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The Clockwork Universe: saac Newto, Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern WorldI
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The Clockwork Universe: saac Newto, Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern WorldI
Unavailable
The Clockwork Universe: saac Newto, Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern WorldI
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The Clockwork Universe: saac Newto, Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern WorldI

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About this ebook

New York Times bestselling author Edward Dolnick brings to light the true story of one of the most pivotal moments in modern intellectual history—when a group of strange, tormented geniuses invented science as we know it, and remade our understanding of the world. Dolnick’s earth-changing story of Isaac Newton, the Royal Society, and the birth of modern science is at once an entertaining romp through the annals of academic history, in the vein of Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything, and a captivating exploration of a defining time for scientific progress, in the tradition of Richard Holmes’ The Age of Wonder.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateFeb 8, 2011
ISBN9780062042262
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The Clockwork Universe: saac Newto, Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern WorldI
Author

Edward Dolnick

Edward Dolnick is the author of Down the Great Unknown, The Forger’s Spell, and the Edgar Award-winning The Rescue Artist. A former chief science writer at the Boston Globe, he lives with his wife near Washington, D.C.

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Rating: 3.9207317042682925 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    me encantan todos los libros de este autor. Tiene un don para sumergir al lector en el contexto histórico y psicológico de la época a la vez que consigue atrapar en la trama y en este caso en la extraña y apasionante vida de Isaak Newton
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is an excellent and easily readable tale of the beginnings of scientific thinking in the 17th Century. It brings the contrast between the old worldview, in which everything is in some way a deliberate act of God, with one in which there are comprehensible and, more importantly, understandable rules and regularities underlying the natural world. I recommend it.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Disappointingly shallow.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    What a mess! Very badly written history of
    a major historical period. The author appears
    to have rushed to finish manuscript. If I did
    not know better I would have thought this was
    written by a high school student. There are
    much better histories of the Royal Society and
    much better biographies of Isaac Newton.
    This book is a complete waste of money.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a lively and entertaining history of science in the 17th century, and the birth of the science that helped make the modern world. He gives us a history of the birth of modern mathematics and the science it enabled, including, but not only, modern astronomy. It's filled with not just the achievements but the personalities of Kepler, Galileo, Tycho, Leibnitz, Newton, Halley, and others. Both the achievements and the e egotistical silliness are on display here.Unfortunately, Dolnick seems to be a better science writer than a historian. He speaks of these men having been born in a medieval world of faith, revealed truth, and predestination as if the preceding century of the had never happened. In support of this, he quotes Jonathan Edwards--who was a New England Puritan preacher, i.e., one of the notable leaders in the 18th century of a sect that left England in the 17th century because they were Dissenters, unable to practice their religion without harassment in England. Neither the Church of England nor the Roman Catholic Church did or ever has embraced predestination. He says people didn't bathe because they believed it would make them sick. Well, early modern English didn't bathe as often as contemporary people do--because they didn't have hot and cold running water, or indoor plumbing. Water had to be drawn from the pump or the well, heated, put into the bathtub, and that was an awful lot of work. It's one thing if you have servants to do that for you, and another thing if you have to do that yourself.And then, as a practical matter, many families had to share the same tub of water, bathing very quickly to let everyone bathe before it cooled--and that might be entirely healthy. A great way to pass illness around the entire family.Yeah. They wanted to be clean. Bathing wasn't the obvious and easy thing it is for us.Dolnick doesn't seem to have a good grasp of the world he's writing about.The science, though, and the math, as far as my knowledge goes, he does well with that, It's interesting, lively, and really gives a great sense of the personalities of the people involved.So, recommended with the above caveats.I bought this audiobook.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The scientific revolution. Easy listening for nerds. Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent popular history of how during the 1600s math became the new tool for explaining the natural world. In fact geometry had been around since the Greeks, but that is only for objects at rest, not in motion, thus had limited application. Isaac Newton invented Calculus which explained objects in motion (geometry on the move) and opened up many fields of scientific inquiry (indeed science itself). The central tenant of the book, and the title, is that God made the world based on math. This is a radical unintuitive change in our view of the cosmos, and goes a long way to explain why the West had such a head start over other parts of the world. Why did this happen? Well Dolnik doesn't really explain other than "special pleading", it was mathematicians themselves who decided the world was based on math since they themselves were math experts. But it turns out they were right. Not a satisfactory answer and a major fault in the book to not explore this in more detail. Where the book shines is to make math seem new and exciting, I'd never had an interest in Calculus but am now curious to learn more, since I now understand who invented it and for what. Overall an interesting book with lots to offer for a general introduction to some of the great minds and ideas of the 17th century.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A well-written book about the most rational of irrational times, since it would be a mistake to think that what we call the modern science was born in a very rational way. The best thinkers of the time, Newton included, were on a quest to read the God’s mind, as much in astronomy, chemistry and physics as in astrology, alchemy and theology. All sorts of ideas were up for grabs and it seems a miracle that modern science was born out of that chaos. Moreover, the heavens seemed to baffle all learned men of the times. It seemed obvious that anything created by God had to be perfect, so the main preoccupation of the times was that it didn’t seem so, and if it wasn’t, how did it all work and made sense. Newton provided an answer to this quest with a plethora of epic discoveries and a set of laws and forces that came to be known as the ‘clockwork universe’. It proposed that the same set of basic rules and forces made both the heavens and the earth go round. The idea was very novel and unusually daring for the times as it proposed that the heavens were really no different from the Earth, yet it fit well with the belief of the perfection of God’s design. ‘Throughout his life Newton believed that God operated in the simplest, neatest, most efficient way imaginable. That principle served as his starting point whether he was studying the Bible or the natural world- ‘It is ye perfection of God’s works that they are all done with ye greatest simplicity.” The universe had no superfluous parts or forces for exactly the reason that a clock had no superfluous wheels or springs.”Newton made a few monumental discoveries on the way to this thesis, like calculus and gravity, and a big part of the book is devoted to them. Quite a bit of space is dedicated to Leibnitz-Newton calculus feud and there are well-drawn portrayals of bigger and lesser scientists of the Royal Society.Apparently, each age has its challenges. In the 17th century people found out that the universe was far from perfect, yet governed by a few predicable laws; in the 20th and into the 21st reality suddenly seems to have become much more complicated, much less solid and less predictable. Arguably, just like the workings of the Universe were the main mystery and preoccupation of the times of Newton, it’s the nature of our life and consciousness that seems to cause as much controversy nowadays. As religion and belief in God were a given in the Newton’s times, it is far from universal in our times.I really enjoyed the book, and both read and listened to it. If you choose to listen to it, it’s a great audio production. Nevertheless, having the book is helpful, even if to look at the graphs together with the text, especially if you’re not a math or physics buff. The infinity and calculus ideas are much more understandable together with the graphs and pictures in the book, even though the audio offers a separate pdf file with those as well.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The Clockwork Universe is a decently written history of science looking at the period that many consider a major turning point, when the understanding of astronomy and mathematics changed dramatically, shifting to the (more or less) common view we have today. If you don't know much at all about probability theory or calculus or physics, the book provides enough basic information to understand what it was the Newton and his contemporaries came up with, and how revolutionary it was. If you do have some knowledge of the mechanics of those fields, but not the history and how significantly different they are from what preceded them, this is also a good book.However, and rather alarmingly for a history of science, it also contains some significant misstatements and repeats old apocryphal stories. For example, while noting that Newton's inspiration for understanding gravity probably did involve an apple, Dolnick makes the point that the story of the apple hitting him on the head is likely embellishment. Then not very much later he describes Ben Franklin flying a kite in a lightning storm. Something Franklin proposed as a possibility, but most likely didn't happen. Instead the documented experiments involve lightning rods and the experimenters aren't holding on to them.In order to present the reigning world view, which generally saw God everywhere, he cites Blaise Pascal, is well known for questioning the existence of God but concluding that without proof one way or the other, the safer bet is to behave as if God does exist. Hardly the position of an unswervingly religious man.And some of the descriptions and analogies to explain various scientific phenomena are awkward and painful at best. There are probably more missteps that I simply didn't notice or don't have sufficient depth of my own to pick up on. On the whole it was a decent read, but I would suggest is a starting point for someone with little background in science, rather than a book for someone already well interested in science and wishing to understand more of its history.