Isaac Newton
Gleick, James
Paperback
$9.07 + $1.99 USPS S/H
$0.45 of your order (5%) will be donated to the school of your choice.
BOOK SYNOPSIS
Isaac Newton was born in a stone farmhouse in 1642, fatherless and unwanted by his mother. When he died in London in 1727 he was so renowned he was given a state funeral—an unheard-of honor for a subject whose achievements were in the realm of the intellect. During the years he was an irascible presence at Trinity College, Cambridge, Newton imagined properties of nature and gave them names—mass, gravity, velocity—things our science now takes for granted. Inspired by Aristotle, spurred on by Galileo’s discoveries and the philosophy of Descartes, Newton grasped the intangible and dared to take its measure, a leap of the mind unparalleled in his generation.
James Gleick, the author of Chaos and Genius, and one of the most acclaimed science writers of his generation, brings the reader into Newton’s reclusive life and provides startlingly clear explanations of the concepts that changed forever our perception of bodies, rest, and motion—ideas so basic to the twenty-first century, it can truly be said: We are all Newtonians.
BOOK REVIEWS
"The biography of choice. . . . Newton the man emerges from the shadows."--The New York Times Book Review
Succinct, elegant. . . . A sharp, beautifully written introduction to the man." --The Wall Street Journal
A masterpiece of brevity and concentration. Isaac Newton sees its angular subject in the round, presenting him as scientist and magician, believer and heretic, monster and man. . . . It will surely stand as the definitive study for a very long time to come. Fortunate Newton! --John Banville, The Guardian
Gleick [is] a clever tour guide to the minds of great geniuses. . . . Isaac Newton sheds new light on the difficult personality of a deeply enigmatic figure. --Seattle Post-Intellignceer
Elegant, jewel-likehe does not waste a word Gleick has given us the man and his mind in their full crazyness. --The New York Times
A compelling page-turner. . . . Gleick [is] a clever tour guide to the minds of great geniuses. Isaac Newton sheds new light on the difficult personality of a deeply enigmatic figure. --Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Beautifully flesh[es] out the alchemical dialectic, its balancing act between the spiritual and the gross. The Boston Globe
An elegantly written, insightful work that brings Newton to life and does him justice. . . . Gleick proves to be not only a sound explicator of Newton's science but also a capable literary stylist, whose understated empathy with his subject lets us almost see through Newton's eyes. Los Angeles Times
The biography of choice for the interested layman. . . . [Gleick] makes this multifaceted life remarkably accessible. --The New York Times Book Review
For the casual reader with a serious interest in Newtons life and work, I recommend Gleicks biography as an excellent place to start. It has three important virtues. It is accurate, it is readable, and it is short. Gleick has gone back to the original notebooks and brought [Newton] to life. Freeman Dyson, The New York Review of Books
The best short life of sciences most perplexing figure. New Scientist
Written with enormous enthusiasm and verve and in a style that is often closer to poetry than prose. [Gleick] explains the fundamentals with clarity and grace. His ease with the science is the key to the books delight. The Economist
[Gleick is] one of the best science writers of our time. . . . He has exhumed from mountains of historical documents and letters a compelling portrait of a man who held the cards of his genius and near madness close to his chest. Gleicks book [is] hard to put down. Toronto Globe and Mail
Brilliant. . . . The great scientist is brought into sharp focus and made more accessible. Highly recommended. The Tucson Citizen
Marvellously rich, elegant and poetic. . . . [Gleicks] great talent is the ability to unravel complex ideas without talking down. Books on Newton abound, but Gleicks fresh, intimate and beautifully composed account succeeds where many fail, in eloquently dramatizing the strange power of his subjects vision. --The Times (London)
Gleick . . . has transformed mainstream academic research into an exciting story. Gleick has done a marvelous job of recreating intellectual life in Britain around the end of the 17th century. He excels at translating esoteric discussions into clear, simple explanations that make sense to modern people. Science
James Gleick . . . makes the most of his extraordinary material, providing us with a deftly crafted vision of the great mathematician as a creator, and victim, of his age. . . . [Isaac Newton] is a perfect antidote to the many vast, bloated scientific biographies that currently flood the market--and also acts a superb starting point for anyone interested in the life of one of the world's few, undisputed geniuses. --The Observer
Gleick . . . brings to bear on Newtons life and thought the same clarity of understanding and expression that brought order to chaos in his first volume [Chaos: Making a New Science]. The Daily Herald
Moving . . . [Gleicks] biography is perhaps the most accessible to date. He is an elegant writer, brisk without being shallow, excellent on the essence of the work, and revealing in his account of Newtons dealings with the times. Financial Times
You cant get much more entertaining than Isaac Newtonas described by James Gleick, that is. The San Diego Union-Tribune
Huge in scope and profound in depth. . . . The extent of Newtons genius is revealed in breathtaking detail. . . . A remarkable and challenging work and does full justice to its subject. --Yorkshire Evening Post
Submit a book reviewFOR RELATED BOOKS
Biography & Autobiography Books :: Science & Technology Books
MORE BOOK INFO
ISBN: 1400032954
ISBN(13-digit): 9781400032952
Copyright: 2004
Dewey Decimal: 530/.092
Library of Congress: bl2005021879
Book Publisher: Random House Inc
Language: ENG
No. of Pages: 272
Paper Weight (lb): .5875 lb
If you like this book, you may also enjoy:
 | |
 | |
 | |
| Failure Is Not an Option | |
Chandra | |
A Beautiful Mind | |
| Kranz, Gene | |
Wali Kameshwar, C. | |
Nasar, Sylvia | |
