Light, Dark, and the Electromagnetic Spectrum received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Scott Benjamin Gracie.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Light, Dark, and the Electromagnetic Spectrum; Published April 2022
What’s the book’s first line?
“Light has teased and enveloped the dust, ice and debris that made up the early Earth, ever since the first ignition of radiation sparked from the Sun”
– I chose these words specifically to evoke a realisation that light is ancient, has always been, and always will be.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Flick on a light switch and there it is. But there is so much more to light and the electromagnetic spectrum than people know.
Without light we would not exist… We need it for our bodies to produce specific vitamins, and for plants to grow. We see because of light, we cook with light, communicate with it, listen to music and watch TV using it, fight disease with it, navigate with it, create energy with it, and even fight wars with it. And in ancient times, many peoples of the Earth even worshiped light or light related events.
It travels invisibly, and only reveals its existence when it interacts with something.
It’s with us every day, and night, surrounding us, and parts of it flowing through us. It is one of the most limited resources we have, and the most used. But for a lot of people, it would also have to be one of the most taken for granted and unthought of.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
For me it’s about education, wonder, fascination and design… Light is a passion on a couple of different levels:
First, from a very young age I have been fascinated with the electromagnetic spectrum while playing with electronic and electrical components and circuits. And then in later years learning about all the different ways the electromagnetic spectrum is used throughout industry and in our lives.
Second, because I work in the lighting industry and am constantly surrounded by professionals designing beautiful spaces that use light as part of their design process to become part of the architecture. Sometimes using light and dark contrast, sometimes colour, or sometimes purposely using light from the Sun to create moving shadows that change the appearance of a space during the course of a day, or year.
Combining these two reasons, I can’t help be feel compelled to tell people about this incredible wonder we have and use.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
The curiosity and wonder of how we all interact with light every day, and how it influences our lives on so many different levels. How could you not want to know!
When did you first decide to become an author?
I’ve wanted to write this book for over ten years now. The lock-downs of 2020 unexpectedly enabled me to reassess and refocus and I used that time to write the book.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
This is the first of two so far. The second is a children’s book about light.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I work in the lighting industry. This involves project managing, designing, specifying and consulting on many different types of projects.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Whatever you’re doing, break it down into smaller pieces. It’s always easier to manage, work on or think about.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
It would have to be: The Value of Believing in Yourself, a children’s book by Spencer Johnson. It sparked the belief that I could do absolutely anything. I would love to think I could inspire young minds the way I was inspired by his book.