Part I. Single Light Scattering 1. Light scattering by irregular particles in the Earth's atmosphere -- 2. Physical-geometric optics hybrid methods for computing the scattering and absorption properties of ice crystals and dust aerosols.-3 Light scattering by large particles: physical optics and the shadow-forming field -- 4. A pseudo-spectral time domain method for light scattering computations -- 5. Application of non-orthogonal bases in the theory of light scattering by spheroidal particles. Part II. Radiative Transfer 6. Radiative transfer and optical imaging in biological media by low-order transport approximations: the simplified spherical harmonics.- 7. Transillumination of highly scattering media by polarized light -- 8. On the application of the invariant embedding method and the radiative transfer equation codes for the surface state analysis -- 9. On some trends in the progress of astrophysical radiative transfer -- 10. A review of fast radiative transfer techniques -- 11. Dependence of direct aerosol radiative forcing on the optical properties of atmospheric aerosol and underlying surface. Light scattering review (vol 8) is aimed at the presentation of recent advances in radiative transfer and light scattering optics. The topics to be covered include: scattering of light by irregularly shaped particles suspended in the atmosphere (dust, ice crystals), light scattering by particles much larger as compared the wavelength of incident radiation, atmospheric radiative forcing, astrophysical radiative transfer, radiative transfer and optical imaging in biological media, radiative transfer of polarized light, numerical aspects of radiative transfer.