This highly recommended, revised edition sets a high standard for its pedagogy. Every term is boldface and clearly defined. The equations are derived step by step, with more detailed mathematical and physical descriptions than seen in the previous editions, in boxes and footnotes that reduce ambiguities in understanding. Each topic begins with the phenomenon, followed by the mathematical analysis.
The detailed scalar and vector approaches to light are comprehensive and well-developed with all approximations derived with their limitations. There are numerous worked examples with solutions, questions to provoke thinking with answers, interactive animations that enhance the figures, and end-of-chapter quantitative quizzes of increasing complexity to let the readers test their understanding of the chapter’s content.
The text showcases the ubiquity and the utility of optics in modern technology with unlimited applications in communication, manufacturing and testing, astronomy, defense, medicine and research. The publisher’s list price of $69.99 sets an example for textbook prices. Extensive appendices include mathematical formulas, references and a detailed index.
Review by Barry R. Masters, Fellow of AAAS, Optica, and SPIE.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or its publisher, Optica.