false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173282660m/267406.jpg 267406 4 Who else could have constructed the basis for modern science out of an apple? Sir Isaac Newton, the celebrated genius behind the <I>Principia Mathematica</I>, 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's biography by approaching it through his work. <I>Newton's Gift: How Sir Isaac Newton Unlocked the System of the World</I> does explore Newton's strange childhood and eventual career in government, but it stays largely focused on the Cambridge years and especially on the development of the <I>Principia</I>.<p> 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 <I>Principia</I>, even in English translation, is more of a chore than a delight, but <I>Newton's Gift</I> is precisely the opposite. <I>--Rob Lightner</I> 259255 2000 Newton's Gift: How Sir Isaac Newton Unlocked the System of the World total:25|5:3|4:10|3:8|2:3|1:1| 25 86 48 7 4 0 false false Thu Oct 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 22 21:56:51 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 22 22:03:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Aug 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jan 15 09:11:21 -0800 2008 Fri Aug 15 20:27:57 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed May 06 09:20:31 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 01 05:47:10 -0700 2009 Wed May 06 09:20:31 -0700 2009 This book is readable, quick, informative, and mostly well written, although I would n...more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Fri Apr 04 09:26:19 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 04 09:45:37 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 0 false false Mon Jul 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 20 19:04:35 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 22 08:52:13 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Sep 28 23:40:52 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 28 23:41:40 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Thu Feb 21 19:27:55 -0800 2008 Thu Feb 21 19:28:16 -0800 2008
]]> 0 0 false false Tue Nov 03 22:02:05 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 22:02:05 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Nov 02 11:38:06 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 02 11:38:06 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Oct 08 14:46:40 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 14:46:40 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Sep 27 08:15:09 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 27 08:15:09 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Sep 21 12:10:13 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 12:10:13 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Aug 30 17:49:45 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 17:49:45 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Tue Jun 02 18:10:33 -0700 2009 Sat May 30 16:52:53 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 02 18:10:33 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri May 08 08:01:59 -0700 2009 Fri May 08 08:01:59 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon May 04 16:30:40 -0700 2009 Mon May 04 16:30:40 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Apr 20 09:52:13 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 20 09:52:23 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Apr 18 00:08:15 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 18 00:08:15 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Apr 11 06:59:19 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 11 06:59:32 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Apr 06 16:57:29 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 16:57:29 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=267406