Isaac Newton, the Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern World
As presented in this pivotal history, the prime movers of the 17th century scientific revolution were men of their time, yet against it. Newton, Leibniz, Galileo, and Kepler all lived in a Europe wracked by war, plagues, savage religious conflict, and economic upheaval; yet each constructed cosmological theories in which the universe ran with clockwork perfection. As Edward Dolnick (The Forger's Spell; The Rescue Artist) notes, these seminal deist thinkers believed that God had created flawless mechanisms that they were laboring hard to understand. Dolnick's The Clockwork Universe places these eccentric, tormented geniuses within the contexts of their radically tumultuous age. Editor's recommendation.
"Penetrating portraits of the geniuses of the day...[He] has an eye for vivid details in aid of historical recreation, and an affection for his subjects...[An] informative read." - Publishers Weekly
"A concise explainer, Dolnick furnishes a fine survey introduction to a fertile field of scientific biography and history." - Booklist
"Starred Review. Those interested in the history of science or even just in exploring how the times in which someone lives shape his thought processes should find this volume fascinating." - Library Journal
"A lively account of early science. ... Colorful, entertainingly written and nicely paced." - Kirkus Reviews
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Photo credit: Jerry Bauer
Edward Dolnick is author of Down the Great Unknown, Madness on the Couch, The Rescue Artist, The Forger's Spell, The Clockwork Universe and his latest work America's Fevered Quest for Fortune, 1848-1853. A former chief science writer at the Boston Globe, he has written for the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Magazine, and many other publications. He has two grown sons and lives with his wife near Washington, D.C.
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