Product Description
Sir Isaac Newton is one of history’s most renowned scientists. He independently developed the mathematical techniques known as Calculus, wrote a treatise on the properties of light and color that is still consulted by scientists, and worked out the mathematical details of the Law of Gravity. What is less well known is the depth of his Christian faith and the amount of writing, speaking, and research that he put into a defense of the tenets of Biblical theology. This book will make Newton come alive for its readers. From the detailed account of the events that led to his conversion, his Christian faith plays a central role in this biography, as it did in his life. Independent reading level is upper elementary (about 5-6th grade). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book for young readers
I read this book to my five and nine year old and they both loved it.A well written story that is told from Newton's early childhood and on to his adult years in a way that will help young readers remember the facts of hislife.

to rem ... Read more

Product Description

Sir Isaac Newton, creator of the first and perhaps most important scientific theory, is a giant of the scientific era. Despite this, he has remained inaccessible to most modern readers, indisputably great but undeniably remote.

In this witty, engaging, and often moving examination of Newton's life, David Berlinski recovers the man behind the mathematical breakthroughs. The story carries the reader from Newton's unremarkable childhood to his awkward undergraduate days at Cambridge through the astonishing year in which, working alone, he laid the foundation for his system of the world, his Principia Mathematica, and to the subsequent monumental feuds that poisoned his soul and wearied his supporters.

An edifying appreciation of Newton's greatest accomplishment, Newton's Gift is also a touching celebration of a transcendent man.Amazon.com Review
Who else could have constructed the basis for modern science out of anapple? Sir Isaac Newton, the celebrated genius behind the Principia Mathematica,lived inside his head--but not so much as to make his story dull. Mathematician and writer David Berlinski takes a new tack on the man'sbiography by approaching it through his work. Newton's Gift: How SirIsaac Newton Unlocked the System of the World does explore Newton'sstrange childhood and eventual career in government, but it stays largelyfocused on the Cambridge years and especially on the development of the Principia.

Berlinski's uniquely impressionistic prose is perfect for his subject, whose penchant for withdrawal, depression, and misanthropy has driven many writers to despair. He instead fills the reader with visceral revulsion for the plague and ecstatic delight in a perfect English summer day before turning to intellectual matters. The author's knack for explaining tricky matters of mechanics is awe-inspiring; he moves with ease between captivating metaphor and precise mathematical language. Reading the Principia, even in English translation, is more of a chore than a delight, but Newton's Gift is precisely the opposite. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Superior mechanic
Isaac Newton is the largest figure in the history of science, the author asserts.His PRINCIPIA brought mathematical physics into existence.Newton was born in 1642 and died in 1727.A posthumous child, he was born the year Galileo died.He had frightening mental powers and mechanical gifts.He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1661.The curriculum was Aristotelian and Newton ignored it.He was self-taught in mathematics and natural history.He was excited by Descartes, analytic geometry.After four year at Cambridge, Newton was exiled to the countryside at Woolsthorpe for sixteen months at the time of the plague.He continued his solitary studies.The year spent in isolation was fruitful.Newton used both Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Galileo's laws of freely falling objects.Both Leibnitz and Newton discovered the leading ideas of calculus independently, but the discoveries were not quite comparable.

In 1667 Newton returned to Cambridge, spending twenty-seven year there.His passion for mathematics had exhausted itself.Newton discovered that gravity could be extended to the orb of the moon.At age twenty-seven Newton became the Lucasian professor of mathematics.In the 1670's Newton lectured on white light, (the particle theory of light).In 1670 he designed and made a small reflecting telescope.He was made a member of the Royal Society.

Hooke wrangled with Newton over his theory of color.In 1684 Newton produced ON THE MOTION OF BODIES IN AN ORBIT.Newton spent the next two years composing the PRINCIPIA.He delivered the manuscript to the Royal Society in 1687.It covers Newton's law of inertia, law of acceleration, law of action and reaction, law of absolute time, and law of absolute space.The treatise is both mathematical and physical.It explains change in the universe.Newton succeeded Hooke to the presidency of the Royal Society.THE OPTICS was published in 1704.

At the end of his life, Newton reinvented himself as a civil servant, Master of the English Mint.He sought to break the wheel of counterfeiting.The Appendix is termed a descent into detail by the author.There is also a Newton chronology and an index at the close of this engaging book.

Painfully verbose and weak on content
I expected much from this title, with the promise of being a mixture of Newton's biographical history and of his scientific methods. What is actually presented is a way too descriptive and subjective analysis of Newton's life and habits, with not much in depth discussion of Newton's mathematical and experimental innovations. Only until the appendix does the excellent 'Tour of Calculus' type of format make an appearance.A better outline of Newton's scientific methods can be found in Morris Kline's "Mathematics of the Physical World" from Dover books, and there are most certainly better Newton biographies out there. Disappointing.

Made To Be Remaindered
Why this throwaway book exists is anyone's guess.Maybe Free Press was being told to publish conservative authors.Maybe Berlinski had a contract to write a book in record time.Whatever the reason, there's no reason for the average reader to bother with it.

