Isaac Newton

161 Pages·2005·1.08 MB·English

by  Gale E. Christianson

I N
SA A C E W T O N
LIVES AND LEGACIES
Larzer Ziff
MARK TWAIN
David S. Reynolds
WALT WHITMAN
Edwin S. Gaustad
ROGER WILLIAMS
Gale E. Christianson
ISAAC NEWTON
I N
S A A C E W T O N
Gale E. Christianson
2005
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Copyright © 2005 by Gale E. Christianson
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Christianson, Gale E.
Isaac Newton / Gale E. Christianson.— 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-19-530070-3
ISBN-10: 0-19-530070-X
1. Newton, Isaac, Sir, 1642–1727.
2. Physicists—Great Britain—Biography.
I. Title.
QC16.N7C51 2005
530'.092—dc22
2005009600
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
To Miss Rhonda
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CONTENTS
PREFACE xi
One
“TO PLAY PHILOSOPHICALLY” 1
Two
“MY GREATER FRIEND” 12
Three
OF GENIUS, FIRE, AND PLAGUE 24
Four
THE REVOLUTIONARY PROFESSOR 34
Five
“KINDLING COAL” 43
Six
THE ALCHEMIST 53
vii
Seven
“A BOOK NOBODY UNDERSTANDS” 63
Eight
“YOUR MOST UNFORTUNATE
SERVANT” 77
Nine
MARK OF THE LION 88
Ten
THE ROYAL SOCIETY 101
Eleven
WAR 110
Twelve
“LIKE A BOY ON THE SEASHORE” 122
NOTES 129
FURTHER READING 135
INDEX 141
viii CONTENTS
Doing easily what others find difficult is talent;
doing what is impossible for talent is genius.
Henri-Frédéric Amiel
CHAPTER TITLE ix