A history, a theory, a flood is a book by science history writer james gleick published in march 2011 which covers the genesis of our current information age. James gleick books list of books by author james gleick. A history, a theory, a flood 0375423729 book cover. His first book, chaos, a national book award finalist, has been translated into twentyfive languages. In the first half of the book, james gleick shares some curious historical facts and anecdotes about the discoveries, inventions, and developments of some important information technologies, such as telegraph and computers. Aug 29, 2003 isaac newton by james gleick 288pp, fourth estate. Having known einsteins biography, i was curious to know how newtons life was. The book expanded my knowledge on a lot of newtons contributions including a broad understanding of orbits, light, and gravity. Gleick quotes numerous primary and secondary sources of biographical information about newton in sixty pages of endnotes.
As plague ravaged england, newton returned home and acquired a page waste book where he wrote down his thoughts. Rob iliffe on the religious worlds of isaac newton, in priest of nature. James gleick, the author of the bestsellers chaos and genius, brings us his crowning work. Then he worked for ten years as an editor and reporter for the new york times. In this original, sweeping, and intimate biography, gleick moves between a comprehensive historical portrait and a dramatic focus on newton s significant letters and unpublished notebooks to illuminate the real importance of his work in physics, in optics, and in calculus. Digital rights management drm the publisher has supplied this book in encrypted form, which means that you need to install free software in order to unlock and read it.
The san diego uniontribune huge in scope and profound. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read isaac newton. You cant get much more entertaining than isaac newtonas described by james gleick, that is. James gleick, the author of chaos and genius, and one of the most acclaimed science writers of his generation. Isaac newton was born in a stone farmhouse in 1642, fatherless and unwanted by his mother. Only james gleick has the selfconfidence and skill to synthesize the life of newton down to 191 succinct and fascinating pages. Mainly this site is home for a few articles that may be of interest to the online community.
As a schoolbook figure, isaac newton is most often pictured sitting under an apple tree, about to discover the secrets of gravity. His books have been finalists for the pulitzer prize and the national book award. James gleick, the author of chaos and genius, and one of the most acclaimed science writers of his generation, brings the reader into newtons reclusive life and provides startlingly clear explanations of the concepts that changed forever our perception of bodies, rest, and motionideas so basic to the twentyfirst century, it can truly be. It was on the new york times bestseller list for three weeks following its debut. Review im not sure why or how my interests became directed towards isaac newton but they did and they are. James gleick is our leading chronicler of science and technology, the bestselling author of chaos. His books have been translated into 30 more about james gleick.
Time travel is another of james gleick s superb, unclassifiable books rich in obscure and illuminating information, laced with lyricism, wit, and startling and convincing insights. Best books of 2016 boston globe the atlantic from the acclaimed bestselling author of the information and chaos comes this enthralling history of time travela concept that has preoccupied physicists and storytellers over the course of the last century. His writing has garnered him the peneo wilson literary science writing award and the royal society winton prize for science books. From the bestselling author of the acclaimed chaos and genius comes a thoughtful and provocative exploration of the big ideas of the modern era. Nov 30, 2015 james gleick is the author of chaos and genius, both nominated for the national book award, faster, what just happened, and isaac newton, which was shortlisted for the pulitzer prize. He graduated from harvard college in 1976 and helped found metropolis, an alternative weekly newspaper in minneapolis.
The man who changed our understanding of the universe, of science, and of fai. Buy a cheap copy of isaac newton book by james gleick. James gleick is our leading chronicler of science and technology, the bestselling author. James gleick has taken a challenging task to write a concise and interesting biography of one of the greatest thinkers of all time isaac newton. The average author, full of himself, would probably write about 1,191 pages and you wouldnt be able to lift the book. I recently got hold of his biography written by james gleick, who has also authored genius and chaos. James gleick, the author of chaos and genius, and one of the most acclaimed science writers of his generation, brings the reader into newtons reclusive life and provides startlingly clear explanations of the concepts that changed forever our perception of bodies, rest, and motionideas so basic to the twentyfirst century. Nov 22, 2012 james gleick science writer, threetime pulitzer prize finalist and author of the information. Mr gleicks book is more properly an essay or an appreciation of newtons. Fatherless, left in the care of his grandparents for eight years, young isaac newton 16421727 was so maladjusted that he. So much of a man and so many achievements and so little of a book.
