Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Principia: The Authoritative Translation: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

Top positive review

Not to be confused with the lesser known Principia.

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2023

Some people ask me whether 200 pages is too long for a proof of 1+1=2. I always answer, it's not even close to long enough.

This book is aptly titled, as hindsight shows Newton was primarily a physicist and a naturalist at a time when these two fields were hardly thought to be different. In mathematics, he saw further, intuitively, than his peers. Much of his work in optimization is starting to outpace the contributions of his peers. Perhaps it has to do with how integration is limited by group theory weirdness, whereas differentiation behaves much more nicely, mathematically speaking.

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Thomas

Don't buy

Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2021

It's terrible

335 total ratings, 37 with reviews

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From the United States

Mohit Rajpal

Not to be confused with the lesser known Principia.

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2023

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OldFed

I Wish it was Leather Bound

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2023

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A good translation of one of the most important books in the history of civilization. Unfortunately, I can't find this translation in a leather binding.

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Roberto Rigolin F Lopes

Modeling bodies interacting through invisible forces

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2018

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We are in 1687, Newton just climbed Euclid's shoulder to show us how bodies move using geometry (nothing sexy, though). The show starts with three axioms also called "the laws of motion". From these three, he goes building a tight knitted set of theorems about bodies interacting with each other through invisible forces. The whole thing is of course demonstrated using geometric proofs. SEVERAL abstract arguments; i.e. tons of ratios including the inverse square law (gravity). He often tries to avoid the tedious ad absurdum proofs from ancient geometers like Euclid but he is still very tedious (his own words). Sometimes he makes references to Galileo's experiments but he did many himself (e.g. pendulums oscillating in air, water and quicksilver). It took me a few years to gather the courage to finish books 1 and 2 (this translation is far better). Then comes book 3 entitled "system of worlds" where he applies his constructions to our solar system. He was particularly obsessed with the moon and comets (including their tails). Takeaway: since he is demonstrating everything, this is quite different from the digested mechanics we learn at school. You better come with your intrepid persistence against this book.

8 people found this helpful

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blutgeb

Awesome!

Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2022

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The description was quite a bit off. Listed as "Good," it warned about "shows signs of wear," but it looks brand spankin' new to me. There are two teeny-tiny little creases on the corners, but books are like that in the store. In any case, this was the best price and probably the best condition too. This book has been on my list for months, and I'm glad I waited.

One person found this helpful

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Otho Ulrich

Master work of Isaac Newton

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2022

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Learning the history of physics.

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Zach montgomer

Good

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2021

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Nothing at all is wrong with the purchase.

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Noah R.

A+

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2019

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Exactly what I wanted. The book has amazing quality pages and covers, the material is phenomenal, well worth the price. Belongs on any intellectual's bookshelf or mathematician's bed.

5 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

I appreciated the inclusion of the history of the principia ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2016

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I appreciated the inclusion of the history of the principia. I found the font to be legible and neatly printed. My only complaints about the book are that some of the drawings aren't exactly proportional and the lack of current geometric notation. (I feet that the use of current notation is necessary to help understand the diagrams.)

7 people found this helpful

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