Isaac Asimov is undoubtedly one of the greatest science fiction writer in English. He also wrote a lot of non-fiction science books that are interesting and accurate in their exposition. I recently came across an interesting book by him on lasers. Written around 1990s, this book discusses the origins of lasers and the basic physics and engineering aspects of lasers. True to his reputation, he weaves interesting history into the science, that makes an engaging read. Some grayscale (charcoal-kind) illustrations in the book are appealing, and makes it a smooth read.
The book also has a short discussion on applications of lasers, and eye surgery is one of them which is explained lucidly.
If you are not from a scientific background, or want to have a light read on lasers, then I would recommend this book. As usual, Asimov does not disappoint you !
Asimov was a biochemistry professor before he became a full time writer. His incliniation towards chemistry is evident when he discusses ‘chemical laser’. I reproduce a couple of paragraphs from his book:
This idea of the so called ‘chemical laser’ is still under exploration, and has not found its full potential. Perhaps there is an interesting research problem here for the interested.
Internet archives has a link to this book, but it is not complete. On the internet, you may find other links to this book.
What was surprising to me is that I found a Marathi translation of this book online. I don’t know how good is the translation, but I will urge you check it out if you know the language well.
Asimov was a unique person, as he blended science, storytelling and writing very efficiently. We need more of his kind in this world.
Scatterings 