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    For a book that was mostly about math, it was much more interesting than it could have been.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Clockwork Universe is a story about the 17th century - the century of the plagues and the wars; the dirty London;the religion still being the driving force of humanity;the execution of Giordano Bruno in the turn of the century (or almost - 1600 can be interpreted either way as the whole year 2000 debacle showed). But this is also the century of Galileo, Kepler, Descartes, Leibniz and Newton. Anyone that had not skipped half their education probably recognizes the names; what they had done might be a different story. And Dolnick sets off to change this.The book is highly readable - the author goes out of is way to simplify the complicated concepts he is dealing with. And for the most part it is successful (it did not work that well for me simply because this is what my education was so in a lot of places I wanted to point out something that was left out from the simple explanation; at the same time that something was in my mind simply because I knew it - it does not change the fact that for non-scientific people these explanations probably will work better than the actual ones). Despite of it being a book about astronomy, physics, philosophy and mathematics, Dolnick manages to use a very little number of actual formulas (he finally need to resort to them towards the end when he starts speaking about gravity) and relies on diagrams instead (Descartes would have been proud). And somewhere between all the science, he manages to flesh out all the scientists of the century, the Royal Society and to insert enough anecdotes and current references (how he managed to mention "The Da Vinci Code" in this book and made it relevant to what he was saying is beyond me) to make the book almost a split between people's story and science story. But only almost - above all, the book is about the science.Dolnick uses short chapters, centered on a single event or person - which kept the book from going too serious in places. But this format also led to a lot of repetitions - even if the book is by nature a narrative history, the writer found it necessary to repeat some facts over and over. This together with his tendency to oversimplify (which as I mentioned may be just my feeling) was my biggest issue with the work. The other thing that I am not a big fan of is the fact that there is no notice in the text itself about the notes -- the notes are there if someone knows to go and check them but the text runs without them and with way too many "a modern scientist said" moments. I suspect that the reason for this is to ensure the easier reading from non-specialists and not to fill the book with too many names... but it does not make it less annoying. Adding to this is the strangeness of some of the sources - using a book citing someone instead of the original work.One thing that is handled pretty well is the prism of religion. For someone living in the modern times, the religion is faith (even if the person is religious). In the 17th century, religion is the same as life. Dolnick does not fall into the trap of looking through the eyes of a 21st century reader - he makes sure that we see the shades cast by the past. It is not an authoritative work and it does not claim to be. There are inventions that are not discussed, overlooked consequences and missed viewpoints. Unless if it is needed for the story, Dolnick ignores the politics and the culture that is going on around the science. It is the biography of the 17th century... from the eyes of the scientific world - that is why in the beginning of this review I called it "a story" and not "the story". Some major moments (such as the plagues or the great London Fire) are there but only because they are needed for the story.Overall it is a good book and I would recommend it to anyone that wants to read about the history of science in Europe in the 17th century.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Light on in-depth information, this book nonetheless provides a good description of life in 17th century Europe and the scientific community of the day. The book is worth reading for the chapters on the origins of calculus, which is the most approachable decription of that branch of mathematics that I have ever read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    (Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)This is one of those "NPR-worthy" nonfiction titles I'm a fan of, in this case a concise look at the formation of Britain's Royal Society in the 1600s, essentially the very first scientific organization in human history, closely associated with Sir Isaac Newton and one of the main subjects of Neal Stephenson's stunning three-thousand-page "Baroque Cycle" series of historical/fantastical novels. And in fact, I don't really have a lot to say about this book other than that it's competently done and absolutely worth your time; although you should be aware that only half the book is devoted to the history of the Royal Society itself, the other half being layman explanations of the actual scientific breakthroughs being made in those years, including a dense but fascinating look at the differences between Newton's calculus and Liebnitz's, and why calculus in general has been such a profound influence on the modern world. Not really a book to seek out unless you're specifically interested in the subject, but a fine beginner's guide if you are.Out of 10: 8.7
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The year 1660 was a turning point in British political, cultural and intellectual life. The restoration of King Charles II, after eleven brutal years of military dictatorship, awoke a new spirit of vibrancy and optimism in Britain. And one of the earliest yet most enduring results of the new era was the formation of the Royal Society.

