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De Magnete Kindle Edition

by William Gilbert (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Much of modern science is based upon the theories and discoveries of William Gilbert, the brilliant English physician and physicist who was the first great experimental scientist. Gilbert was the first to use the word "electricity," to recognize mass as distinct from weight, to discover the effect of heat upon magnetic bodies, to differentiate clearly between static electricity and magnetism, and to explain phenomena of terrestrial magnetism in terms of the earth as a giant magnet.
In 1600 he published De Magnete in Latin. As lively and entertaining as it was scientifically scrupulous, it summarized everything that had previously been known about electricity and magnetism, founded a new science and earned Gilbert the title of "the father of modern electricity." In it Gilbert explores magnetism and electricity, lodestones, phenomena of magnetism, direction of the earth's magnetic lines of force, variation in the compass, dip, the concept of the earth as a giant magnet, and much else.
This Dover edition is a complete, unabridged reprinting of the definitive English translation of De Magnete prepared by Dr. P. Fleury Mottelay. Dr. Mottelay has added a number of footnotes that explain points that might be obscure to today's readers, who will find in this historically important text invaluable insights into the origins of modern science and physics. Translation by P. F. Mottelay. Biographical introduction. 90 illustrations.

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431 pages
Language

English
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Dover Publications
Publication date

January 31, 2013
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11026 KB
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00A44YIMS
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dover Publications (January 31, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 31, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 11026 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 431 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 048626761X
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #1,850,023 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #141 in Electromagnetic Theory
- #249 in Magnetism in Physics
- #316 in Electromagnetism (Kindle Store)

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W. E. Sullivan

Gilbert's Magnet-Compass thesis- expanding his notes.

Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2012

Verified Purchase

I always knew Gilbert was the foremost Earth's magnetic inventor.. as
a Consultant to His Queen. and his importance to the British Navy..
and how he guided Ocean explorer's to maximize Compass usages.

There are myiad nuances in his Writings, used by World-wide sailors.

I also knew that Gilbert showed not just North-South normal magnetic alignments, but that he got N-to-N & S-to-S alignments, which many engineers today don't appreciate. He showed (Not in writings in this Book) 'Whoops'-but elsewhere that when he extended a magnetic field beyond critical lengths, that the filings pattern proved to him that the N-N[-S-S poles flip.. much like Tesla wound his T.Coils, with some reversals in the Center for his 1900 Patents to send Wireless Electricity.. then using Caduceus /Bifilar windings. Gilbert's words of magnet's rotating towards the Poles, but not moving in space to the poles, explained to Tesla how he envisioned rotating magnetic fields based upon the Sun, in Polyphased motors!

Chapters include how Compasses change in declination and proximately to Coastal Sailings,, valuable to adjust for Sailors at Sea,

Several detailed chapters herein explore how Gilbert's continuing studies helped firm up his theories,, which are even more relevant in today's world. This Book should be required reading for Professional Astronomers and/or Computer Engineers. FootNote: He didn't write his Book in English!

2 people found this helpful

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A Guy

Good but Amazon price too high

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2020

Verified Purchase

Back of the book quotes the price as $11.95, but Amazon charged $19.95. Still gave it five stars because Gilbert shouldn't suffer for Amazon's greed. The book's fine btw, the only difference between this translation and others is the usage of the word effluvium. Vincent Wilmot on YouTube explains this useage.
So I read the first half so far, on top of being insightful and easy to read (keep your computer nearby so you can look up some archaic words) this guy Gilbert is absolutely hysterical! His making fun of old theories is worth it all by itself. 16th century version of a late-night opening monologue plus new and insightful theory.

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2009

Condemnation of the past. "What business have I in that vast ocean of books? ... By the more silly ones among them the crowd and most impudent people get intoxicated [and] declare themselves to be philosophers ... [But] neither Greek arguments nor Greek words can assist in finding truth." (Preface)

Examples of "old-womanish" (p. 6) theories. "For example, they asserted that a loadstone rubbed with garlic does not attract iron; nor when it is in the presence of a diamond. The like of this is found in Pliny and Ptolemy's Quadripartitum; and errors have steadily been ... accepted---even as evil and noxious plants ever have the most luxuriant growth---down to our day, being propagated in the writings of many authors who, to the end that their volumes might grow to the desired bulk, do write and copy all sorts about ever so many things about which they know naught for certain in the light of experience." (I.I, pp. 2-3).

The same refuted by experiment. "[The claim regarding diamonds] is contrary to our magnetic rules; and hence we made the experiment ourselves with seventy-five diamonds in presence of many witnesses ... yet never was in granted to me to see the effect mentioned" (III.XIII, p. 218).

This being an exception. Gilbert discussed the case of the diamonds because it happened to serve his purposes exceptionally well, not because he was determined to refute all false theories. Theories he did not feel like refuting he was happy to "leave for roaches and moths to pray upon" (II.III, p. 104).

"That the globe of the earth is magnetick." The primary evidence being that the behaviour of a compass needle in various places around the earth is precisely mirrored by its behaviour in the vicinity of a spherical loadstone. Even the compass' deviations from perfect north can be accounted for on this theory. For the earth is not perfectly spherical, and if one cuts out "oceans" in the spherical loadstone one finds that the needle deviates towards the "continents," as in reality (IV.II).

Astrology tacitly approved. This in an analogy regarding how "smelted iron" is magnetised by the earth's magnetic field. "For as when the babe is given forth to the light from the mother's womb and gains the power of respiration and certain animal functions, and as the planets and other heavenly bodies, according to their positions in the universe and according to their configuration with the horizon and the earth, do then impart to the new-comer special and peculiar qualities; so a piece of iron, while it is being wrought and lengthened, is affected by the general cause, the earth, to wit; and while it is coming back from the fiery state to its original temperature it becomes imbued with a special verticity according to its position." (III.XII, p. 216).

Earth's rotation, planetary motion caused by magnetism (Book VI). This theory is quite worthless and does not use the previously developed magnetic theory in any meaningful way.

4 people found this helpful

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Clare Atkinson

An improved translation is now available

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2016

This is not the best available science translation of Gilbert's 'De Magnete' as it does leave some of Gilbert's latin terms untranslated and some others mistranslated. A better version is the 2015 translation 'On The Magnet' by Vincent Wilmot, which helps clarify Gilbert's actual 'Magnetical Science' or 'Attraction Physics' that certainly helped Newton develop his physics at Hooke's prompting and probably helped Kepler develop his astronomy.

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Top reviews from other countries

Davide

Old book

Reviewed in Italy on October 6, 2016

Verified Purchase

Biography and introduction are too long.
I am italian and I read up to page 34 because the writing is not fluent. I also read the chapter XV "The medical power of iron" and i think that if you want learn about health and medicine you have to read Herbert Shelton.
This book in 1600 could be an innovation, but not now. I have already known a lot of things that are here. All people know that positive attracts negative and positive rejects positive and other things. I am not "all people" because I know medicine and physics and maybe someone can learn from this book.
I think that there are other better books about magnet, also if i do not know the title.