That was done by some lens-maker, probably in the neighborhood of Pisa, in about 1285 . . . . This does not prevent him from giving a correct theory of eyeglasses to correct near- and farsightedness, and before rushing on he has time . . . This 377-page book is enjoyable reading. Park includes interesting biographical information about the various experimenters and theorists, and projects an appreciation for their work. He puts discoveries into the context of the available information and prevailing ideas of the time.
Good use is made of illustrations to explain various optical principles.
The book includes bibliography and references, and an index, as well as a short glossary section. A formal review of the book will be published in an upcoming issue of Optometry and Vision Science . The first section of the book is devoted to Dalton and his color vision deficiency. There is a brief one-page biographical sketch of Dalton, and a letter he wrote to his cousin. The letter was written a few months after he arrived at New College, Manchester, England, to teach mathematics.