Welcome to the future! Aside from being beautiful, you'll find lasers in many of the technologies that make life as we know it possible. On this page you'll find resources that detail how lasers work, and how they are applied in various technologies.
[http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm Sam's Laser FAQ] - Required Reading.
MIT Open Courseware [http://ocw.mit.edu/resources/res-6-005-understanding-lasers-and-fiberoptics-spring-2008/laser-fundamentals-i/ Laser Fundamentals] - This three part course is a superb introduction to laser physics. Highly recommended!
[http://www.rp-photonics.com/encyclopedia.html Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology] - An Open Access Encyclopedia for Photonics and Laser Technology
[http://britneyspears.ac/lasers.htm Britney Spears' Guide to Semiconductor Physics] - Despite it's tongue-in-cheek title, this site offers a good overview of the physics behind diode lasers.
Photonics education software from the Boffins at the School of Physics & Astronomy, University of St Andrews. [http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~psst/ “Explore the science of lasers and nonlinear optics with our interactive educational simulations.”]
Richard Feynman talks about [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjHJ7FmV0M4 light].