Seeing the Light: Optics in Nature, Photography, Color, Vision, and Holography (Hardcover)

~ David R. Falk (Author), Dieter R. Brill (Author), (Author) "Light surrounds us during most of our conscious life, but many of us observe it only casually..." (more)
Key Phrases: partitive mixing, cone response curves, integral hologram, Repeat Problem, New York, Henri Matisse (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The most complete and lucid nonmathematical study of light available. Chapters are self-contained, making the book flexible and easy to read. Coverage includes such non-traditional topics as processes of vision and the eye, atmospherical optical phenomena, color perception and illusions, color in nature and in art, Kirilian photography, and holography. Includes experiments that can be carried out with simple equipment. Chapters contain optional advanced sections, and appendixes review the mathematics for quantitative aspects. Illustrated, including a four-color insert.

From the Publisher

The most complete and lucid nonmathematical study of light available. Chapters are self-contained, making the book flexible and easy to read. Coverage includes such non-traditional topics as processes of vision and the eye, atmospherical optical phenomena, color perception and illusions, color in nature and in art, Kirilian photography, and holography. Includes experiments that can be carried out with simple equipment. Chapters contain optional advanced sections, and appendixes review the mathematics for quantitative aspects. Illustrated, including a four-color insert.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 446 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (November 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471603856
• ISBN-13: 978-0471603856
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #294,380 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Physics of light for everyone else, June 14, 2000

By A Customer

I first discovered this book when I asked a physics professor down the hall for an explanation of diffraction and refraction in relation to some daytime sky phenomenon. He handed me <I>Seeing the Light</I>, and before long I coveted the volume. The authors dress down optical physics into explanations that anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of physics can understand, relating optical phenomenon to everyday events and objects. The diagrams and photos help clarify the explanation. And practical, hands-on suggested activities help drive the point home. This book would be great for physics teachers -- or teachers at any level. How about pinhole cameras or illusion drawings for class projects?

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars most missed book, August 20, 2002

By	supastar (brooklyn) - See all my reviews

This is the best textbook I ever had, and I sold it for some ($$$) at the end of a semester to buy a bus ticket. Very mad; I miss the book, but it's so expensive. It's amazing the way the author incorporates all sorts of literary allusions in this physics book, such as offering an interesting hypothesis on the optical illusion of the egyptians getting swallowed by the red sea while chasing the jews. Every chapter, light becomes a metaphor for so many things, the way we see, the obstacles, etc.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding conceptual approach to optics, March 31, 2008

By	R. Gutierrez (East Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

One of the best science textbooks I've ever read. Clearly written and interesting to read. Heavy on concepts, light on math. Diagrams are simple but effective. It's rare to see a physics book as approachable as this one. As an amateur photographer and research microscopist, I love this book. Some parts of the text are a bit outdated (remember it was published in 1986), but the vast majority is valuable information. This is a great tool for physics students and teachers.