Synopses & Reviews
Newton's explanation of the natural law of universal gravity shattered the way mankind perceived the universe, and hence it was not immediately embraced. After all, how can anyone warm to a force that cannot be seen or touched? But for two women, separated by time and space but joined in their passion for Newtonian physics, the intellectual power of that force drove them to great achievements. Brilliant, determined, and almost entirely self-taught, they dedicated their lives to explaining and disseminating Newton's discoveries.
Robyn Arianrhod's Seduced by Logic tells the story of Emilie du Chatelet and Mary Somerville, who, despite living a century apart, were connected by their love for mathematics and their places at the heart of the most advanced scientific society of their age. When Newton published his revolutionary theory of gravity, in his monumental Principia of 1687, most of his Continental peers rejected it for its reliance on physical observation and mathematical insight instead of religious or metaphysical hypotheses. But the brilliant French aristocrat and intellectual Emilie du Chatelet and some of her early eighteenth-century Enlightenment colleagues--including her lover, Voltaire--realized the Principia had changed everything, marking the beginning of theoretical science as a predictive, quantitative, and secular discipline. Emilie devoted herself to furthering Newton's ideas in France, and her translation of the Principia is still the accepted French version of this groundbreaking work. Almost a century later, in Scotland, Mary Somerville taught herself mathematics and rose from genteel poverty to become a world authority on Newtonian physics. She was f�ted by the famous French Newtonian, Pierre Simon Laplace, whose six-volume Celestial Mechanics was considered the greatest intellectual achievement since the Principia. Laplace's work was the basis of Mary's first book, Mechanism of the Heavens; it is a bittersweet irony that this book, written by a woman denied entry to university because of her gender, remained an advanced university astronomy text for the next century.
Combining biography, history, and popular science, Seduced by Logic not only reveals the fascinating story of two incredibly talented women, but also brings to life a period of dramatic political and scientific change. With lucidity and skill, Arianrhod explains the science behind the story, and explores - through the lives of her protagonists - the intimate links between the unfolding Newtonian revolution and the development of intellectual and political liberty.
Review
"...timely reminder of how little things have changed since the 19th century and how much women of science can accomplish." -- Wall Street Journal
"Anyone who enjoys the history of science, especially from the underrepresented feminist perspective, should appreciate this well-crafted narrative. Recommended." -- Library Journal
"Here is a skillfully written tapestry of the science, history and portrayal of two of the most charismatic women of mathematical science. Robyn Arianrhod has produced a captivating masterpiece that lures us readers into the intrigues and treasures of eighteenth-century scientific life." -- Joseph Mazur, author of Euclid in the Rainforest and What's Luck Got to Do with It?
"An elegant and inspiring history of how scientific revolutions make their way." -- Edward Dolnick, The Clockwork Universe
"For lovers of mathematics, this is the story of two delightful women whose translations and popularizations helped transform Newton's controversial theory of gravitation into [an accepted] natural law." -- Sharon Bertsch McGrayne, author of The Theory that Would Not Die and Prometheans in the Lab
"It is impossible not to be caught up in Arianrhod's enthusiasm for her subject and [be] gripped from the first page." -- Weekend Australian
"An impressively far-reaching book... Arianrhod takes the wide scope of her book as an opportunity to discuss Newtonian mathematics, the history of the Enlightenment, and women's education, to name just a few of her subjects. And no matter what the topic, her prose is natural, graceful and lucid."-- Readings
PRAISE FOR ROBYN ARIANRHOD'S EINSTEIN'S HEROES:
"Robyn Arianrhod's passion for mathematics is so infectious, you'll scream 'Eureka' when you read her book." -- Herald-Sun
"I read this exhilarating book as I would a novel. Arianrhod combines a passion for her subject with an erudition that is rate for a storyteller." -- Robyn Williams, ABC'S The Science Show
Review
"Here is a skillfully written tapestry of the science, history and portrayal of two of the most charismatic women of mathematical science. Robyn Arianrhod has produced a captivating masterpiece that lures us readers into the intrigues and treasures of eighteenth-century scientific life." -- Joseph Mazur, author of Euclid in the Rainforest and What's Luck Got to Do with It?