As popular science history, it fails miserably.The science is too math-dense to be understandable by the average numerophobic reader.Even worse, the book doesn't provide enough cultural/intellectual context for readers to appreciate Newton's huge scientific achievements.Even as Vanity Fair-style biography, the book barely gets a passing grade.We do learn tidbits about Newton:He may have been gay! He had a mania for Biblical esoterica! He had an authoritarian streak!Unfortunately, the writing is too rushed and the narrative too lacking in texture and detail to communicate a feel for the life of a great man and the age he lived in.

Bottomline:"Newton's Gift" has too much math to be read at the beach yet too little substance to be worthy of serious study.Not recommended.

Great little book about a great great man
The author did a marvelous job in trying to explain and simplify great mathematical concepts in order to be understood by a "normal" person.

The book also shows that Newton, although a man with one of the most powerful minds in history, was still a human, with very "pedestrian" weaknesses. That only enhance the greatnes of the man.

The book is very fast to read, and a great companion in the metro

School Reading Project Review
Newton's Gift: How Sir Isaac Newton Unlocked the System of the World, written by David Berlinski, is a very informative novel that seems to let you see views of the world through Newton's eyes. While it was very informative and showed great appreciation for Newton's accomplishments, the author tends to ramble. While talking about one topic, he will go off on a tangent for quite a while, before going back to his original topic. The author tries to be funny, but often assumes what was taking place at certain times in Newton's life. He might mention what the weather was probably like or pointless details about how Newton was probably sitting in his bed reading with the window closed to keep out the cold air.

Berlinski does cover important aspects of Newton's life and discoveries. He mentions his influences and inspirations, ranging from being struck on the held by an apple, to Euclid and Descartes, whose works spurred his imagination. Also, Berlinski covers what was going on in the world of science during the time period that Newton was making his famous discoveries and working diligently on new ideas. The author also explores challenges that Newton faced, as well as adversaries that tried to stand in his way or beat him to his goal. Since Sir Isaac Newton, scientific history has changed and has not been the same. Berlinski talks about how Newton's Principa has affected the scientific community, and helped it evolve into how it is today.
... Read more

Product Description
In 1696, Christopher Ellis, a young, hot-tempered gentleman, is sent to the Tower of London, but not as a prisoner. A sudden twist of fate has led him there to assist the renowned scientist Sir Isaac Newton, who as Warden of the Royal Mint has accepted an appointment to hunt down counterfeiters who threaten to topple the shaky, war-weakened economy. Armed with Newton’s superior intellect and Ellis’s skill with a sword, the new partners seem primed to solve the case. But when their investigation leads them to a mysterious coded message on a corpse hidden in the Lion Tower, they realize that something more sinister is afoot. In the heat of their pursuit, Newton and Ellis’s suspicions become all too real as the body count rises and the duo uncovers a menacing far-reaching plot that might lead to the collapse of the government—and cost them their very lives. An extraordinary, suspense-filled, and richly satisfying tale, Dark Matter is an engrossing mystery infused with the volatile mix of politics, science, and religion that characterized life in seventeenth-century London. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Dark Matter
Dark Matter: The Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton is another novel by Philip Kerr that I throughly enjoyed. Kerr's ability to write historical fiction has taken a phase of Sir Isaac Newton's life and made it seem as Newton were a real person and not just some scientific genius with no personality.

Superior Historical Detection, But Too Many Objects in Motion
Phillip Kerr is better known for his Bernie Gunther detective stories especially his Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem trilogy, but I found Dark Matter to be a thoroughly enjoyable dip into the historical detective genre. Kerr uses Sir Isaac Newton's appointment as Warden of the Royal Mint in 1696 as the takeoff point for a murder mystery that involves the pursuit of counterfeiters and a more serious conspiracy to foment an English Protestant version of the St. Bartholomew's Massacre.

Kerr employs many historical characters and scenes. His narrator is Newton's real-life assistant Christopher Ellis. The seemingly inevitable and overused comparison of any detective duo to Holmes and Watson has some merit here. Newton is the idiosyncratic genius and Ellis is the useful aide de snoop (Although it is hard to imagine Watson doing what Ellis does with Newton's niece.).

The Mint is located at the Tower of London and Kerr gives nice description of the Tower's layout in that day as well as the tensions dividing the Royal Mint and the Royal Armoury. Newton and Ellis traverse London's seedier spots such as Newgate Prison, Bedlam, and assorted knocking shops (complete with opium den). The reader meets a number of fascinating historical characters. To name a few: a slippery Daniel Defoe; Cambridge professor, mathematician, and cryptographer John Wallis; the famous diarist Samuel Pepys, and Titus Oates, fabricator of the historical `Popish plot' and freed by a royal pardon, returns in the novel to gin up more anti-Catholic hysteria.

Kerr also examines Newton's anti-Trinitarian Arian religious views, which nearly land him in very deep water (in the novel as well as in real life). Newton's scientific interest in alchemy assists him in uncovering `coiners' as he pursues his duties during the Great Recoinage (the government's attempt to stabilize and normalize the currency).

