Polarized light, production and use

Historical Significance: This was a highly influential book on the nature of polarized light. It took a fresh approach and is well writtten. it is a mandatory text for those interested in polarized light. Shurcliffe was an employee of Polaroid in the 1950s. Shurcliffe (1909-2006) was a physicist who spent most of World War II working for the U.S. Office of Scientific Research, evaluating proposals and helping to keep Manhattan Project patents secret. After the war he worked for the Polaroid Co, receiving 20 patents for polarized light and other optical technologies. During his lifetime Shurcliffe participated in a variety of causes including the effort in 1938 to bar German scientists from visits to U.S. laboratories, opposition to the development of three-dimensional commercial television and support of solar power development. He was a vocal opponent of President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative and opposed development of supersonic transportation,