What is this marvelous ray that can read supermarket prices or mend a damaged eyeall? How can the same kind of light ray bore through steel and print a delicate picture?

It took Max Plank’s quantum theory, Einstein’s creative thinking, and Charles Towne’s experiments in the 1950s to put us on the track of making such a powerful beam of light.

Light, which usually spreads out in all directions, needed to be forced into focus. Then one kind of wave length needed to be stimulated to be strong and straight. The device that was created to accomplish this work is the laser.

How it all happened is a real adventure story. The men who made it happen found out a great down about light on the way to the laser.

Here you’ll discover that laser really stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, and learn about the many wonderful things it can do. And more are waiting to be discovered.

This is a solid introduction for young readers to the physics and uses of lasers. Asimov never wrote an adult physics book specifically on lasers, but he does cover the same ground on that level in books like Understanding Physics, Volume Two and Asimov’s New Guide to Science.