Optics (4th Edition) 
asked by macfan on October 30, 2006 8:40 PM
Accurate, authoritative and comprehensive, Optics, Fourth Edition has been revised to provide readers with the most up-to-date coverage of optics. The market leader for over a decade, this book provides a balance of theory and instrumentation, while also including the necessary classical background. The writing style is lively and accessible. For college instructors, students, or anyone interested in optics.
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The back of the book says that it has been the premier optics text for a decade. I would disagree; suggesting that it has been so for well over 20 years. I used the first edition in 1981-2, when Hecht co-authored it with Zajac.
This fourth edition is significantly larger. Comparing the two editions is interesting. Certainly, many chapters are the same. After all, it is meant as a first book on optics for the physics major, and much of the theory and experiments have been unchanged for decades. It is also nice to see that Hecht has refrained from a gratuitous use of colour. Nowadays, many freshman texts in the sciences are chockablock with colour, both in the text and illustrations. But this is not a frosh text. A student who gets to the level of using this book is likely in her 3rd or 4th undergrad year, or perhaps even a grad student. Thus, she is probably already dedicated to majoring in physics, and does not need the frills of colour. Plus, to be sure, not using colour also saves the publisher a lot.
There is new material scattered throughout. Often reflecting experimental advances in recent years. Hence a quick description of terahertz rays [T-rays], and their use for nondestructive scanning of materials.
This fourth edition is significantly larger. Comparing the two editions is interesting. Certainly, many chapters are the same. After all, it is meant as a first book on optics for the physics major, and much of the theory and experiments have been unchanged for decades. It is also nice to see that Hecht has refrained from a gratuitous use of colour. Nowadays, many freshman texts in the sciences are chockablock with colour, both in the text and illustrations. But this is not a frosh text. A student who gets to the level of using this book is likely in her 3rd or 4th undergrad year, or perhaps even a grad student. Thus, she is probably already dedicated to majoring in physics, and does not need the frills of colour. Plus, to be sure, not using colour also saves the publisher a lot.
There is new material scattered throughout. Often reflecting experimental advances in recent years. Hence a quick description of terahertz rays [T-rays], and their use for nondestructive scanning of materials.
reviewed by mountaindew on November 10, 2006 11:11 PM
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I used this textbook for an introductory optics course. It was an average book. There weren't any examples in the core of the text, but fortunately the author did include worked solutions in the appendix for some of the end-of-chapter problems, which I used as examples to work from. Most of the questions that were answered were the easier ones, that anybody halfway intelligent should be able to figure out.
On the plus side, there were lots of equations and lots of description to help learn the material. Some sections were better than others. The sections on mirrors and lenses, for example, were wonderful; I never understood that stuff in high school, and Hecht made it all clear. The tables he had for the different types of lenses/mirrors and their properties were great. An example of a poor section was that on diffraction; I had no clue what he was talking about.
The book is a bit expensive, but overall it is alright; certainly better than some of the other books I used during my degree!
On the plus side, there were lots of equations and lots of description to help learn the material. Some sections were better than others. The sections on mirrors and lenses, for example, were wonderful; I never understood that stuff in high school, and Hecht made it all clear. The tables he had for the different types of lenses/mirrors and their properties were great. An example of a poor section was that on diffraction; I had no clue what he was talking about.
The book is a bit expensive, but overall it is alright; certainly better than some of the other books I used during my degree!
reviewed by shawn on November 26, 2006 8:51 AM