Customer Reviews

Spectrum of Belief: Joseph von Fraunhofer and the Craft of Precision Optics (Transformations: Studies in the History of Science and Technology)

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Perfect book for my Astronomy research paper on Joseph Von Fraunhofer's life; packed full of detailed information on the historical, political, financial, social, and scientific implication of this time in history.

To many physics students, Fraunhofer is just a name associated with classical optics (Cf. Optics by Hecht and Zajac, for example.) Jackson gives us the history of the man, putting him in the context of the Europe and Germany of his time.

Careful readers might appreciate the bootstrapping problems faced by Fraunhofer. With the primitive technology of that era, how can you accurately calibrate and measure anything? Part of Fraunhofer's genius was his ability to devise instruments to answer this as best as could be done.

In the book, we see as much about the politics and the academic structure of the German universities as there are discussions about the underlying physics. His discoveries and inventions were not universally and readily understood.

You must read this book because it greatly adds knowledge to your brain. I had the great fortune to witness Myles Jackson teach, and easily reccomed this book to all.