1 comments about Introduction to the Theory of Coherence and Polarization of Light.

1. The money chapter is Chapter 9, where the connection between coherence and polarization extends beyond mere superficial resemblance to something deeper. However, it is exactly here that the account starts to get somewhat frayed, in the sense that derivations become sketchy, and one must reach out to outside references to derive some benefits. This unification needs to be described more completely in words, because the reader is left to draw his own conclusions. I think this is the takeoff point for a better future edition.

5 comments about Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles (Wiley Science Paperback Series).

1. This book must be on the table of every researcher in light scattering field.



2. I have found this to be a very useful reference for calculations of light-scattering properties of particles of various sizes and shapes. Discussions of subjects ranging from geometrical optics to Mie theory appear clear and complete. The book also includes computer algorithms for computing scattering properties of homogeneous spheres, coated spheres and cylinders.



3. The authors' lively and `user-friendly' style of presentation help bring material of an advanced nature within the reach of a larger number of readers than most books that deal with the subject at this level. I highly recommend this classic reference.



4. Very good choice of topics. Clear presentation. Caters to a wide variety of audiences.

   I'd give it a 5 if it included a chapter devoted practical aspects of experimental light scattering measurements, techniques, and instrumentation.




5. Bohren and Huffman present a coherent and comprehensive description of absorption and scattering by small particles. The text is written in a very amusing style, where ideas are presented in a conversation like manner, as if the authors are directly addressing the reader, providing jokes and examples to illustrate their point. This text builds upon the description provided by Hulst in classic text, and provides a deal of useful information particularly related to absorption (not covered by the text of Hulst)!
   
   The first eight chapters illustrate the basic theory of scattering and absorption, introducing expression and physics relevant to spheres, spheroids and a whole array of particles. This section is quite similar in spirit to the text by Hulst, requires a background in electrodynamics (to make it most useful) . In part II and part III, the authors discuss the optical constants of bulk matter and small particles respectively, citing examples of metallic as well as semiconducting particles. This book fills the need for a textbook for studying extinction coefficients of all kinds of particles, and is useful for physicists, chemists, meteorologists, material scientists, etc. Nonlinear optics is not covered, as also the effect of multi-particle scattering (and thankfully so)!
   
   The book is very useful for people studying absorption (and scattering) of nanoparticles. It contains a good description of basic physics of plasmon resonance, extremely relevant to the research of people studying metallic particles. Bohren has written some really amusing as well as insightful "science" books on experiments and observations of physical phenomenon in daily life (and atmospheric sciences). This book is similar, with additional detail in terms of mathematical equations:)! Extremely useful for researchers and scientists even remotely associated with studies of absorption and scattering by particles! In terms of usefulness, this book is much better than the text by Kerker on similar topic!

4 comments about Brilliant!: Shuji Nakamura And the Revolution in Lighting Technology.

1. Brilliant!!! Refreshing!!! Bob Johnstone is correct in espousing Shuji Nakamura as the leader of the LED revolution. Shuji's list of patents and accomplishments in his field far outshine all of his peers put together. Definitely a Nobel Prize in the works for Mr. Nakamura and hopefully a Pulitzer for Mr. Johnstone for his ability to explain this complex subject to the average reader in a true tale of high intrigue! The LED scientific community is still rather small. The competition for the holy grail (replacing the everyday lightbulb) is phenomenal. Bob and Shuji have this unusual, provocative combination that tells the story of this new high tech race. Bob spends quite a few chapters explaining the unusual and life changing ramifications of LED development worlwide. A must read for any investor or those with eco-green concerns!!!



2. I heartily recommend this book for people who are interested in innovation, business, science, technology, etc. The book tells the fascinating story of Nakamura and the impact LEDs are having on the lighting industry.
   
   Part One of the book tells the story of how Nakamura invented the first commercially successful GaN LED. Part Three explains how Nakamura became unwanted at Nichia and how he decided to move to UCSB. Parts Two and Four talk about some of the companies that are using LEDs to make exciting new products. I'll be a nit picker and say the book should be titled "Shuji Nakamura and the *Coming* revolution in Lighting Technology" because the revolution is just starting.
   
