> If you are doing your optics :
>
> 1. Jean Texerau , 'How to make a telescope'
> (it should really take first three places on the list!)
> 2. Rutten & Venrooij, 'Telescope optics, evaluation & design'
> 3. Ingalls' ATM 1,2 and 3 (if you can get them)
> 4. Advanced telescope making techniques (collection of articles from
> Maksutov club circulars)
>
I've enjoyed reading these books, and have learned a few lessons from
them that I have been able to transfer to systems I've built at work.
Texerau's book is awesome. I'd recomend that anyone who wants to write
a "how to" book read it cover to cover before starting. (Someday I may
even follow the directions and grind me a mirror :-) ) The software
that comes with "Telescope Optics" is fun to play with, and much easier
to learn than any of the professional packages I've seen.
For those interested in learning practical optics, Warren Smith's "Modern Optical Engineering" (McGraw-Hill) is hard to beat.
Sam Paris