    It was a heady time and there are heady tales to be told of it, both in history and in fiction. Among the most successful of the latter are Neal Stephenson’s three-volume Baroque Cycle, and one suspects that it is their readership whom Edward Dolnick may have had had in mind when writing The Clockwork Universe: Isaac Newton, the Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern Universe.

    Dolnick’s writing style is immediately engaging; he is good-humoured, possessed of a dry wit and a pleasing turn of phrase. In his presentation of mathematical and scientific ideas, he takes great pains to render them clear to an audience not only of non-specialists but of complete novices. He writes of science like one of those inspirational teachers who can make these things make sense to the least scientific of students.

    The book is structured in three parts. The first sets the historical scene of 1660s London – the Restoration, the plague of 1665, the Great Fire, the early work of the Royal Society. Part Two goes back in time to discuss the work of Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo and even the ancient Greeks, to provide the scientific context for Newton’s discoveries. Part Three focuses on Newton himself, his discoveries in the fields of mathematics, physics and astronomy, and his long-running feud with Leibnitz over the “invention” (sic) of calculus. (Surely mathematical laws are discovered, not invented?)

    In Parts Two and Three Dolnick is clearly on home turf, writing with the easy authority of one who understands both his subject and how to communicate it. The book is badly let down, however, by Part One, the historical element – ironically entitled “Chaos”, though probably for the wrong reasons.

    Dolnick is a scientist; he is no historian. He is at his weakest when discussing religious belief, and unfortunately takes up a great deal of the first 100 pages with this discussion. Whilst he makes some useful points about the generality of religious belief at the time – in particular the universal belief in eternal damnation and hellfire – most of his discussion is a gross over-simplification, treating religion as something static and homogeneous, ignoring the wide spectrum of beliefs that characterised the seventeenth century, ignoring the distinction between religious belief itself (influencing what a scientist might be prepared to believe) and Church doctrine (which dictated what they would be able to teach or publish).

    For example, he observes (p. 98) that it “was not coincidence … that seventeenth-century England welcomed science, on the grounds that science supported religion, and thrived; and seventeenth-century Italy feared science, on the grounds that science undermined religion, and decayed”; but he fails to distinguish anywhere in his narrative between Protestantism and Catholicism (or between their respective views on scientific discovery), or even to mention the Reformation as a key factor in creating an environment for the pursuit of scientific endeavour.

    Equally, much of Part One is overlaid with a wide-eyed naïveté and bemusement better suited to a high-school student’s first essay on an unfamiliar subject. For example, Dolnick cannot quite get his head around the fact that Newton and his fellows, discoverers of the fundamental laws of physics, still believed in astrology, witchcraft, alchemy and quack medicine. He gazes in stupefied wonder at the fact that the Royal Society witnessed many experiments that we would now consider ridiculous. (How do we know these things are ridiculous? Because of our advanced scientific understanding – understanding gained through centuries of experiments, both groundbreaking and, well, ridiculous.)

    Nor does he give any serious consideration to the political and social context – to the Restoration as a major political event which provided the climate and the catalyst for a new spirit of scientific enquiry. (Indeed, King Charles II is depicted as a caricature and a buffoon, rather than as a canny ruler who re-established domestic peace and economic prosperity in his realm after decades of factionalism, brutality and civil war.) In these respects, Dolnick’s over-simplification ends up misleading the reader; ironically Neal Stephenson’s QUICKSILVER – for all that it is fiction – offers far more insight than Dolnick into what made these men tick.

    The narrative becomes more credible in Part Two, though Dolnick’s chronology becomes somewhat haphazard, jumping about from the ancient Greeks to the sixteenth century to the seventeenth to Darwin in the nineteenth, with no apparent logic or reason. His regular references to what “Galileo and Newton” would have believed (e.g. p. 124) would be extremely confusing to a reader who doesn’t already have the chronology firmly lodged in their head. (Galileo died at age 77 in the year Newton was born.) The timeline provided at the start of the book does not wholly compensate for this.

    The book’s subtitle is also somewhat misleading, in that the Royal Society plays only a bit part in Dolnick’s narrative; “Newton, Leibnitz and the Birth of the Modern Universe” would be a more accurate description.

    Another minor irritant: whilst the book is peppered with quotations in support of Dolnick’s arguments, many of the direct quotations from writers of the period are poorly referenced – the endnotes often cite only a secondary source, usually another modern-day historian’s work, rather than the primary source of the quotation.

    Whilst by the end of the book the reader may have a better knowledge of aspects of the seventeenth century, for a proper understanding of the period one must turn to the work of people like Lisa Jardine. Nevertheless, The Clockwork Universe - or at least its second and third parts – offer as thorough, accessible and comprehensive an overview of the science of the seventeenth century as the lay reader could hope for; and for this reason alone it belongs on the shelf of anyone with an interest in this remarkable period of scientific discovery.