   Although LEDs have been around for about four decades and everyone already owns products that incororate them, very few people understand the potential of LEDs and the impact that they will have on lighting over the next few years. The conversion to white LEDs for general lighting is underway. People will want to understand more about this phenomenon as they recognize the impact that LEDs are having on the lighting industry and energy consumption. The good news is that this book will serve as a tutorial for people who want to learn about LEDs.



3. BRILLIANT! SHUJI NAKAMURA AND THE REVOLUTION IN LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY tells of the evolution of LED technology and how it was stalled over making an LED that would emit the bright blue light needed to make useful white light LEDs - until researcher Shuji Nakamura's key invention which single-handedly created the industry of solid-state lighting. Author Bob Johnstone is the first Western journalist to meet and interview Nakamura, and here provides a powerful blend of science and biography to show how the inventor made his ground-breaking discovery and how LEDs are revolutionizing the world. Any science library strong in invention history needs BRILLIANT!
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. 
   Shuji Nakamura worked virtually alone at a small Japanese company in 1992 when he developed the bright blue light-emitting diode, or LED, that may supplant the electric light bulb in home and commercial applications. He was employed by Nichia Chemical Industries in Anan on Japan's southern island of Shikoku. Nichia invested over $1 million in Nakamura's research on indium-gallium-nitride, a compound-semiconductor alloy most other researchers had dismissed as useless for LED manufacturing because of its many defects.
   
   Nakamura modified standard chemical vapor-deposition equipment to achieve the uniform, nanometers-thin layers needed to emit copious blue light. As Johnstone writes: "100 times brighter than commercial silicon-carbide blue LEDs, bright enough to be seen in broad daylight." (Thus, Brilliant!)
   
   Nakamura became a celebrity in Japan. Cree Research, Durham, N.C., the market leader in silicon-carbide blue LEDs, tried to make an alliance with Nichia. When it was rebuffed by Nichia, it tried to hire Nakamura. Nakamura remained loyal to Nichia, and turned out ever brighter and more versatile diodes. By increasing the indium content, for example, he achieved bright green LEDs, and in 1996 he announced the first blue-violet laser diode.
   
   The blue emitting diode is essential to generate bright white light. Red and green light combined in the proper proportions with blue light yields white light. The red and green can come either from other LEDs or from the blue LED itself, using phosphors to convert part of its output to lower-frequency light. LEDs have surpassed incandescent and halogen bulbs in lumens per watt, and reached the levels that only the best fluorescent tubes can attain. Their lifetimes run from 50,000 to 100,000 hours. In widespread use, they could achieve enormous cost savings. A shift to solid-state lighting would also enormously reduce production of greenhouse gases.
   
   Johnstone describes some of the key players in a solid-state lighting industry that grosses $4 billion a year, and promises to grow quickly. Nichia, Cree, Color Kinetics of Boston, Permlight Products of Tustin, Calif., and Carmanah Technologies Corp., in Victoria, B.C., Canada, may be significant players. Johnstone doesn't discuss Royal Philips Electronics, in Amsterdam, which has great researchers, and enormous marketing and manufacturing capabilities.
   
   Johnstone closes the book with Nakamura in 1999 when Nakamura accepts a tenured position as the Cree Professor of Solid State Lighting and Display at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Before he can start his reseraches, Nichia sued him for leaking trade secrets to Cree. Nakamura counter-sued for profits; the case was heard at Japan's highest court amid wide-spread publicity; and it was settled in the early 2005.
   
   Nakamura won the 2006 Millennium Technology Prize and Johnstone suggests that Nakamura may ultimately win a Nobel Prize for his work. Johnstone is a true believer; he thinks that solid state lighting is the most important advance in lighting since Edison. "Nakamura changed the world," claims Johnstone. Writing in "Scientific American", Glenn Zorpette agrees: "Nakamura put together a string of achievements that for genius and sheer improbability is as impressive as any other accomplishment in the history of semiconductor research."
   
   As a general reader, I found this a fascinating, albeit sometimes difficult and confusing, account of that advance.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008

3 comments about Field Guide to Geometrical Optics (SPIE Vol. FG01).