In chaos, he chronicled the emergence of a new way of looking at dynamic systems. The book begins with isaacs childhood and while reading it i had many times of understanding better on what grouds newton. Gleick portrays newton as a real person and i enjoyed understanding who that person was, what his struggles were, and how he overcame them with considerable success. James gleick has long been fascinated by the making of science how ideas order visible appearances, how equations can give meaning to molecular and stellar phenomena, how theories can transform what we see.
This is a masterpiece of time, space, light and color. Isaac newton 9780060554859 by james gleick and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Gleicks alwaysaccessible style is hampered somewhat by the need to describe newtons esoteric thinking processes. A history, a theory, a flood is a book by science history writer james gleick published in. Wed love you to buy this book, and hope you find this page convenient in locating a place of purchase.
The life and science of richard feynman, and the information. A history, a theory, a flood seeks to place information in historical context. James gleick, the author of chaos and genius, and one of the most acclaimed science writers of his generation, brings the reader into newton s reclusive life and provides startlingly clear explanations of the concepts that changed forever our perception of bodies, rest, and motionideas so basic to the twentyfirst century, it can truly be. The life and science of richard feynman, and more on. Three of these books have been pulitzer prize and national book award finalists, and they have been translated into more than twenty languages. Gleick, the author of a number of popularising science books, including a wellknown one on chaos theory, has here produced a masterpiece of brevity and concentration. See all books authored by james gleick, including chaos. James gleick has long been fascinated by the making of science how ideas order visible appearances, how equations can give meaning to molecular and. Isaac newton is an elegantly written, insightful work that brings newton to life and does him justice. James gleick is our leading chronicler of science and modern technology.
He is an elegant writer, brisk without being shallow, excellent on the essence of the work, and revealing in his account of newtons dealings with the times. Mar 01, 2011 james gleicks bestselling book, chaos. His first book, chaos, was a national book award and pulitzer prize finalist and a. Buy james gleick ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. As a celebration of human ingenuity, the information is a deeply hopeful book. Operating as we are in real time, i get to add postscripts here and there, with the advantage of hindsight.
James gleick, the author of chaos and genius, and one of the most acclaimed science writers of his generation, brings the reader into newton s reclusive life and provides startlingly clear explanations of the concepts that changed forever our perception of bodies, rest, and motionideas so basic to the twentyfirst century, it can truly be said. The information has also been published in ebook formats by fourth estate and random house, and as an audiobook by random house audio. Its brevity, which may or may not have been premeditated, seems to have resulted from a rare and relentless insistence on saying solely what can be said confidently and afresh. Nicholas carr, the daily beast an amazing erudite and yet highly readable account of why and how information plays such a central role in all our lives, gleicks the information is amongst the most profound books written about technology over the last few years. But even as relativity and quantum mechanics undermined that rigid certainty in the first half of the twentieth century, the scientific community. While these stories are very interesting, the second half of the book is even more thrilling and exciting. Acclaimed science writer james gleick presents an eyeopening vision of how our relationship to information has transformed the very nature of human consciousness. Of all the heroes of the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries, when the old geocentric. For centuries, scientific thought was focused on bringing order to the natural world. James gleick science writer, threetime pulitzer prize finalist and author of the information. Fortyeight pages of often informative notes and eighteen pages of acknowledgements and sources only reinforce the feeling that gleick is merely skimming the surface.
