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The Life of Isaac Newton (Canto original series)

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The preface to "The Life of Isaac Newton" starts with "Few men have lived for whom less need exist to justify a biography." To this I would like to add that few books have been written which need to be read more than the "Life of Isaac Newton" by Richard Westfall.

A thorough research of the life and work of one of the greatest geniuses who ever lived, if not the greatest, Westfall paints a vivid picture of the life of Newton from childhood to old age. He describes Newton as not only a scientific genius, but as the person who revolutionized science, and thus influenced the way of thinking, and indeed the way of modern life.

Newton, to be sure, was not an easy person to live with, nor was he a perfect human being. All this however pales in comparison to his superior intellect and deep understanding of nature. The book gives ample accounting of Newton's two great works "Opticks" and "Principia" and how these two have influenced the world he lived in, and the effects they left forever since.

This book is a necessary reading not only for those interested in science, but for all who want to have a glimpse into the way of life in the 16th and 17th centuries, and especially the way science and philosophy spread throughout the world.

Read it!

Shab Levy
Portland, OR 2002

Westfall's "Life of Isaac Newton" is everything the other reviewers say in regards to it being a good ABRIDGED biography of Newton. True, it is based in thorough scholarship and has served for the basis for many other Newton biographies to follow. But I would strongly caution any historian, whether by hobby or profession, to solely consult this book when referencing or discussing Newton. Westfall's abridged version lacks any mention of references (unless you count the very incomplete bibliographical essay at the end) in either footnotes, endnotes, or a comprehensive bibliography. In order to trace his references, one must consult his much more complete "Never at Rest", which is, altogether, a much more academic book. Don't get me wrong, "The Life of Isaac Newton" is easy to read and a good foundational text but should not serve as an authority on Newton, but rather a companion to a more authoritative text on Newton.
Aside from the historiographical issues in this book, if it is to serve as an introduction to early modern science, it might also help readers to know that they should read, at some point, some sort of text that deals with British history from the Sixteenth through Eighteenth centuries, as Wesfall provides no historical or political background in which to understand Newton. Based on my own reading of books to suit this purpose I would recommend Simon Schama's "History of Britain, vol. 2"; "Leviathan and the Air-pump" by Steven Shapin and Simon Schaffer; "Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes, or "The Scientific Revolution" also by Steven Shapin (which would be less of a cultural or political history but a good introduction to the issues with history of science in the seventeenth century).
As an alternative to Westfall's abridged version, I would also suggest (though he is not an academic, he is a pretty well-regarded science journalist with a very readable style) James Gleick's "Isaac Newton" which is a little shorter and more in depth in some regards (and does completely cite references).

The Life of Isaac Newton, by Richard Westfall, addresses the life and work of one of the greatest scientists of all time. Indeed, many consider Isaac Newton to be the greatest scientist of all time, because his work was the culmination of the Scientific Revolution. Westfall covers Newton's unhappy childhood, from which he escaped to Cambridge University where he emerged as a solitary, studious individual. Newton's genius found expression during the anni mirabilis, 1664-1666, when Cambridge was closed due to the plague. During these years, Newton explored a wide range of scientific issues, including mathematical physics, optics, mechanics, and celestial dynamics. He expanded upon Descartes' geometry, to develop the calculus. He conducted experiments with light, concluding that white light is made up of a series of colors. Newton also pursued studies of the movement of objects, following up on the work of Gallileo. Westfall covers Newton's lengthy career at Cambridge, where he devoted his life to his studies, avoiding most relationships and incurring animosity and resentment among many of his fellow scientists, including Robert Hooke. Newton's masterpiece was the Principia, in which he laid out his three laws of motion: inertia; acceleration; and action and reaction. Newton also presented the laws of universal gravitation. Westfall was compelled to write this biography - which is a shortened version of his larger, more technical study - to share the unfolding of the amazing genius who discovered so many of the laws underlying the physical world. This book is worth reading because it provides in an accessible form insights into the discoveries in the fields of mathematics and physics that ushered in the world of modern science.

Newton has been a fascinating figure for me, ever since I read a condensed history about him in one of those INTRODUCTION TO series, I think that one was on Quantum Physics. What fascinated me about Newton was his singleness of mind, a genius who devoted himself almost entirely to the pursuit of knowledge.

Westfall's book is a condensation of an earlier book _Never at Rest_ which I have not had the pleasure of reading. Westfall presents the life of Newton warts and all. It describes his rise to prominence in the scientific world of his time and all the events leading to his most significant publication, the Principia.

What was new to me was Newton's arguments with Hooke and his behavior toward Flamsteed which diminish the man's greatness, in my mind at least. What may be interesting to readers of Newton, the man, rather than the Scientist, are his `latter years' in public service at the Mint.

Overall, I think Westfall kept the proper balance between presenting the works and person of the life of Newton. A worthwhile read.