1. This little book is an excellent optics reference book. It collects together the basic concepts and formulas of geometric optics in a clear and concise form, and also defines and explains common optical terminology (pupils, rays, FOV, NA, etc.). It reviews common optical systems like telescopes and microscopes, and has sections on aberrations and chromatic effects. If you do optics, you want to have a copy of this on your desk. The book is particularly useful for those of us who learned basic optics from a book like Hecht's Optics, but now need to actually put what we learned into practice. Beware, though: the sign conventions used may be unfamiliar and may take some getting used to.



2. Dr. Greivenkamp has published an excellent reference guide for anyone interested in optical systems. It is an invaluable resource for those of us taking his OPS 201-2 classes at the University of Arizona. He presents the topics straight forward without all the mumbo/jumbo found in many other geometrical optics books. It's a very handy and quick reference guide that includes most if not all of the optical instruments.



3. I had this book as a text for a class and as a text book it stinks, I give it 1 star. However it isn't a text book but rather a reference book. As a reference book I give this 5 stars. It is great if you need a little refresher on optics but this is not something to learn optics from.

No comments about Sound and Light (Prentice Hall Science Explorer).

5 comments about Faster Than the Speed of Light: The Story of a Scientific Speculation.

1. I'm currently reading this book. I'm am in no way a physicist nor a cosmologist, but am simply an individual who enjoys reading books and papers on such topics.
   
   So far, in this book, I've read time and time again that the speed of light is the "speed limit" of the universe. I've also read a number of reviews here by people who think they know what they are talking about echoing the same principle.
   
   I find this curious because according to Paul Davies, it's the speed of light "barrier". Not "limit". Nothing can cross the barrier. Meaning that which is traveling faster than the speed of light cannot go slower and vice versa (Cosmic Jackpot - Paul Davies). I'm wondering why all you "know-it-alls" don't know this? I'm wondering why Joao Magueijo hasn't yet pointed this out in the beginning of his book? Is Paul Davies wrong here? Am I misunderstanding him?
   
   Why is everybody here so critical of a man sharing his frustrations with scientific academia while presenting his theory. I agree, it's just begging to be picked on, but so what? Is the science sound? Let's hear him out. Let's work together. And to comment on a few people here who say they've "thought of it" before. Shut up. Who hasn't? I've thought up all sorts of crap, but it's all about providing a testable model to back it up. Not some verbal logistical rhetoric.
   
   A theory guides, a test decides. But the fact remains, we are using the universe to test the universe...our tests are even relative! It should be no surprise to wonder that what we perceive as a constant has variability...especially when considering the physics of trillionths of second old universe...terms as matter and energy could hold little to no meaning in such a context. We just don't know, I don't care how much math you are armed with.
   
   So far, I'm enjoying the book.



2. By Peter A. Stone - California, USA
   Great book! Reads like a criminal novel. It is very educational. Magueijo is very open-minded and direct. There is a lot of information you can not find anywhere else. You can learn a lot about modern physics and cosmology and how the scientific "clergy" (establishment) works. His theory may not be all correct (he admits) but nevertheless the book is revolutionary. One thing that is right for sure in this book is the suggestion that Einstein is wrong. In this meaning it reminds me only of the book: "Space, time and matter and the falsity of Einstein's theory of relativity" by Kamen George Kamenov. The most I like about the book is the honesty and the briliant mind of the author.Space, Time and Matter, and the Falsity of Einstein's Theory of Relativity



3. Five years after its publication, this book is now available at the cost of one cent plus postage. Although I have given up reading it toward its end, it is easy for me to delineate its great value to me who am a curious dilettante in all things and a fascinated non-expert in the world of 20th century physics.
   
   I am an academic in a humanistic field, or was before retiring. It is delicious to see how the politics of academia vary little across national boundaries and discisplines. Get on a bandwagon and into the power structure or be branded a maverick, a ne'er do well, a crackpot and worse. And unless your journal of choice truly exercises its promise to treat your submission anonymously, expect the worst.
   
   I have read many explanations of the special theory of relativity, but never has the impossibility of simultaneity been brought home better than in Magueijo's amusing explication through "Einstein's dream" about his herd of cows. Likewise with general relativity, cosmological constant, and the contributions of Alexander Friedmann whose English biography is still waiting to be written.
   