Pursuing what appear to be four murders related to the Mint, Newton uses his skill and intense labor as a cryptographer to discover that not one, but rather two criminal enterprises are at work. While both crimes are solved, I particularly appreciated the way Kerr wove actual events into his in depiction of the disparate fates of the well-connected and the ordinary criminal. For example, Titus Oates really did receive an unexplained boost in his royal pension from 5 Pounds per annum to 500 Pounds!

Unlike some historical fiction which use a well-known historical event simply as a jumping off point for a routine detective story, Dark Matter makes good use of both large events and historical details, characters colorful and compelling, and a sense of time and place to create a superior historical detective story. In the end, however, Kerr falls short of a five-star effort because he puts too many objects in motion. Perhaps Kerr's momentum could have been better conserved with a little more focus gravity of his subject.

Readers may also be interested in a 2009 work of nonfiction, Newton and the Counterfeiter: The Unknown Detective Career of the World's Greatest Scientist by Thomas Levenson.

Boring
Interesting concept but poor execution.I read a lot of mysteries and other books as well, but I only made it through about 50 pages before I gave up.Fortunately, I checked it out of the library so all I wasted was my time.Boring, dull, stilted, boring, dull, stilted, boring, dull, stilted.........

The Adventures of Isaac Newton
Although an purported biography of Isaac Newton by his assistant Christopher Ellis, "Dark Matter" is a "Sherlock-Holmes-style" detective thriller.Although Newton's subsequent life is summarized, the novel is most definitely not a biography.The style closely mimics that of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in which Holme's sidekick Dr. John Watson purportedly presents a biography of Sherlock Holmes in installment form.That said, the novel appears to be historically accurate.

THE SETUP
In this particular adventure, set about 1697, Newton is the Warden of the Royal Mint (as he genuinely was) and is involved in the investigation of forged currency, which turns out to be part of a greater conspiracy.Of course Ellis/Newton solve the case and save the day.Although this specific "adventure" is fictional, Newton actually did vigorously investigate monetary frauds and send many men to prison or death.

At least some of the "evil conspirators" (French Huguenots) were members of a non-trinitarian Christian sect which held that Jesus was a prophet--as many believe was the creed of the Templars.Therefore Templar history is very briefly summarized.However, the speaker specifically states that the Templar's grail was not Jesus' bloodline (among other things).To the best of my knowledge, that particular hypothesis was first raised a few decades ago, and would not have been known in Newton's time.Otherwise, there is little information given about Arianism or the Templars.

COMPARISONS AND CONTRASTS WITH SHERLOCK HOLMES STORIES
Reflecting modern tastes in literature, "Dark Matter" it is "sharper edged" than Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, by which I mean that the seamy underside of life and cruelty of punishments are much more vividly portrayed.In addition, violence and sexuality are much more vivid and graphic.Ellis, as a young and dashing assistant, is more appealing than Watson, Holmes' comparatively dim-witted sidekick-colleague.

The plot of "Dark Matter" is better structured, and broader in scope than most of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.In many ways the setting is more detailed and vivid.These differences are largely due to the fact that the Sherlock Holmes stories were short stories (with the exception of two novels), and the fact that the stories were penecontemporaneous when written.Doyle had no need to supply detailed descriptions of the scenes and social conventions, because these were well known to his readers.In contrast, "Dark Matter" is set approximately 200 years earlier.

CAVEATS
The 19th Century style Kerr adopts includes many digressions and asides, which are not particularly objectionable.Although the vocabulary is also closer to 19th Century British English than 17th Century, it could be a challenge for anyone who is not comfortable with 19th Century British English.Given that generalization, while Kerr uses many obsolete words, he does so judiciously--the approximate meaning of most is evident in context.

VERDICT
Overall, while I enjoyed the novel, I did not find it to be exceptional.

Dark Matters on a Dark and Stormy Night
Author Philip Kerr has turned his hand to a number of genres, but his principal field of literary endeavor remains his series of Bernie Gunther detective novels. In this instance, however, Kerr has turned away from pre-war, wartime, and post-war Germany and Europe to late-17th Century London. And this time rather than create his own detective to insert into historical situations, Kerr has dared to make his lead investigator the renowned scientist Sir Isaac Newton. The plot centers around Newton's recent appointment as Warden of the Royal Mint. To assist him in executing his new responsibilities for protecting the King's coinage (there being no paper money in this period), Newton seeks the assistance of a younger assistant and hires Christopher Ellis - a somewhat hot-blooded young man in need of employment after participating in an outlawed duel that now prevents him from pursuing a career in the law.

With the King in Europe pursuing his war against France, the kingdom is in peril as well from those who would debase the coin of the realm with counterfeits, potentially ruining England's entire economic system. Newton and Ellis doggedly follow the leads linking a series of murders that take place across London and in the Tower of London itself and which may be the work of a dangerous gang of counterfeiters and possibly even enemy agents.

