The objective of Principles of Lasers and Optics is to present lasers and applications of laser radiation from a uniform point of view. Analyses of the properties of coherent laser light in optical components are set forth together. The 258-page resource includes discussions on the macroscopic differences and similarities of various types of lasers, on whether to analyze laser radiation as natural light or as a guided wave, and on techniques such as supermodes and 2-D Green’s function for planar waveguides. Targeted to first-year graduates in physics and electrical engineering, it also may serve as a reference on mathematical and an-alytical methods used to understand optoelectronic applications. William S.C. Chang; Cambridge University Press, UK, 2005; $70.