Somehow i picked up, as if by accident, at least four volumes which by and large discuss newton in one manner of another. His books have been translated into thirty languages. Isaac newton by james gleick paperback harpercollins. Financial times you cant get much more entertaining than isaac newtonas described by james gleick, that is. Dec 15, 2019 now james gleick, author of the bestselling chaos, unravels the dense skein of feynmans thought as well as the paradoxes of his character in a biographywhich was nominated for a national book awardof outstanding lucidity and compassion. As might be expected, gleick s descriptions of newton s scientific breakthroughs are clear and engaging, and his book is strongest when discussing the shift to a mathematical view of the world. James gleick has written to great acclaim on the history of science and the impact of technology. James gleick has such a perspective, and signals it in the first word of the title of his new book, the information, using the definite article we usually reserve for totalities like the. A history, a theory, a flood met up with sarah crown at the edinburgh international book festival. It is an exploration not only of the theoretical phenomenon of time travel but of our understanding of time itself.
To accomplish that he opens the book by discussing the advent of drumming, signals, telegraph, telephone and the computer. Time travel is another of james gleicks superb, unclassifiable booksrich in obscure and illuminating information, laced with lyricism, wit, and startling and convincing insights. The authors own, selfmaintained and therefore official website, with information on his books and online texts on a variety of science and technologyrelated subjects. Of all the heroes of the scientific revolution of the. A history, a theory, a flood met up with sarah crown at the edinburgh international book. The highly entertaining new york times bestseller, which explains chaos theory and the butterfly effect, from the author of the information chicago tribune. James gleick born august 1, 1954 is an american author, journalist, and biographer, whose books explore the cultural ramifications of science and technology.
At age sixteen, newton was called home by his mother to manage the land. Think your inbox is jammed now, your attention span overtaxed. Gleick is a clever tour guide to the minds of great geniuses. Its only the beginning, writes popscience writer gleick isaac newton, 2003, etc. May, 2003 isaac newton was born in a stone farmhouse in 1642, fatherless and unwanted by his mother. One of these is james gleicks biography entitled simply isaac newton. James gleick biography, age, career, books, age, and education. Gleicks biography is perhaps the most accessible to date. It has been a long progression toward the infoglut of today. James gleicks biography of isaac newton is a mere 191 pages long. James gleick delivers a mindbending exploration of time travelfrom its origins in literature and science to its. Stobern sie in bestsellern als handliche pocket book ausgabe.
Making a new science, explained chaos theory in laymans terms by focusing on the stories of those scientists who were pioneers in the field and was a finalist for the national book award and the pulitzer prize. The life and science of richard feynman and isaac newton. Recognized for his writing about complex subjects through the techniques of narrative nonfiction, he has been called one of the great science writers of all time. When he died in london in 1727 he was so renowned he was given a state funeralan unheardof honor for a subject whose achievements were in the realm of the intellect. Isaac newton by james gleick opinion isaac newton was the most famous scientist of his generation and one of the most recognizable physicists of all time. Information, communication, and information theory. James gleick is our leading chronicler of science and technology, and the author of chaos and genius, both nominated for the national book award, and isaac newton, which was shortlisted for the pulitzer prize. Sarah dry on the strange and true odyssey of isaac newton s manuscripts, the newton papers. Isaac newton sees its angular subject in the round, presenting him as scientist and magician, believer and heretic, monster and man. Apr 26, 2005 james gleick has long been fascinated by the making of science how ideas order visible appearances, how equations can give meaning to molecular and stellar phenomena, how theories can transform what we see. The acceleration of just about everything, 1999, etc. Having known einsteins biography, i was curious to know how newton s life was. The term lonely genius could have been coined for isaac newton.
The book begins with isaacs childhood and while reading it i had many times of understanding better on what grouds newton made his farreaching discoveries. From one of the best writers on science, a remarkable portrait of isaac newton. Isaac newton sheds new light on the difficult personality of a deeply enigmatic figure. Get it today with same day delivery, order pickup or drive up. Inspired by aristotle, spurred on by galileos discoveries and the philosophy of descartes, newton grasped the intangible and dared to take its measure, a leap of the mind unparalleled in his generation. One of these is james gleick s biography entitled simply isaac newton. James gleick, the author of the best sellers chaos and genius, brings us his crowning work.
469 27 516 421 1568 1610 688 1180 429 781 636 36 803 931 1666 187 926 421 833 828 724 913 61 204 764 615 1053 582 1330