Kerr draws together both history and his storyline to present a dark picture of 17th Century England and Europe. His detective team of Isaac Newton and Christopher Ellis are presented with an obvious nod to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson though I think a debt is equally owed to the almost equally important crime-solving team of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. As Newton and Ellis face off against counterfeiters, political rivals, and potential enemy agents - and various denizens of London's underworld - the story is engaging and well paced. While I found myself wondering at how much of this the real Newton might have actually done, I generally found the history accurate and well-used to support an interesting story (and once again found myself missing my subway stop as I was engrossed in a critical moment in Newton's investigation!). It would be amusing to see what Kerr could do with his team of detectives over several more adventures, but the premise here of Ellis telling the story only because his former employer is now deceased seems to preclude that possibility. Still, Kerr has given us a plausible and readable contribution to the genre of historical detective fiction. ... Read more

Product Description
Translated into English by Andrew Motte in 1729, this book is a complete volume of Newton's mathematical principles relating to natural philosophy and his system of the world. Newton, one of the most brilliant scientists and thinkers of all time, presents his theories, formulas and thoughts. Included are chapters relative to the motion of bodies; motion of bodies in resisting mediums; and system of the world in mathematical treatment; a section on axioms or laws of motion, and definitions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

ONE OF THE INDISPENSABLE "CLASSICS" IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE
Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727) was an English physicist, mathematician, whose Principia (published in 1687) founded classical mechanics, and described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion.

"I have in this treatise cultivated mathematics so far as it regards philosophy.... (G)eometry is founded in mechanical practice, and is nothing but that part of universal mechanics which accurately proposes and demonstrates the art of measuring."

"The propositions here demonstrated are adapted to the true constitution of the Earth.... For gravity ... decreases in its progress from the superficies of the Earth; upwards in a duplicate ratio of the distances from the centre of the earth; downwards in a simple ratio of the same."

At the beginning of Book III, he states, "In the preceding Books I have laid down the principles of philosophy, principles not philosophical, but mathematical; such, to wit, as we may build our reasonings upon in philosophical inquiries.... It remains that, from the same principles, I now demonstrate the frame of the System of the World."

He concludes the book on the note, "This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being ... This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all; and on account of his dominion he is wont to be called Lord God.... The Supreme God is a being eternal, infinite, absolutely perfect.... It is the dominion of a spiritual being which constitutes a God ... God is a living, intelligent, and powerful Being; and, from his other perfections, that he is supreme, or most perfect. He is eternal and infinite, omnipotent and omniscient; that is, his duration reaches from eternity to eternity; his presence from infinity to infinity; he governs all things, and knows all things that are or can be done.... He is utterly void of all body and bodily figure, and can therefore neither be seen, nor heard, nor touched; nor ought he to be worshipped under the representation of any corporeal thing. We have ideas of his attributes, but what the real substance of any thing is we know not."

An awe-insipring work, but not a useful source of information
A few years ago I was bored with most of what was available in book stores, and it seemed as though I had read through everything interesting (a few things that were not).My desire to be intellectually wowed lead me to purchase this book, and it served its purpose.Newton's ideas are not that difficult to follow if you take time to think about them, but Newton did not simply have to follow these principles; he had to derive them himself, and within a single lifetime I might add.This work allowed me to appreciate the brilliance of Newton in a similar manner as one appreciates an impresseive work of art, and like many fine works of art, its ability to display the impressive magnitude of its creator's abilities far outshines its ability to teach the observer something new.In a world void of any other books on physics or mathematics I suppose The Principia would be adequate as an educational resource, but in a world where far better textbooks exist, this book no longer retains much pedagogical value.

Poor Quality Rendition of Newton's Masterpiece
I can hardly believe Hawking lent his credibility to this edition. Although his motivation of getting people to read classics is great, this edition barely contains any Hawking commentary, is riddled with errors and omissions, and fell apart after just a couple of months of use. Buy the Green Lion or the big Blue edition instead!

This is a key masterpiece in the history of Science.
I bought this book not for the purpose of learning Classical Mechanics from it, but for the scientific curiosity of learning how the great Isaac Newton presented his revolutionary scientific ideas to the world. Of course, it is difficult to read. This is an old translation of a book written in Latin more than 300 years ago!

This book is a jewel. Just like the original works of Einstein, Maxwell, Heisenberg, Schroedinger and all those giants. The person buying this book should not expect to find a clear didactic textbook when originally it was not written for the layman, but for the expert scientific community of its time. Buy this book, sit back, scan through it, and enjoy a true piece of history.

Difficult.I am not in a position to comment.
I read up to Prop 6 and could not quite carry on. His language is not easy to understand.I hope someone will publish a Dictionary of it. Anyway, his proof of Kepler's 2nd theorem is clever, and he is very rigorousmathematically for his time. ...
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Product Description
When one thinks of Sir Isaac Newton, one normally thinks of a great scientist and mathematician. However, one does not normally think of Newton as a historian. Such was the greatness of his intellect, that he found history a pleasant diversion for his idle moments. He drafted a book on the ancient history and the Gentile nations and worked on it periodically for over forty years but never published it. It was published posthumously in 1728, a year after he died.

