Review of "Isaac Newton," by James Gleick

 Review of

Isaac Newton, by James Gleick, ISBN 1400032954

Five out of five stars

Emphasis on the personality

There is no real dispute that Isaac Newton was the greatest scientist of all time. The list of his original accomplishments are amazing, from optics to physics to cosmology, he altered the fundamental understanding of the world. His theories of gravity explained everything from how the apple fell from the tree to the concept of orbitals to the explanations of why the planets orbit the sun in the way they do. 

 The fact that increases the level of incredulity is that in many case he had to invent the mathematics needed to justify his theories. While there remains some dispute as to who was first in the development of calculus, there is no question that he created it independently of anyone else. However, Newton was a very irascible person, he had an obnoxious personality fueled no doubt by the fact that so few people understood his work. 

 In this book, Gleick covers Newton’s achievements, but spends a great deal of time describing his personality and his actions in writing about religion and his work for the government. He was intolerant of others that he considered cheats, to the point where he considered the death penalty appropriate for anyone who debased the currency that he was responsible for. It is interesting to read that the reason coins have serrated edges is so that it would be readily apparent if even a small amount was trimmed from the edge. 

 This book is written for the general reader, equations are not used to explain and expand on the ideas. Yet, the explanations of the topics are thorough and understandable. Reading it is a delight and a learning experience if your knowledge of Newton is not complete. 


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