How the Laser Happened: Adventures of a ScientistIn How the Laser Happened, Nobel laureate Charles Townes provides a highly personal look at some of the leading events in twentieth century physics. Townes was the inventor of the maser, of which the laser is one example; an originator of spectroscopy using microwaves; and a pioneer in the study of gas clouds in galaxies and around stars. Throughout his career, he has also been deeply engaged with issues outside of academic research. He worked on