The same genius he applies to other disciplines, Newton brings to bear on ancient history. He notes that all the pagan nations had greatly exaggerated their history, creating much needless confusion. Like a first rate prosecuting attorney, Newton cross-examines the ancient writers, using their own words against them to expose their logical inconsistencies. He then develops a more sound chronology using the scientific method based on logic, observations, astronomy, and just plain common sense.

Newton is not satisfied with merely showing one way of determining a historical date but overwhelms the reader with many independent ways of using the classical data mixed with common sense to establish the approximate date for many important secular historical events. Most of secular ancient history before 700 BC will need a drastic revision in the light of Newton's findings.

As originally written, Newton's historical work is very difficult for modern readers to understand but this special edition presents this classic in a format and style suitable for today's readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Reference, needs a companion history book or chart
Like reading sheaves of notes compiled as he worked, Newton's Revised History demonstrates three things: his access to and comprehension of other histories; the thorough way in which he set about discovering, proving, and problem solving; and the scientific genius by which the chonologer keeps all in his head.

Drawing from such sources as Plato, Herodotus, and Josephus, Newton submits all histories and archaeology and even legends to the timeline of the world as found in the Bible.He spends much effort explaining which legendary figures are pseudonyms for the same great kings.A king was called one name at home, another in each conquered country, a few titles of royalty and accomplishment, and then a few by which he was worshiped at his death.Though in the text Newton is not consistent in referring always to a single name for a person to which he compares other names, there is an extensive Alias Appendix and Exhaustive Index to help follow the associations.Upholding the authority and accuracy of the Scripture, Newton criticizes the priests and ancient historians of each country for inflating the age of their civilization, usually done by inserting names of kings in lists with no mention of any accomplishments, or by making the reigns of kings unbelievably long: into the hundreds of years.However, Newton also refutes those Jewish historians who doubt all histories not recorded in the Old Testament, reducing and confusing the kings of Persia from the intertestamental times, though in truth the Bible does not mention them because they no longer dealt with the Jews.

For each point Newton made, and especially on those arguments where the consensus of history or usually-reliable chronologers is against him, he goes into overwhelming detail to establish his position.As I read, I would wonder why we were touring a small isle in the Mediterranean, debating the heritage of a prince - and suddenly, aha!Newton would say, "therefore," and prove that the four generations of history we had endured proved that someone was the same age as someone else, and that his great grandson therefore could not have been as ancient as some believe.Many events are connected by degrees of association to the Trojan War, to the reign of King Solomon, or to Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem.From thence an ancient history spiders off into tales of a king whose fifty daughters married his brother's fifty sons, then at their father's command all murdered their husbands so as to defend against their uncle's betrayal; to the way Philistia was overrun by exiles from Egypt, making the Philistines more powerful and land-desperate when they fought the Judges, Saul, and David.Apparently all the ancients ran around conquering each other, erecting pillars, kidnapping princesses, and stealing them back.A great king of one country would be worshiped by his colonies in other countries until no one remembered he was a king and everyone thought he'd always been a god.

Newton was rather fascinated with the study of astronomy, astrology, and geometry as he supposed it spread from Egypt to Babylon and thence to the rest of the world.He believed only one ethnicity originated human sacrifice, only one astrology, only one worship of the dead, and only one the building of temples.These idolatrous innovations were, he taught, spread to other peoples only through a chain of interactions with the first peoples who practiced them.He also makes the case that the original constellations were representations of those in the Argonaut Expedition or their fellows.

Being both a chronology and a sort of history, this book has amazing scope, covering about 2000 years of the Mediterranean World, describing kings and conquests, marriage and treachery.Chapters include Early Greek History, The Empire of Egypt, The Assyrian Empire, Empires of the Babylonians and the Medes, and The Persian Empire.Agreeing with Ussher on most dates, but venturing further into secular history seeking a general order and average sense of time, Newton lays out a sense of grand background.His book is written for those already acquainted with the peoples and countries he described, and so I found myself floundering in the long sections of the book about Egypt, Greece, and Assyria but more comfortable in the reaches of Babylon and Persia.One of the best illustrated sections of the book is the chapter on King Solomon's temple, whose measurements Newton draws from a combination of Kings and Ezekiel (about which interpretation I remain skeptical).A companion book with a good timeline and charts would be recommended.You might use Ussher's Annals of the World.I myself did not know that modern man was aware of such details of history as Newton records, though I believe the study of history has been mightily neglected in the past two centuries.This well-formatted, easy-to-use reference does well to excite curiosity and may be helpful in reviving consideration of those motives and affections that change the world.

To God be all glory,
Lisa of Longbourn

Interesting!
This was such an interesting book!It is packed full of information about ancient history, yet it is in a very easy to read format that makes reading through it a breeze.Newton's premise is that many ancient nationsexaggerated their history and he takes pains to develop a sound chronology using scientific methods he spent his life perfecting.
This is a great read for history buffs and also for homeschoolers.
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Product Description
The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Rich in titles on English life and social history, this collection spans the world as it was known to eighteenth-century historians and explorers. Titles include a wealth of travel accounts and diaries, histories of nations from throughout the world, and maps and charts of a world that was still being discovered. Students of the War of American Independence will find fascinating accounts from the British side of conflict.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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Cambridge University Library

N002784

Ordinary paper issue.

