- Paperback: 248 pages
- Publisher: Henry (Joseph) Press; illustrated edition edition (20 Nov 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0309065569
- ISBN-13: 978-0309065566
- Product Dimensions: 14 x 1.9 x 21.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,355,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
In "Empire of Light", Sidney Perkowitz combines the expertise of a physicist with the vision of an art connoisseur and the skill of an accomplished writer to offer a unique view of the most fundamental feature of the universe: light. "Empire of Light" discusses the nature of light, how the eye sees, and how our understanding of these phenomena have emerged over the ages, including the role of light in the development of quantum physics. The author examines the making of electrical light and its integration into commerce, telecommunications, entertainment, medicine, warfare, and every other aspect of our daily lives. And he presents the role of light in the search for the beginning and the end of the universe, as astronomers with their instruments penetrate ever deeper into the sky. Visible light spans the spectrum between infrared and ultraviolet, but this book reaches across many other spectra as well - from the cave paintings at Lascaux to Mark Rothko's stark blocks of color in today's art museums, from Plato's speculation that the eye sends out rays to Ramon y Cajal's discovery that vision actually works in the opposite way, from Tycho Brahe's elegant antetelescope measurements of planet positions to the Hubble telescope's exquisite sensitivity to light from billions of light years away. What are the biological and neurological processes of perceiving visible light? How does a person typically scan a scene? Do you see red or blue the same way I do? What are our physiological reactions and emotional responses to light? Perkowitz explores these and many other fascinating questions, drawing together the experiences, achievements, and perspectives of a diverse cast of characters, including Galileo, Einstein, Newton, Van Gogh, and Edison. "Empire of Light" is written so that lay readers will readily grasp the scientific principles and science professionals will readily appreciate the human experience. It will impart new wonder to the daily experience of light in our world. Sidney Perkowitz is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Physics at Emory University. His work has appeared in national publications such as "The Sciences", "The Washington Post", "The Los Angeles Times", "The American Prospect", and "Technology Review".
From the Author
Science and art illuminating each other -- now that's rare!
This paperback version of my hardcover "Empire of Light" is especially for those who like to see how science connects with other ways of looking at the world. You can read it and you can browse it, because its words about light, the most pervasive and important physical phenomenon we know, are beautifully illustrated with works of art in color, from the 17th century until now. Come along and look at light through the eyes of scientists and artists, from Descartes, Einstein and Feynman to Degas, van Gogh, and Hopper.
This paperback version of my hardcover "Empire of Light" is especially for those who like to see how science connects with other ways of looking at the world. You can read it and you can browse it, because its words about light, the most pervasive and important physical phenomenon we know, are beautifully illustrated with works of art in color, from the 17th century until now. Come along and look at light through the eyes of scientists and artists, from Descartes, Einstein and Feynman to Degas, van Gogh, and Hopper.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A brilliant first work by a deeply knowledgable and passionate author. Unlike his later work, Perkowitz clearly has a passion for his subject which informs each page and anecdote. Highly accessible for the layperson and the specialist alike.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Empire of Light : A History of Discovery in Science and Art, is very understandable but at the same time deeply informative and interesting. Extremely well researched and packed with loads of info. I learned something new on every page.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5 reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
THIS BOOK IS A WONDERFUL LITTLE RAY OF LIGHT
24 Nov 1996
Format:Hardcover
Sidney Perkowitz has blended the arts and the sciences in a wonderful little book. His explanations on the current state of knowledge about the nature of light are extremely simple .. for a very difficult and still not understood subject.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the wonderful world of the photon (or is it wave ?) , and how we perceive it
I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the wonderful world of the photon (or is it wave ?) , and how we perceive it
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Combining Physics,Light, Art and Advanced Technology
19 Sep 2000
Format:Hardcover
Dr. Sidney Perkowitz covers, in a very personal way, his own experiences about light, art and almost every bit of knowledge about the universe, in "The Empire of Light". The art collection samples chosen by Perkowitz, enlighten our lives and give us a more powerful perspective on viewing art henceforth. This physics volume compares favorably with a thrilling science fiction story, except that this is all for real, as far as scientists can tell at this point in time. This reading was a fum romp through today's world of physics.
Fantastic Book - But waiting for an updated 2nd Ed!
30 May 2012
Format:Paperback
Let's start with the good:
This is a fantastic book; wide in breadth, thought provoking, and easy to digest.
For the non-physicist/scientist, it deserves the praises received by previous reviewers.
The bad (if you want to call it that):
Over a decade ago I had the privileged of attending Dr. Perkowitz's Envisioning Light seminar course, largely based on this book. (i.e.: It was required reading.) I've been patiently waiting for an update but no such luck.
Granted, much the content on psychology, art, history, etc. remains unchanged, but it's fascinating exploration of Big Bang theory and photonics are due for a bit of expansion.
How can I pass this along knowing that there are fantastic additions to the Big Bang/Big Bounce theories, research into the nature of (and shockingly emissions from) Black holes, etc. Ok, so it looks like the author had gotten a young pseudo-lit major hooked. But some-odd years later I've thought about giving it another read (prompting this review) and have found that we're still in 1998.
From the Emory site I see that the class is still being taught, so here's hoping!
This is a fantastic book; wide in breadth, thought provoking, and easy to digest.
For the non-physicist/scientist, it deserves the praises received by previous reviewers.
The bad (if you want to call it that):
Over a decade ago I had the privileged of attending Dr. Perkowitz's Envisioning Light seminar course, largely based on this book. (i.e.: It was required reading.) I've been patiently waiting for an update but no such luck.
Granted, much the content on psychology, art, history, etc. remains unchanged, but it's fascinating exploration of Big Bang theory and photonics are due for a bit of expansion.
How can I pass this along knowing that there are fantastic additions to the Big Bang/Big Bounce theories, research into the nature of (and shockingly emissions from) Black holes, etc. Ok, so it looks like the author had gotten a young pseudo-lit major hooked. But some-odd years later I've thought about giving it another read (prompting this review) and have found that we're still in 1998.
From the Emory site I see that the class is still being taught, so here's hoping!
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