"An elegant and inspiring history of how scientific revolutions make their way." -- Edward Dolnick, The Clockwork Universe
"For lovers of mathematics, this is the story of two delightful women whose translations and popularizations helped transform Newton's controversial theory of gravitation into [an accepted] natural law." -- Sharon Bertsch McGrayne, author of The Theory that Would Not Die and Prometheans in the Lab
"It is impossible not to be caught up in Arianrhod's enthusiasm for her subject and [be] gripped from the first page." -- Weekend Australian
"An impressively far-reaching book... Arianrhod takes the wide scope of her book as an opportunity to discuss Newtonian mathematics, the history of the Enlightenment, and women's education, to name just a few of her subjects. And no matter what the topic, her prose is natural, graceful and lucid."-- Readings
PRAISE FOR ROBYN ARIANRHOD'S EINSTEIN'S HEROES:
"Robyn Arianrhod's passion for mathematics is so infectious, you'll scream 'Eureka' when you read her book." -- Herald-Sun
"I read this exhilarating book as I would a novel. Arianrhod combines a passion for her subject with an erudition that is rate for a storyteller." -- Robyn Williams, ABC'S The Science Show
Review
""a timely reminder of how little things have changed since the 19th century and how much women of science can accomplish." Wall Street Journal
"Here is a skillfully written tapestry of the science, history and portrayal of two of the most charismatic women of mathematical science. Robyn Arianrhod has produced a captivating masterpiece that lures us readers into the intrigues and treasures of eighteenth-century scientific life." -- Joseph Mazur, author of Euclid in the Rainforest and What's Luck Got to Do with It?
"An elegant and inspiring history of how scientific revolutions make their way." -- Edward Dolnick, The Clockwork Universe
"For lovers of mathematics, this is the story of two delightful women whose translations and popularizations helped transform Newton's controversial theory of gravitation into [an accepted] natural law." -- Sharon Bertsch McGrayne, author of The Theory that Would Not Die and Prometheans in the Lab
"It is impossible not to be caught up in Arianrhod's enthusiasm for her subject and [be] gripped from the first page." -- Weekend Australian
"An impressively far-reaching book... Arianrhod takes the wide scope of her book as an opportunity to discuss Newtonian mathematics, the history of the Enlightenment, and women's education, to name just a few of her subjects. And no matter what the topic, her prose is natural, graceful and lucid."-- Readings
PRAISE FOR ROBYN ARIANRHOD'S EINSTEIN'S HEROES:
"Robyn Arianrhod's passion for mathematics is so infectious, you'll scream 'Eureka' when you read her book." -- Herald-Sun
"I read this exhilarating book as I would a novel. Arianrhod combines a passion for her subject with an erudition that is rate for a storyteller." -- Robyn Williams, ABC'S The Science Show
Review
"...timely reminder of how little things have changed since the 19th century and how much women of science can accomplish." -- Wall Street Journal
"Anyone who enjoys the history of science, especially from the underrepresented feminist perspective, should appreciate this well-crafted narrative. Recommended." -- Library Journal
"Here is a skillfully written tapestry of the science, history and portrayal of two of the most charismatic women of mathematical science. Robyn Arianrhod has produced a captivating masterpiece that lures us readers into the intrigues and treasures of eighteenth-century scientific life." -- Joseph Mazur, author of Euclid in the Rainforest and What's Luck Got to Do with It?
"An elegant and inspiring history of how scientific revolutions make their way." -- Edward Dolnick, The Clockwork Universe
"For lovers of mathematics, this is the story of two delightful women whose translations and popularizations helped transform Newton's controversial theory of gravitation into [an accepted] natural law." -- Sharon Bertsch McGrayne, author of The Theory that Would Not Die and Prometheans in the Lab
"It is impossible not to be caught up in Arianrhod's enthusiasm for her subject and [be] gripped from the first page." -- Weekend Australian
"An impressively far-reaching book... Arianrhod takes the wide scope of her book as an opportunity to discuss Newtonian mathematics, the history of the Enlightenment, and women's education, to name just a few of her subjects. And no matter what the topic, her prose is natural, graceful and lucid."-- Readings
PRAISE FOR ROBYN ARIANRHOD'S EINSTEIN'S HEROES:
"Robyn Arianrhod's passion for mathematics is so infectious, you'll scream 'Eureka' when you read her book." -- Herald-Sun
"I read this exhilarating book as I would a novel. Arianrhod combines a passion for her subject with an erudition that is rate for a storyteller." -- Robyn Williams, ABC'S The Science Show
Synopsis
Newton's explanation of the natural law of universal gravity shattered the way mankind perceived the universe, and hence it was not immediately embraced. After all, how can anyone warm to a force that cannot be seen or touched? But for two women, separated by time and space but joined in their passion for Newtonian physics, the intellectual power of that force drove them to great achievements. Brilliant, determined, and almost entirely self-taught, they dedicated their lives to explaining and disseminating Newton's discoveries.