   Finally, the discussion of cosmic inflation is priceless, how Guth arrived at it, how it works and why it solves some, but not all the problems of the big bang. I have wrestled with this one for years and it is finally clarified.
   
   Details about VSL are not as crystalline as I would like. I learned more about it from a Wikepedia article.
   
   This is an intensely personal account told by a passionate Latino; it is full of passion--antipathy, scorn, gemutlichkeit, and bitter humor, and the language to go with it. Incidentally the son of Portugal's English is impeccable, flowing and enviable.
   
   The one big difficulty with the book is that we dont know how the relationship between the author and his girlfriend Kim--whom he introduces with a pinup picture--turns out.



4. This book is more of a rant than anything else. Basically a young hot-shot physicist has come up with a theory that would shake contemporary physics like a gorilla on a banana tree. The author presents his case as sort of an aside, while calling attention to himself seems to be the upshot of the entire book. Some interesting ideas, decently written, but not at all objective. Maybe next time.



5. This is a very fascinating story and the best book I have ever read. I am still not old enough to have studied all the subject presented in the book in the language of Mathematics, but the presentation was fantastic and I understood every bit of the book and I can now talk for hours about Cosmology with my friends who haven't a clue about this. In one sentense, this is the best book I have read and it would be neary impossible for other books to replace this book's position in my list of favorite books.

2 comments about Easy Guide To Solar Electric Part I: 3ED.

1. As a woman who is not too interested in charts and endless technical discussions I found Mr. Pieper's book refreshingly easy to read and to understand. His sense of humor with which he addresses most topics makes this book stand out from most books in this genre. It is nice to see that learning can be fun. I strongly recommend this book to any one who wants to learn the basics of solar energy be it to educate oneself or to purchase a solar system for her/his home. In that respect it is also worth looking at his second book with the same title, Part II
   Thank you Adi Pieper!



2. What a great book for a beginner! I just recently moved into a solar house and this book has given me a great basic education about solar electricity. Easy and fun to read!

5 comments about Color and Light in Nature.

1. I am sorry to see that this title is out of print. "Color and Light In Nature" is a wonderful look at the ways that light touches us everyday. I recommend this title for Directors of Photography as well as anyone captivated by light.



2. This book is intended for people who are intrigued or awed by the way light is expressed in nature. It describes many natural phenomena involving light, including shadows, the color of the sky, clouds, mirages, halos, rainbows, the effects of ice in the atmosphere and much more. The intended audience in my eyes consists mainly of people who like physics but the beautiful color full-page pictures and tips on taking them also make this book a great resource for anyone interested in photography. Even physics students can benefit from this book (although it is intended for laymen, so no equations are used) - the book shows them interesting manifestations of optics in nature. The book also makes a nice gift for people who enjoy nature and would like to know how it "works". Highly recommended!



3. A wonderful book illustrating and describing numerous natural optical effects. Simply a must have on your shelf to whip out whenever something unusual plays out in your field of view. Entertaining to just take down and read as well.



4. This is a great book. The photography is beautiful. The explanations are clear. It's all very well done.



5. After reading this book, you will never look at the sky or the sea in the same way again. Accompanied by beautiful photographs, including some rare sights in the sky, the book systematically covers atmospheric phenomena related to light and colour. For photographers it's a great book that will help you understand light effects in nature. The book is resplendent in the spirit of science: the topics are classified by the type of explanation for them: shadows, reflection, refraction and so on. This makes perfect, natural sense and really holds the book together. Some of the explanations include modest equations, tables and so on, but the text is always lively and readable. If you're scared of mathematics, buy it for the pictures. But be warned: this book will inspire you to go to Antarctica, chase solar eclipses, buy a telescope, and demand a window seat on every plane you fly for the rest of your life.

3 comments about Quantum Optics.

1. This is the best introductory text on quantum optics that I've read. Its very clear and up to date. The only book that compares as far as clarity of presentation is Loudon's "Quantum Theory of Light" which is a little out of date. This book is a must have for any grad. student in AMO physics !



2. 
   I am a mathematician with extensive experience in electrodynamics and
   quantum mechanics. I read this book to teach myself quantum optics.
   Since I read it as a self-study text,
   I will review it from that perspective.
   
