The technical aspects of fiber optics are presented in this undergraduate textbook, which covers all of the major areas of fiber optics at an introductory level. It includes an adequate amount of theory to explain the topics and to establish a framework for further reading.

The book is organized into ten chapters, two appendices, a glossary, and an index. Each chapter begins with a short table of contents and ends with a review, review questions, thought questions, proposed problems, and references. Many illustrations, diagrams, and tables make the presentation more concise and precise.

The first part of the work is a general introduction to fiber optics. It describes the nature of optical fiber, and discusses its advantages and disadvantages, its history, and its manufacture. The second part, which includes chapters 2, 3, and 4, describes the basics of optical fiber. These include the physics of light, light propagation, and properties of optical fiber.

The third part (chapters 5, 6, and 7) refers to components of a transmission link: light sources, optical detectors, splices, connectors, cables, and other components. After a short presentation of communication fundamentals, applications of optical fiber are described. Telephone communications, computer networks, and cable television are the main applications discussed here. Finally, optical fiber measurement and testing are presented. These include lab measurement techniques for loss due to absorption and scattering, dispersion, core/cladding diameter, index of refraction profile, and numerical aperture.

This book is uniformly excellent. The contents match the title well: the author has selected the core material related to fiber optics and has presented it in an introductory manner. The book is well structured, each chapter having a clear plan. Important references are included with each chapter. A glossary defines key terms. Last, but not least, the typography is attractive.