Robyn Arianrhod's Seduced by Logic tells the story of Emilie du Chatelet and Mary Somerville, who, despite living a century apart, were connected by their love for mathematics and their places at the heart of the most advanced scientific society of their age. When Newton published his revolutionary theory of gravity, in his monumental Principia of 1687, most of his Continental peers rejected it for its reliance on physical observation and mathematical insight instead of religious or metaphysical hypotheses. But the brilliant French aristocrat and intellectual Emilie du Chatelet and some of her early eighteenth-century Enlightenment colleagues--including her lover, Voltaire--realized the Principia had changed everything, marking the beginning of theoretical science as a predictive, quantitative, and secular discipline. Emilie devoted herself to furthering Newton's ideas in France, and her translation of the Principia is still the accepted French version of this groundbreaking work. Almost a century later, in Scotland, Mary Somerville taught herself mathematics and rose from genteel poverty to become a world authority on Newtonian physics. She was fêted by the famous French Newtonian, Pierre Simon Laplace, whose six-volume Celestial Mechanics was considered the greatest intellectual achievement since the Principia. Laplace's work was the basis of Mary's first book, Mechanism of the Heavens; it is a bittersweet irony that this book, written by a woman denied entry to university because of her gender, remained an advanced university astronomy text for the next century.
Combining biography, history, and popular science, Seduced by Logic not only reveals the fascinating story of two incredibly talented women, but also brings to life a period of dramatic political and scientific change. With lucidity and skill, Arianrhod explains the science behind the story, and explores - through the lives of her protagonists - the intimate links between the unfolding Newtonian revolution and the development of intellectual and political liberty.
Synopsis
Recognized as a turning point in Brazilian literature, this entertaining novel of urban manners follows the ne'er-do-well Leonardo through his various romantic liaisons and frequent scrapes with the law. First printed in weekly installments in 1852, and later published in two volumes in 1854-55,
Memoirs of a Militia Sergeant comprises a series of humorous vignettes held together by the adventures and misfortunes of this young rogue--who matures from a handful of a toddler into a ruffian of a boy and an idler of a young man--and his father, also named Leonardo.
Manuel Antônio De Almeida tells a story in everyday language that is rich in detail of life on the streets and the modest circumstances of the free poor of Rio de Janeiro. Through satirical accounts of the escapades of characters who always seem close to the brink of some personal crisis or social misstep, yet who manage to pull through by hook or by crook, Almeida makes a subtle and incisive comment on Brazilian urban society and culture of the nineteenth century. Now available in a new and lively translation, Memoirs of a Military Sergeant occupies an important position in the satirical literature of Brazil and the world.
Synopsis
The
Bhagavad Gita is the most widely read Hindu religious text in the Western world and a key work for understanding Indian religions and the way Hinduism has been represented in modern India and the West. The poem considers social and religious duty, the nature of sacrifice, and the relationship of human beings to God, and continues to inspire a wide variety of interpretations, both within India and beyond.
This new translation captures all the force and beauty of the original language of this awe-inspiring poem. Ideal for readers encountering the Bhagavad Gita for the first time, this edition provides a full cultural and historical context in its introduction and notes.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
About the Author
Thomas Holloway is a distinguished historian at Cornell University. His most recent book is
Policing Rio de Janeiro: Repression and Resistance in a Nineteenth-Century City.
Flora Süssekind is a professor at the University of Rio de Janeiro and a researcher at the Casa de Rui Barbosa Center for Research.
Ronald W. Sousa is a professor in the department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at the University of Illinois, Urbana. He is a translator of Latin American fiction, as well as a literary critic and editor.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1 Madame Newton du Châtelet
2 Creating the theory of gravity: the Newtonian controversy
3 Learning mathematics and fighting for freedom
4 Émilie and Voltaire's Academy of Free Thought
5 Testing Newton: the'New Argonauts'
6 The danger in Newton: life, love and politics
7 The nature of light: Émilie takes on Newton
8 Searching for 'energy': Émilie discovers Leibniz
9 Mathematics and free will
10 The re-emergence of Madame Newton du Châtelet
11 Love letters to Saint-Lambert
12 Mourning Émilie
13 Mary Fairfax Somerville
14 The long road to fame
15 Mechanism of the Heavens
16 Mary's second book: popular science in the nineteenth century
17 Finding light waves: the 'Newtonian Revolution' comes of age
18 Mary Somerville: a fortunate life
Epilogue: Declaring a point of view