London : printed for J. Tonson, and J. Osborn and T. Longman, 1728. xiv,[2],376p.,plates ; 4° ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description

Two Books.  Linked together in time and space.  Two books that are coming to pass in these end times.  Read what one of the most logical minds in history has to say.

About the author: Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician who was born into a poor farming family. Luckily for humanity, Newton was not a good farmer, and was sent to Cambridge to study to become a preacher. At Cambridge, Newton studied mathematics, being especially strongly influenced by , although he was also influenced by Baconian and Cartesian philosophies. Newton was forced to leave Cambridge when it was closed because of the plague, and it was during this period that he made some of his most significant discoveries.

Customer Reviews (7)

Observatgions upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St John
Who doesn't totally love and respect Isaac Newton?What a mind!To delve into his analysis of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are such a treat.The greatest mind ponders the greatest puzzles.Amazing.

Obscure But Relevant
Newton's obscure but relevant observations on Daniel and Revelation is an astounding work. I was not aware it existed and was rewardeed by reading it. Many of his insights are novel; some are rather shopworn. The work is well worth reading.

Good Interpretation from a Great Scientist
Isaac Newton's interpretation of the prophecies of Daniel and John's Revelation of Jesus Christ was a great surprise. He loaded his points with historic reference rather than 'This is what I feel is true' views that we read and hear so often today. Although I was impressed with his historic views of these prophecies, I was most impressed with his Christian faith. To think one of the greatest scientists of all time was a strong believer in Christ is simply awesome!

A Disappointment.
While some of Newton's theories regarding Daniel and Revelation were very good, the inclusion of Latin text was a major disappointment for me!
If you are a layperson like myself,the Latin serves no purpose.Now if a reader can read Latin, that may be a plus for them.

There were however, some highlights in the book that I gleaned.

Mr. Newton connects the four living creatures(in Newton's day they were referred to as "beasts")of Ezekiel and Revelation to the 12 tribes of Israel. He recognizes the faces of the creatures as symbols employed by the tribes in their encampment standards.Judah- a Lion, Ephraim- a Bull or ox, Dan- an Eagle, Reuben- a Man. On page 132 he wrote,"Whence were framed the heiroglyphicks of cherubims and seraphims to represent the people of Israel."

He defines the differences between cherubim and seraphim.

The author also provides a thoughtful argument against Antiochus Epiphanes being the horn in Daniel.

Like Uriah Smith and others, he identifies the little book in Revelation as the sealed book from Daniel.

For any reader looking to studya historicist view of Daniel and the Revelation of John, I would recommend "The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation" by Uriah Smith as a much better choice.

Eschatology 104
This book gives you a great viewpoint from Newton on Christian Eschatology. However Newton is not easy reading and might require some prior knowledge of biblical prophesy.I would love to see any writings Newton did on the book of Ezekiel. ... Read more

Product Description
PHILOSOPHIÆ
NATURALIS
Principia
MATHEMATICA.


________________________________________
Definitiones.


________________________________________
Def. I.
Quantitas Materiæ est mensura ejusdem orta ex illius Densitate & Magnitudine conjunctim.
Aer duplo densior in duplo spatio quadruplus est. Idem intellige de Nive et Pulveribus per compressionem vel liquefactionem condensatis. Et par est ratio corporum omnium, quæ per causas quascunq; diversimode condensantur. Medii interea, si quod fuerit, interstitia partium libere pervadentis, hic nullam rationem habeo. Hanc autem quantitatem sub nomine corporis vel Massæ in sequentibus passim intelligo. Innotescit ea per corporis cujusq; pondus. Nam ponderi proportionalem esse reperi per experimenta pendulorum accuratissime instituta, uti posthac docebitur. [2]
Def. II.
Quantitas motus est mensura ejusdem orta ex Velocitate et quantitate Materiæ conjunctim.
Motus totius est summa motuum in partibus singulis, adeoq; in corpore duplo majore æquali cum Velocitate duplus est, et dupla cum Velocitate quadruplus.
Def. III.
Materiæ vis insita est potentia resistendi, qua corpus unumquodq;, quantum in se est, perseverat in statu suo vel quiescendi vel movendi uniformiter in directum.
Hæc semper proportionalis est suo corpori, neq; differt quicquam ab inertia Massæ, nisi in modo concipiendi. Per inertiam materiæ fit ut corpus omne de statu suo vel quiescendi vel movendi difficulter deturbetur. Unde etiam vis insita nomine significantissimo vis inertiæ dici possit. Exercet vero corpus hanc vim solummodo in mutatione status sui per vim aliam in se impressam facta, estq; exercitium ejus sub diverso respectu et Resistentia et Impetus: Resistentia quatenus corpus ad conservandum statum suum reluctatur vi impressæ; Impetus quatenus corpus idem, vi resistentis obstaculi difficulter cedendo, conatur statum ejus mutare. Vulgus Resistentiam quiescentibus et Impetum moventibus tribuit; sed motus et quies, uti vulgo concipiuntur, respectu solo distinguuntur ab invicem, neq; semper vere quiescunt quæ vulgo tanquam quiescentia spectantur.
Def. IV.
Vis impressa est actio in corpus exercita, ad mutandum ejus statum vel quiescendi vel movendi uniformiter in directum.
Consistit hæc vis in actione sola, neq; post actionem permanet in corpore. Perseverat enim corpus in statu omni novo per solam [3]vim inertiæ. Est autem vis impressa diversarum originum, ut ex ictu, ex pressione, ex vi centripeta.
Def. V.
Vis centripeta est qua corpus versus punctum aliquod tanquam ad centrum trahitur, impellitur, vel utcunq; tendit.
Hujus generis est gravitas, qua corpus tendit ad centrum Terræ: Vis magnetica, qua ferrum petit centrum Magnetis, et vis illa, quæcunq; sit, qua Planetæ perpetuo retrahuntur a motibus rectilineis, et in lineis curvis revolvi coguntur. Est autem vis centripetæ quantitas trium generum, absoluta, acceleratrix et motrix.