This book is an abridged version of the author's much larger full biography, Never at Rest, published in 1980. In the preface the author notes that this is very much an abridgement rather than a rewrite, because his interests have changed and he could not do justice to the research on Newton that had gone on in the intervening years to 1993. This makes the work 28 years out of date, although in historical terms it is hard to know if this is an issue.

The perceptible difference is in the tone. Early on in the book, especially, Westfall adopts an almost sycophantic attitude to Newton's genius, constantly assessing each event in terms of whether it demonstrates the great man's ability, and nudging us knowingly when other thinkers have not recognised this towering intellect before he has published anything. I'm not sure a (non-revisionist) writer setting out to write Newton's biography today would adopt such an attitude, and would hopefully be more inclined to tell the story and let the events speak for themselves.

Happily, as the book goes on and Newton's talent is recognised we are given a glimpse of the man himself, and it truly is a fascinating vision. I found Newton's obsession with alchemy and the Holy Trinity (which, for him, represented the Beast of Revelation) even more fascinating than his work on optics and gravitation. Newton comes across as a man of almost aspergic obsessiveness and aversion to engage in normal social interactions, one who set terrifyingly high standards, both intellectual and moral, which only he, working prodigiously in a position many treated as a sinecure, could ever hope to aspire to.

I can see why the author was asked to produce this book: it is about the right length for someone peripherally interested in Newton, and without the mathematics, which many would find off-putting. In the 20th century Einstein is generally portrayed as the quintessential genius, tousle-haired and absent-minded, but anyone reading this biography of obsession and single-mindedness would be forced to pass the mantle to Newton.

It would be hard to find fault with the genuis of Newton's creations in mathematics, physics and the reflecting telescope. In deed, the only thing that could eclipse this genuis would be his own dark character demons. 'The Life of Isaac Newton', by Richard Westfall should be praised for a balanced reporting of both sides of this icon. Having previously read 'The Curious Life of Robert Hooke' by Lisa Jardine, I required some mention of Newton's shabby treatment of this fellow genius. Westfall adequately covered this mistreatment, along with Newton's unforgivable treatment of the Royal Astronomer, John Flamsteed, who provided 30 years of dedicated celestial measurements and Roger Cotes who proofread and corrected much of Newton's later work.

So divisive was Newtons leadership at the Royal Society, that there was a consistant 25% of Anit-Newton vote on every issue, even if there was unanimity prior to and after all votes. This un-need Anti-Newton-Newton rift tainted the Society for years after Newton's death. Only under recent research have these facets of human fraility become known. It is sad that Newton's behavior tarnished his well earned credits. This and 'Robert Hook' by Jardine are must reads to understand the origins of the Royal Society and the development of the English Scientific Method.

This is a well documented, well written biography of a powerful intellect who nevertheless had his idiosyncrasies and insecurities. Isaac Newton is an admirable figure to read about due to his high degree of honesty. He was searching for truth and found a good deal of it. Mr. Newton's search was related not only to the mysteries of natural phenomena but into the origins and authentic teachings of Christianity which led him to make discoveries that his church-dominated society would have found threatening to say the least. After all, if established religion is shown to have a grossly erroneous concept of the God of the Bible, whom they profess to worship, then they constitute a public spiritual hazard. Nevertheless this was the situation and Newton recognized it. He did not choose to publicize it though, apparently in order to retain his access to the levers of scientific progress.

The author does Newton a service by not introducing his own opinions in telling of this although there are other areas where the story must be inferred from meager documentation. When the author's opinion does enter, at least the reader is provided sufficient factual information to either agree or disagree.

For example, calling Isaac Newton an 'Arian' is a bit of a stretch. Newton's conclusion that God was not a Trinity did not depend on the teaching of Arius, but as the author explains, on his personal scrutiny of many Bible manuscripts, translations, copies, and primarily by accumulating a substantial list of relevant scriptures.

It is a fascinating story of a man grappling with monumental issues and can be richly enjoyed even by those tempted to skim over the more demanding parts where concepts of Newton's 'Opticks' and 'Principia' are explained.

"The Life of Isaac Newton" written by the brilliant Richard Westfall is a masterpiece. This biography tells us of the great mind that was born Christmas Day 1642. Westfall goes in depth on Sir Isaac Newton's three laws. 1) Law of Inertia 2) F=ma, and who can forget number? 3) Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Folks if you're going to read one book this winter in should be "The Life of Isaac Newton" by Richard Wesfall.

This book tells us Isaac Newton in detail. It tells us about his life as a man, philosopher, theologian, alchemist, scientist and public figure. It tells us how he interact with other scientist and how his ancestors were like. I've learned many things about Newton that I didn't know before. Before I read this book I didn't know that he had involved with alchemy or theology. This book convinces me why Newton is one of the greatest scientists in history

I couldn't agree with reviewer #1 more! As a doctoral engineer, I thought I knew everything about that greatest scientist that ever lived. But I was wrong. Westfall taught me plenty about his life and times.