Binaries and Their Progeny.- 10 Post-AGB Stars.