{"product_id":"city-of-light-the-story-of-fiber-optics-jeff-hecht-2004-paperback","title":"City of Light: The Story of Fiber Optics, Jeff Hecht, 2004 Paperback","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Publishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nThe first underwater telegraph cable  was laid between England and the Continent in 1850, with the cable from  America to Europe following in 1858. But for the next century,  improvements in transcontinental communication came slowly. By the  1940s, Americans could talk to Europeans via a static-plagued  radiophone. By the early 1980s, satellite transmissions had improved  conversation clarity significantly, but callers were still annoyed by  delay and feedback. Those who have made a transcontinental call  recently, however, know that the wonders of fiber optics have made it  possible to hear a pin drop on the Champs-Elysees. In this deft  history, Hecht, a writer for the British weekly New Scientist, shows  how the illuminated fountains that thrilled crowds at the great  19th-century exhibitions convinced scientists that light can be guided  along narrow tubes. In our century, scientists used these tubes of  light first to look inside the human body and then, as the physics of  wave transmission were better understood, to transmit audio and optical  information. Hecht explains which technological advances have made  fiber optics the backbone of our telephone system in the last 10-15  years and how everyday applications should increase exponentially once  fibers are connected directly to our homes. Already optical fibers are  used in many surprising ways: guiding laser light in life-saving  surgery; embedded in concrete to monitor stress in bridges; wound into  gyroscopes to improve airline safety. Hecht's latter chapters are  bogged down slightly with details that will mainly interest readers  working in related areas, but general science buffs should enjoy his  account of the development of the technology that will change our lives  in many unexpected ways in the next quarter century. \u003cbr\u003e\n\nCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. \u003cem\u003e--This text refers to the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0195108183\/sr=1-1\/qid=ARRAY%280x5b6e3ad8%29\/ref=dp_proddesc_2\/002-6323371-6979218ie=UTF8\u0026amp;n=283155\u0026amp;qid=1173394525\u0026amp;qid=1173394525\u0026amp;sr=1-1\"\u003eHardcover\u003c\/a\u003e edition.\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nAn engineer by  training, New Scientist correspondent Hecht explores the history of  fiber optics in this interesting and far-reaching study. Beginning in  Victorian Europe, his chronology traces the complex but fascinating  drama of one of the key elements in today's global telecommunications  explosion. Critical attention is given to the diverse group of  participants actively working on fiber optics over the past 150 years,  revealing the sometimes fortuitous steps to scientific discovery. This  readable, well-documented, and scholarly text includes an informative  glossary of names and a concise reference to fiber-optic development.  Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.ADayne  Sherman, Southeastern Louisiana Univ., Hammond\u003cbr\u003e\n\nCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. \u003cem\u003e--This text refers to the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0195108183\/sr=1-1\/qid=ARRAY%280x5b6e3ad8%29\/ref=dp_proddesc_3\/002-6323371-6979218ie=UTF8\u0026amp;n=283155\u0026amp;qid=1173394525\u0026amp;qid=1173394525\u0026amp;sr=1-1\"\u003eHardcover\u003c\/a\u003e edition.\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"In this deft history, Hecht, a  writer for the British weekly New Scientist, shows how the illuminated  fountains that thrilled crowds at the great 19th-century exhibitions  convinced scientists that light can be guided along narrow tubes. In  our century, scientists used these tubes of light first to look inside  the human body and then, as the physics of wave transmission were  better understood, to transmit audio and optical information. Hecht  explains which technological advances have made fiber optics the  backbone of our telephone system in the last 10-15 years and how  everyday applications should increase exponentially once fibers are  connected directly to our homes. . .[g]eneral science buffs should  enjoy his account of the development of the technology that will change  our lives in many unexpected ways in the next century.\" --Publishers  Weekly\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"Jeff  Hecht brings to life the people, the competition, and the human drama  behind this technological breakthrough. Prepare yourself for a  delightful read as you discover what made the global village called the  City of Light a reality whose potential for social change is still  being fathomed.\" --Richard N. Zare, Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor  in Natural Science, Department of Chemistry, Stanford University\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"This  book is a revelation and ranks with the best popular writing on science  and technology. Jeff Hecht's meticulous research proves that even our  newest technologies have a long past. His book tells the enthralling  story of fiber optics, used today in nearly every facet of life, from  transmitting digitized data to peering into and even operating on the  human body. With an eye for forceful personalities, innovators and  visionaries, he takes us from the birth of fiber optics in Victorian  light-guiding parlor tricks and illuminated fountains to the  Information Age, with limitless quantities of pure information  coruscating globally along beams of light in glass fibers. Hecht  embraces the human drama of the inventors with all their successes and  foibles and transforms the city of light into an entertaining and  illuminating celebration.\" --Martin C. Carey, Harvard University  Medical School, Senior Physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"This  is one of the best popular books on a technical subject I have ever  seen. It is written in a lively style and it covers all parts of the  optical fiber story, from the very beginning to the present days, and,  amazingly, all over the world.\" --Laszlo Solymar, Professor of Applied  Electromagnetism, University of Oxford\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"A marvelous chronicle of  fiber optics technology which in large measure has created the  Information Age. Jeff Hecht has not only presented the history of this  remarkable technology--uncovering threads which I did not know--but  captured the drama and human aspects which make this an interesting  read for anyone. All the celebrities are here, each building on the  other's foundation.\" --Donald B. Keck, Division Vice President,  Director of Optics and Photonics, Corning, Inc\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"As research  manager responsible for the teams at STL who pioneered the use of  optical fibres for communications, I can say with confidence that this  book is a most carefully researched, very comprehensive and balanced  account of world-wide success and failure. It makes fascinating and  delightful reading.