chapter 1 Introduction -- chapter 2 Some basic properties of nuclei: static and statistical concepts -- chapter 3 Macroscopic and microscopic descriptions of heavy-ion collisions -- chapter 4 Basic experimental and analysis tools -- chapter 5 Reaction mechanisms -- chapter 6 Fast processes towards thermalization -- chapter 7 Decay modes of hot nuclei: from evaporation to vaporization -- chapter 8 Nuclear fragmentation and the liquid–gas phase transition -- chapter 9 Epilogue -- chapter 10 Appendix.