and so much more ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It needs a revision
All AE diphthongs are missing. With a careful proofreading this may become a very useful addition to all libraries. ... Read more

Product Description
Isaac Newton was a scientific genius whose discoveries changed the way people thought about the world. He solved complex mathematical problems and invented the branch of mathematics called calculus. He investigated light and through experiments proved its relationship to color. And he established universal principles about how gravity, force, and motion work and are related. These principles became known as Newtons laws. Underneath Newtons public image as a genius was a man with real problems and failingsa complicated, sometimes unpleasant person whose interests and desires did not always match his legend. ... Read more

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An account of Newton's life and work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Outstanding short biography!!
This short bio of Newton is an excellent introduction into the life, times, and achievements of the most important man in history. To most people living at the beginning of the 21st century it's difficult to imagine the state of knowledge and epistemology that Newton was born into. This little book is very well written and easily understandable by almost anyone! No knowledge of mathematics is needed.

In addition to describing the basic content of Newton's discoveries, i.e. his integration of terrestrial and celestial mechanics (a monumental achievement) and his revolutionary discoveries about light and color, Andrade also provides a beautiful description of the basic purpose and fundamental ideas of Newton's fluxions (aka the calculus). What's truly incredible is that Newton discovered all these ideas in less than 2 years when in his early 20's!!!

What I personally found most interesting is that it was Newton who showed the world on a grand scale, the power of the scientific method which formed the basis for all future scientific and technological progress. Andrade discusses, illustates, and bridges the old ways of understanding with the modern method in a clear and concise way.

You also get a glimpse into Newton's character which is quite unusual.

For those who want a very detailed, scholarly and thorough biography of Isaac Newton, read Westfall's "Never at Rest".

Outstanding short biography!!
This short bio of Newton is an excellent introduction into the life, times, and achievements of the most important man in history. To most people living at the beginning of the 21st century it's difficult to imagine the state of knowledge and epistemology that Newton was born into. This little book is very well written and easily understandable by almost anyone! No knowledge of mathematics is needed.

In addition to describing the basic content of Newton's discoveries, i.e. his integration of terrestrial and celestial mechanics (a monumental achievement) and his revolutionary discoveries about light and color, Andrade also provides a beautiful description of the basic purpose and fundamental ideas of Newton's fluxions (aka the calculus). What's truly incredible is that Newton discovered all these ideas in less than 2 years when in his early 20's!!!

What I personally found most interesting is that it was Newton who showed the world on a grand scale, the power of the scientific method which formed the basis for all future scientific and technological progress. Andrade discusses, illustates, and bridges the old ways of understanding with the modern method in a clear and concise way.

You also get a glimpse into Newton's character which is quite unusual.

For those who want a very detailed, scholarly and thorough biography of Isaac Newton, read Westfall's "Never at Rest".

Too expensive and too simple!!!!
On the moment I first received this book, I was already felt disappointed as the book is a timy one with fewer than 200 pages. I have a feeling that this book would not give much information on Newton, undisputably the greatest scientist and mathematician of all time!! ( Don't compare him with Einstein, the later can only be described as a great theoretical physicist !) Considering Newton's achievement and his complicated life, a book ten times the content of this one even may not be enough!

After reading the whole book, I was even more disappointed!! As the description of Newton's life is even less than any book on History of Mathematics!! Coupled with the expensiveness of this book. ( It cost me more than 60 dollars ) I cannot think of one reason to buy this book. I recommend " the life of Issac Newton or for a more detailed account, " Never at rest," both by Richard Westfall.

