Optics

Great standalone text. Updated and relevant. I bought this for a graduate level introductory optics course despite already having the 4th edition from an undergraduate course. I struggled with the necessity of buying the new edition at first but have no regrets now. The 4th edition had hardly any example problems throughout the entire text. The author remedied this in the 5th edition. There are multiple example problems that are well discussed in each chapter on the main topics. Also, the text was reorganized a bit and of course the page numbers and homework problems are a little different than the 4th edition. When the teacher references a certain page during class or says work homework problem X, the last thing I want to do is look around and try to figure out if I am looking at the right thing.

BOOK MAILED FROM SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA AND APPARENTLY STAYED IN SOME LOS ANGELES CARRIER FACILITY FOR ABOUT A WEEK. I EXPECTED TO WAIT AROUND A WEEK FOR DELIVERY AND WAITED FOR 16 DAYS.

Reeeealy flimsy, pages feel like their thickness is just above the Planck length. Otherwise all of the info is there, and a lot of it!

It's a good textbook on Optics but you really have to analyze every sentence of every page of the book (which means looking up definitions of words, equations, formulas, etc.) just to really grasp what's going on. If you have the time to spend it's worth it due to the amount of knowledge this book presents but it's definitely not an easy or quick read you've got to put in the work to truly understand it.

The book is very descriptive but the style of writing isn't super easy to follow or engaging. However, what makes the book really good, in my opinion, are the figures and diagrams provided every couple of pages which are great for visual learners like me. Also, this book is packed with information and covers more than one optics class could teach. The book is not something you can casually peruse; you have to sit down and really focus to fully understand it. However, it covers practically everything you need to know on electromagnetic waves for a senior physics student. It's also worth keeping after graduating since it makes a really good reference tool.

I recently purchased the textbook (new) to review basic optics in preparation for an upcoming course. While the content appears accurate so far, I was a bit disappointed to find the entire textbook was in black-and-white. Particularly a textbook on optics! I will update this review after I have had more time to work through the book.....

Great textbook but wasn't what I needed for class, took ages to arrive.

I purchased 180 dollars hardcover version. I was disappointed by the quality of the paper. The entire book was printed in black and white. Though, the textbook context is great.

Well written - Hecht obviously has a passion for optics.This book is heavy on the mathematics and you'll need a lot of calculus to follow along. But, if you skip the maths, when it gets too much, there is still a shed-load of interesting concepts about optics that will interest and fascinate.It's sometimes curious that the author will explain a simple maths concept such as complex numbers before using for the first time, yet jump straight into more advanced maths concepts and symbols I've never encountered without even a slight explanation or even what the name of the symbol even is. Don't let that put you off, though - this is not a popular science book - it's a degree-level text book - that is a must for anyone that has an interest in the nature of light.There are a few tiny mistakes I've found, but this is not a sloppy work.I like the paper choice in this book as well. It is thin, but high quality and has a nice semi-gloss finish to it. If all 500 page books were printed like this, we'd need fewer bookshelves.

Interesting historical sections

Optics by Eugene Hecht is a masterpiece and a must-have for anyone in the field of optics/photonics. An especially attractive feature of the book is the large number of photographs that help to bring the material to life.The great thing about this book is the excellent quality of paper. You can happily scribble, underline and highlight text without worrying about whether these would be visible on the next page. Very good job by Pearson.

While the author can be vague at times, this is a dependable, if expensive, textbook. Physics students whose future careers involve a heavy dose of optics, such as astronomers and astrophysicists, might find this a useful reference as well. Its hardcover improves the durability of this rather large book.

This is one of the best written, most complete book i’ve ever studied on.Probably it contains a lot more of what is treated in a semester course on Optics but, those extra information are what let you connect different fields and appreciate the big picture.