- A history of fiber optics starting from parlor tricks and illuminated fountains, and going through the tremendous expansion of the global telecommunications industry powered by international fiber-optic cables. Written by a journalist who covered the field for decades. Part of the Sloan Technology Series.
- Revised and expanded with an update on the impact of the 2000 technology bubble.
- Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction: Building a City of
Light
- 2. Guiding Light and Luminous Fountains (1841-1890)
- 3. Fibers of
Glass
- 4. The Quest for Remote Viewing: Television and the Legacy of
Sword Swallowers (1895-1940)
- 5. A Critical Insight: The Birth of the
Clad Optical Fiber (1950-1955)
- 6. 99 Percent Perspiration: The Birth of
an Industry (1954-1960)
- 7. A Vision of the Future: Communicating with
Light (1880-1960)
- 8. The Laser Stimulates the Emission of New Ideas
(1960-1969)
- 9. "The Only Thing Left Is Optical Fibers" (1960-1969)
- 10.
Trying to Sell a Dream (1965-1970)
- 11. Breakthrough: The Clearest Glass
in the World (1966-1972)
- 12. Recipes for Grains of Salt: The
Semiconductor Laser (1962-1977)
- 13. A Demonstration for the Queen
(1970-1975)
- 14. Three Generations in Five Years (1975-1983)
- 15.
Submarine Cables: Covering the Ocean Floor with Glass (1970-1995)
- 16.
The Last Mile: An Elusive Vision
- 17. Reflections on the City of Light
- 18. Epilogue: The Boom, The Bubble, and the Bust
- Appendix A. Dramatis Personae: Cast of Characters
- Appendix B. A
Fiber-Optic Chronology