Equally valuable as a semester course for non-majors or an introduction for general readers, this text uses only a minimum of science and mathematical background to explain the physical principles of light. It emphasizes color: the properties of light and materials that give rise to it, how it is described and analyzed, how it is produced in nature, and how the eye sees it. Also discusses topics such as geometrical and wave optics and color phenomena, such as rainbows, that appear in nature. Learning aids include problems and exercises at the end of each chapter.