A very diasppointed book!!!!!
At the moment I first received this book, I was already felt disappointed as the book is a tiny one with fewer than 200 pages. I predicted that this book would not give much information on Newton, undisputably the greatest scientist and mathematician of all time!! ( Don't compare Einstein with him , the later can only be described as the greatest theoretical physicist of the 20 th century!) Considering Newton's achievement and his complicated life, a book ten times the content of this one even may not be enough!
After reading the whole book, I was even more disappointed!! As the description of Newton's life is even less than any book on History of Mathematics!! Coupled with the expensiveness of this book. ( It cost me more than 60 dollars ) I cannot think of one reason to buy this book. I recommend " the life of Issac Newton or for a more detailed account, " Never at rest," both by Richard Westfall. ... Read more

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General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1838Original Publisher: Harper ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the text that can both be accessed online and used to create new print copies. This book and thousands of others can be found in the digital collections of the University of Michigan Library. The University Library also understands and values the utility of print, and makes reprints available through its Scholarly Publishing Office. ... Read more

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One of the most readable of all the great classics of physical science, Opticks comprises a comprehensive survey of 18th-century knowledge of light, describing Newton’s own experiments with spectroscopy, colors, lenses, reflection, refraction and more in language the lay person can easily follow. Foreword by Albert Einstein.
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Customer Reviews (6)

Not in English!
If you want to read something by Newton, get the Principia. Whoever translated this book did a horrible job.

Brilliant
There are two main arguments for a corpuscular view of light:

(1) Light consists of rays of inherent and inalterable dispositions (as regards colour, refrangibility, etc.). This is argued for throughout, but see esp. the classic prism experiments in props. I and II. Wave theorists, on the contrary, base their explanations on modifications of rays.

(2) The law of refraction "may be demonstrated upon this Supposition. That Bodies refract Light by acting upon its Rays in Lines perpendicular to their Surfaces" (p. 79). Consider what happens as the ray passes through the strip from y=c to the surface boundary at y=0. Newton states the lemma that the vertical velocity v_2 at y=0 will be determined by the initial vertical velocity v_1 at y=c and the would-be vertical velocity v_0 at y=0 if v_1 had been 0, as follows: v_2^2=v_1^2+v_0^2. Newton omits the proof as being too easy; it may be supplied as follows. Think of the v's as functions of y and differentiate. Both sides vill be of the form 2v(dv/dy) = 2(dy/dt)(dv/dy) = 2(dv/dt) = 2a = proportional to F, which is equal at equal y's. Thus since the lemma holds for c=0 and the derivatives are equal it holds generally. Though Newton emphasises that he has not assumed anything about the nature of light, we see that this proof makes most sense from a corpuscular point of view since it in effect appeals to F=ma. A further side effect of this proof is that it implies that light speeds up when it is refracted towards the normal, which implies that light is slowest in vacuum and fastest in dense materials.

(1) and (2) are elegantly combined if rays of different colours consist of particles of different sizes.

Further arguments against the wave theory (Query 28): light does not "bend into the Shadow"; it cannot explain "the unusual Refraction of Island Crystal"; it needs two aethers to explain the "fits" in the next paragraph; "against filling the Heavens with fluid Mediums, unless they be exceedingly rare, a great Objection arises from the regular and very lasting Motions of the Planets ... for thence it is manifest, that the Heavens are void of all sensible Resistance."

Nevertheless, waves are needed to explain interference patterns and the fact that light is in alternating "fits of easy Reflexion and easy Transmission" (p. 281). This can be done as follows (Query 18). When light goes from one medium to another it strikes the aether, creating waves like ripples on a pond. These ripples travel faster than the rays and "by endeavouring to expand itself" (p. 352) the aether is thus alternately pushing and pulling on the rays, causing the fits. The existence on the aether is suggested by the fact that thermometers behave the same in vacuum as in air (Query 18). Since light and heat are capable of generating each other (Queries 8-10), it is plausible that this aether is the same as that of light.

The other major theme in the book is colour theory. This is all very good, but it is not very exciting since these ideas are so commonplace today. An interesting exception is Query 14 where it is suggested that harmonious colour combinations are due to harmonious combinations of frequencies, as in music.

Opticks Reviewed
Overall the book covered the material well. However the book was somewhat difficult to follow. It took a couple of passes to clarify what was being said.

Dont Understand

It is obvious neither of the previous reviewers understand, this book was written by Issac Newton in the 1600's.It is read for historical reasons.

"tres curieux"
"Though Mr. Newton is no physicist, his book is very interesting." -- Father Nicolas Malebranche (1707) ... Read more

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Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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The fifth volume of this definitive edition centres around Newton's Lucasian lectures on algebra, purportedly delivered during 1673-83, and subsequently prepared for publication under the title Arithmetica Universalis many years later. Dr Whiteside first reproduces the text of the lectures deposited by Newton in the Cambridge University Library about 1684. In these much reworked, not quite finished, professional lectiones, Newton builds upon his earlier studies of the fundamentals of algebra and its application to the theory and construction of equations, developing new techniques for the factorizing of algebraic quantities and the delimitation of bounds to the number and location of roots, with a wealth of worked arithmetical, geometrical, mechanical and astronomical problems. An historical introduction traces what is known of the background to the parent manuscript and assesses the subsequent impact of the edition prepared by Whiston about 1705 and the revised version published by Newton himself in 1722. A number of minor worksheets, preliminary drafts and later augmentations buttress this primary text, throwing light upon its development and the essential untrustworthiness of its imposed marginal chronology. ... Read more

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283 pages ... Read more