A Short Biography of the Scientist Sir Isaac Newton
By Doug West
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About this ebook
The separation from his mother at an early age appears to have left a permanent scar on young Isaac Newton that seemed to have followed him through the rest of his life. He never married or had any children and had but a few close friends. He would work frantically for days on end, seemingly without food or rest, resting only when the creative spirit left him. However, the work of this ponderous man would have a profound effect on the world as we know it today.
Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician, who was a prominent figure in the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century. In his study of optic, he discovered that white light is made up of different colored light. This laid the foundation for the modern field of physical optics. In the field of mechanics, his three laws of motion are the basis of principles of modern physics. This work resulted in the formation of the law of universal gravitation. In the area of mathematics, he was the original discoverer of the infinitesimal calculus. As the legend suggests, Newton was struck on the head by an apple and the theory of gravitation popped into his head – probably not! It was a slow deliberated process of discovery and was eventually published in his major work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy) in 1687. This work has been deemed one of the most important works of modern science.
Newton led a double life, a scholar during his public hours and an alchemist and heretic theologian in his private time away from the scrutiny of his peers. He worked for years in the dark science of alchemy and at his death, had one of the finest known collections of works on the subject. He wrote over a million words on theology and religion, yet few of these words were published during his life – his views were just too controversial for public consumption at that time.
Take a brief journey into the life of this most enigmatic man in the book A Short Biography of the Scientist Sir Isaac Newton.
30 Minute Book Series
Welcome to the first book in the “30 Minute Book Series”. Each book in the series is fast paced, well written, accurate, and covers the story in as much detail as a short book allows. In less than an hour, you can read or listen to the book – a perfect companion for a lunch hour or a nice distraction for a train ride home from work.
Doug West
Doug West is a retired engineer, small business owner, and an experienced non-fiction writer with several books to his credit. His writing interests are general, with expertise in science, history, biographies, numismatics, and “How to” topics. Doug has a B.S. in Physics from the Missouri School of Science and Technology and a Ph.D. in General Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He lives with his wife and little dog “Millie” near Kansas City, Missouri.
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A Short Biography of the Scientist Sir Isaac Newton - Doug West
A Short Biography of the Scientist Sir Isaac Newton
By Doug West, Ph.D.
~~~
Smashwords Edition
A Short Biography of the Scientist Sir Isaac Newton
Copyright © 2015 Doug West
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Early Years
Chapter 2 - Undergraduate Work at Trinity College
Chapter 3 - The Plague Years
Chapter 4 - A Professor at Cambridge
Chapter 5 - Work on Optics
Chapter 6 - The Principia Mathematica
Chapter 7 - Work on Alchemy
Chapter 8 - Public Life Begins
Chapter 9 - Master of the Mint
Chapter 10 - Theology
Chapter 11 - Final Years
Note
Photo Credits
Selected Bibliography
About the Author
Preface
Welcome to the book A Short Biography of the Scientist Sir Isaac Newton. This book is part of the 30 Minute Book Series
and as the name of the series implies, if you are an average reader this book will take around 30 minutes to read or a little longer to listen to in audio format.
Many biographies of Isaac Newton will focus only his scientific work and say little else about his work in alchemy, or religion, or his work as Master of the Mint. This book gives a view of his life without focusing only on his scientific accomplishments, and rather tries to paint a broader picture of his life. Since this book is not meant to be an all-encompassing thick biography on the subject, you may want to know more about Isaac Newton; to help you with this, there are several good references at the end of this book. Thank you for purchasing this book and I hope you enjoy your time with Sir Isaac Newton.
Doug West
May 2015
Introduction
In the fourteenth century, the scientific community was starting to question the wisdom of the ancient philosophers, such as