   I didn't find this to be a good pedagogical book.
   It is the first quantum optics book that I read,
   and I didn't get much out of it.
   Thinking that perhaps the problem was inadequate background,
   I then read from cover to cover Elementary Quantum Optics by Gerry and Knight.
   Although there are some problems with the latter
   which are addressed in a separate review,
   it did make more sense.
   
   With Gerry/Knight under my belt,
   I returned to reread Scully/Zubairy.
   It didn't make much more sense the second time than the first.
   
   The presentation of Scully/Zubairy is often sloppy
   and too diffuse. Like too many physics texts, it
   doesn't always carefully define all its symbols, and
   it frequently sneaks in important assumptions
   without explicit mention.
   It demands a lot of guesswork from the reader.
   
   For example, Chapter 1 tells us that
   
   "as we will discuss in [Chapter 4],
   the probability of exciting an atom ...
   is governed by [formula (1.5.12)]".
   
   This is a crucial formula, one of the most important in the book.
   If the reader turns ahead to Chapter 4,
   he does reassuringly find it in equation (4.2.4).
   The impression given is that it has somehow been derived
   in the intervening 100-odd pages.
   But it hasn't,
   so far as I have been able to discover.
   
   Is this crucial formula
   a new assumption of quantum optics,
   or does it somehow follow from
   established quantum-mechanical principles?
   The reader is left to guess.
   Readers who are satisfied
   to accept unmotivated statements on authority
   may be happier with this book than
   readers who seek a fundamental understanding of
   the logical structure of the subject.
   
   I was particularly interested in the
   Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiment treated in Chapter 4,
   so I read that chapter particularly carefully.
   Indeed I read it very carefully several times,
   but I was forced to consult other sources
   to understand this experiment.
   I think that the text's treatment omits important,
   non-obvious assumptions and contains some errors.
   However, study of other sources finally convinced me that
   the text's final result, equation (4.1.26),
   is probably correct.
   (Incidentally, I think that the treatment
   of this important experiment in Gerry/Knight is also inadequate.)
   
   Figure (4.6) which purports to be
   a diagram of this experiment
   contains a component which produces a "delay time",
   but the text's analysis
   never explains the purpose of this component.
   From other sources I've learned that
   the delay time is extremely important
   for some variants of this experiment.
   This is fairly typical of the text's haphazard approach.
   
   Chapter 20 discusses a "quantum eraser" experiment whose
   result is so startling that Scully and Zubairy
   cite Jaynes as considering it
   a paradox, a "violent irrationality"
   (as Scully and Zubairy paraphrase Jaynes).
   It certainly seems that way to me,
   and I would very much like to understand this experiment better.
   
   Scully and Zubairy never make clear
   if this is an actual experiment which has been performed,
   or a "thought experiment".
   Surely the exposition of such remarkable claims should be more explicit.
   
   They present a calculation which is claimed to
   "resolve the 'Jaynes paradox'".
   I was disappointed that I could not follow this calculation because
   its exposition is far too vague.
   In particular, they obtain their main result, equation (20.3.5),
   under the assumption that "the interaction Hamiltonian ... depends
   on symmetric combinations of the field variables, so that only the symmetric
   state ... will couple to the fields".
   This might be convincing if they had ever defined their "interaction Hamiltonian",
   but the reader is left to guess at which interaction Hamiltonian they might be using.
   
   I cannot recommend this book for readers
   who are not experts in quantum optics.
   I cannot judge whether it might be useful to experts.



3. Compared to Wolf and Mandel's tome "Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics", this book gives the reader a lighter job on math without him reading over 100 pages on probability theory and fourier transform. However, this book has two major drawbacks:
   
   1. The author keeps refering to later chapters on some important concept. When I read the first two chapters, I have many undefined concept and unanswered questions, whose answer may be put in chapter 16! For those who are already familiar with this field, it may not be a problem. But a rookie may want a lucid and detailed introduction in the beginning.
   
   2. Some calculation should be elaborated because the result is far from obvious.

No comments about Light Years: An Exploration of Mankind's Enduring Fascination with Light.