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The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy [Paperback]

Isaac Newton (Author), I. Bernard Cohen (Translator), Anne Whitman (Translator), Julia Budenz (Translator)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 20, 1999
In his monumental 1687 work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, known familiarly as the Principia, Isaac Newton laid out in mathematical terms the principles of time, force, and motion that have guided the development of modern physical science. Even after more than three centuries and the revolutions of Einsteinian relativity and quantum mechanics, Newtonian physics continues to account for many of the phenomena of the observed world, and Newtonian celestial dynamics is used to determine the orbits of our space vehicles.
This completely new translation, the first in 270 years, is based on the third (1726) edition, the final revised version approved by Newton; it includes extracts from the earlier editions, corrects errors found in earlier versions, and replaces archaic English with contemporary prose and up-to-date mathematical forms.
Newton's principles describe acceleration, deceleration, and inertial movement; fluid dynamics; and the motions of the earth, moon, planets, and comets. A great work in itself, the Principia also revolutionized the methods of scientific investigation. It set forth the fundamental three laws of motion and the law of universal gravity, the physical principles that account for the Copernican system of the world as emended by Kepler, thus effectively ending controversy concerning the Copernican planetary system.
The illuminating Guide to the Principia by I. Bernard Cohen, along with his and Anne Whitman's translation, will make this preeminent work truly accessible for today's scientists, scholars, and students.

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The publisher claims that this is the first new translation of Newton from the Latin in 270 years! This text is based on the 1726 third edition, which was the final version corrected by Newton. This reprint additionally includes extracts from the earlier versions plus up-to-date mathematical forms.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Will be of interest to a wide scientific and scholarly audience. . . the new translation flows smoothly and elegantly."--"Times Higher Education Supplement

Product Details

  • Paperback: 974 pages
  • Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (October 20, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0520088174
  • ISBN-13: 978-0520088177
  • Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 1.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

135 of 138 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars BEWARE: The Snowball Publishing Edition is NOT the Cohen Edition!, May 18, 2010
By 
Kevin T. Keith "KTK" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
The explanatory material, publishers's notes, and most of the reviews above all refer to the Bernard Cohen translation and commentary (UC Berkeley Press, blue cover) - but they are attached to the Amazon listing for the Snowball Publishing edition (brownish cover), which is not the same thing at all!!

The entry for the Snowball edition - listed on Amazon discount for about $13 - clearly states that it is the Cohen translation with his commentaries. In fact, it is merely a cheap reproduction of some earlier edition of the standard Motte translation, with modernized spelling. It is the complete text of the (translated) Third Edition of the Principia, but with no other associated works by Newton and nothing by Cohen. Snowball does not even give the translator's name, either on the cover or in the front matter! The lithographic reproduction is readable but poor quality - with many broken characters and even edges of pages slightly cut off. This is a usable cheap edition of the well-known 1729 translation, but it is NOT the modern translation, as the Amazon listing explicitly states. (In fact, Amazon's "Search Inside This Book" feature, from the Snowball edition page, takes you to the search pages for the Cohen edition - a completely different, and much more expensive, book!)

I'm sure this was a good-faith error on Amazon's part, but it is completely misleading. Buyers should know what they are getting. If you are reading this on the page listing for the Snowball Publishing edition of the Principia, you aren't getting what they say you are. Be forewarned.
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110 of 116 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A humbling and awe inspiring experience..., March 1, 2001
This review is from: The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (Paperback)
This is the third time I have read the PRINCIPIA. Every time I come back with even greater awe and respect for this masterpiece.

Friends, this is a classic work. Reading this book and digesting the material is an experience you will never forget. Just imagine. Three hundred and some years ago Newton came up with the theory of fluxions (Calculus), the theory of light, the theory of gravitation, and much more. Then reading about it in his own words (here translated from the original Latin); is very humbling and awe inspiring.

A word of caution. The writing is turgid in keeping with the times and because it is a translation. Also, if you are not familiar with calculus or basic classical mechanics the material will require an extra effort on your part. This is NOT a easy read. Therefore, take your time reading this book. Maybe even a chapter a week. After the initial inconveniences believe me you will not regret it. You will be inspired and plain surprised that this jewel of knowledge is so affordable to us today.

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123 of 133 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars If you don't "get" math, read this book, August 28, 2001
By 
Alexander W. Ellermann (Kensington, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (Paperback)
Hi, folks. I suffered through college math all the way through differential equations, and I never really "got" it. I just memorized the steps and, when exam time rolled around, hoped I could remember which procedure went with which problem. The light finally came on in grad school, and _Principia_ was the switch. Reading the _Principia_ let me get underneath formal calculus and imbued it with a sense of wonder and soul. To see the theory set out step-by-step, to follow with Newton as he envisioned a new way of painting the world, gave me the ability to internalize the calculus, to say, finally, "Yes, that's intuitively right." I wish I'd read the _Principia_ much earlier in my education. It would have saved me a lot of pain.
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