Contact Lenses: The Story
Timothy James Bowden
“Tim Bowden has painstakingly and with a passion and love for the field gone after the modern history of contact lenses in way that no other has done before. All of us who have spent our lives in contact lens research or contact lens practice will be fascinated with this glimpse into our past and grateful for his endeavours. To the new practitioner this history will provide a context as to why present-day contact lens practice and technology is the way it is and in some ways an appreciation of where we don't need to go.
“Tim has laboured hard and persistently to get it right, a monumental task and one in which he has been remarkably successful. I commend his efforts to all who are interested in this fascinating field.”
Professor Brien Holden Sydney NSW Australia
“The details of history slip away in every field, contact lenses being no exception. Files are lost, individuals pass from the field, and new layers are continually added. Details dim and often vanish. Tim Bowden has answered the call to preserve this past, and has approached the task in a unique way. More than just chronicling milestones, he has focused as well on the personalities who drove those advances – their challenges, their insights, and their break-throughs. His diligence in tracing out the many threads of this complex and still expanding tapestry has resulted in a history both engaging and enlightening. This account can be a useful and entertaining addition to any clinical, research, or personal library.”
Professor Richard Hill, University of Columbus Ohio
“To Timothy J. Bowden goes the honour of having produced the first single-volume general history of contact lenses to cover their complete international development from a cosmetic prosthesis to a visual aid of increasing technical complexity. This book has been written just soon enough to capture the recollections of many of the major personalities involved and just late enough to provide a sense of historical perspective, making it an important contribution to the history of optometry as well as a pleasant memoir for practitioners in this field”.
Neil Handley MA, AMA, Curator BOA Museum London
“I congratulate Tim Bowden for his painstaking work in assembling this comprehensive account of the fascinating history of the development of contact lenses. As well as being an enjoyable read, this book will constitute an important contribution to the archives of the optical and ophthalmic professions.”
Nathan Efron, Research Professor, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
“In just over 120 years, contact lens technology has evolved from a theoretical dream to a multi-billion dollar a year industry. This book is the cumulative story of the people who made it all happen. Thank you, Tim, for honouring the pioneering spirit of the individuals whose past efforts continue to dramatically change the quality of life for so many around the world.”
Pat Caroline, Associate Professor, Pacific University College of Optometry and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health University, Portland,