Lasers, Ray Guns and Light Cannons
If you've ever been fascinated by lasers and wished you could build your own, this is the book  for you. Gordon McComb explains how to buy low-power laser tubes on a small budget and use them for a  variety of experiments, including long-distance communications links, laser-light shows, and even  eavesdropping devices that can detect the vibrations the speaking induces in a windowpane far away.  Though the book explains some of the physics and optics that make lasers work the way they do, it focuses  primarily on practical applications for the hobbyist.