\" --Charles Sandbank, Department of Trade and  Industry, United Kingdom, and Visiting Professor of Information Systems  Design, University of Bradford\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"An engineer by training, New  Scientist correspondent Hecht explores the history of fiber optics in  this interesting and far-reaching study. Beginning in Victorian Europe,  his chronology traces the complex but fascinating drama of one of the  key elements in today's global telecommunications explosion. . . . This  readable, well-documented, and scholarly text includes an informative  glossary of names and a concise reference to fiber-optic development.  Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.\"--Library  Journal\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"In his latest book, City of Light . . . , science  writer Jeff Hecht expertly tells the story of the painstaking  discovery, rapid development, and remarkable applications of optical  fibers. Hecht, a veteran contributing editor to Laser Focus World, has  covered fiberoptic technology for more than 20 years. His book, the  latest addition to Oxford's splendid Sloan Technology Series, traces  the story of fiberoptics from a Victorian parlor trick to the  foundation of today's global communications network. I strongly  recommend City of Light for your own bookshelf and for anyone with an  interest in communications.\"--Laser Focus World\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"The technology  of optical-fibre communications is arguably one of the most spectacular  developments of the late 20th century. It touches all of our lives on a  daily basis, and has created the worldwide communications that we all  take for granted and that we expect to supply all our future needs. It  is surprising, then, how little attention this remarkable story of  fibre optics has received. This book makes an excellent start at  redressing the balance. It provides for the first time a complete  chronicle of the technology over the last 150 years, concentrating on  the years to 1983. . . . This book will show you how this position has  been achieved, who the main characters were, and how they were inspired  by visions of the future that we now occupy. All in all, the author  presents a wonderfully rich story that has been painstakingly  researched and contains some excellent source notes.\"--Physics World\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\"This  is the story of fiber optics, tracing its transformation from  nineteenth century parlor trick into the foundation of our global  communications network. Written for a broad audience by Hecht, an  engineer and the Boston correspondent for New Scientist, who has  covered the field for twenty years. The book is a lively account of  both the people and the ideas behind this revolutionary technology. The  basic concept underlying fiber optics was first explored in the 1840s  when researchers used jets of water to guide light in laboratory  demonstrations. The idea caught the public eye decades later when it  was used to create stunning illuminated fountains at many of the great  Victorian exhibitions. . . . In 1988, the first transatlantic  fiber-optic cable connected Europe with North America, and now fiber  optics is the key element in global communications.\"--Science Writers \u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eBook Description\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nCity of Light tells the  story of fiber optics, tracing its transformation from 19th-century  parlor trick into the foundation of our global communications network.  Written for a broad audience by a journalist who has covered the field  for twenty years, the book is a lively account of both the people and  the ideas behind this revolutionary technology. The basic concept  underlying fiber optics was first explored in the 1840s when  researchers used jets of water to guide light in laboratory  demonstrations. The idea caught the public eye decades later when it  was used to create stunning illuminated fountains at many of the great  Victorian exhibitions. The modern version of fiber optics--using  flexible glass fibers to transmit light--was discovered independently  five times through the first half of the century, and one of its first  key applications was the endoscope, which for the first time allowed  physicians to look inside the body without surgery. Endoscopes became  practical in 1956 when a college undergraduate discovered how to make  solid glass fibers with a glass cladding. With the invention of the  laser, researchers grew interested in optical communications. While  Bell Labs and others tried to send laser beams through the atmosphere  or hollow light pipes, a small group at Standard Telecommunication  Laboratories looked at guiding light by transparent fibers. Led by  Charles K. Kao, they proposed the idea of fiber-optic communications  and demonstrated that contrary to what many researchers thought glass  could be made clear enough to transmit light over great distances.  Following these ideas, Corning Glass Works developed the first low-loss  glass fibers in 1970. From this point fiber-optic communications  developed rapidly. The first experimental phone links were tested on  live telephone traffic in 1977 and within half a dozen years  long-distance companies were laying fiber cables for their national  backbone systems. In 1988, the first transatlantic fiber-optic cable  connected Europe with North America, and now fiber optics are the key  element in global communications. The story continues today as fiber  optics spread through the communication grid that connects homes and  offices, creating huge information pipelines and replacing copper  wires. The book concludes with a look at some of the exciting potential  developments of this technology. \u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eBook Info\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nPresents the history behind the  development of fiber optics from a 19th century parlor trick to the  foundation of our global communications network. Covers the people and  ideas behind the technology. DLC: Fiber optics. \u003cem\u003e--This text refers to the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0195108183\/sr=1-1\/qid=ARRAY%280x5b6e3ad8%29\/ref=dp_proddesc_4\/002-6323371-6979218ie=UTF8\u0026amp;n=283155\u0026amp;qid=1173394525\u0026amp;qid=1173394525\u0026amp;sr=1-1\"\u003eHardcover\u003c\/a\u003e edition.\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nJeff Hecht met his first  laser as a Caltech undergraduate in 1968, and took a while to figure  out what it was good for. In his case, it was a lot of words--he's been  writing about lasers and optics for the past thirty years.","brand":"Light Brigade","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49084716253440,"sku":"F1-4909","price":104.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0388\/5331\/2557\/files\/City_of_Light_59c96350-d7ce-4a38-ae89-37ab0cbf13c3.jpg?v=1785217093","url":"https:\/\/alotechparts.com\/products\/city-of-light-the-story-of-fiber-optics-jeff-hecht-2004-paperback","provider":"Alo Tech Solutions","version":"1.0","type":"link"}