What will I learn about: how Newton's actual empirical process of rolling and dropping objects led to his theory of gravity, debunking the famous myth of the falling apple?

Discover how Newton's actual empirical process of rolling and dropping objects led to his theory of gravity, debunking the famous myth of the falling apple.

What will I learn about: the radical shift in seventeenth-century science as Newton helped redefine motion from an Aristotelian process of change—like a rotting apple—into a quantifiable state?

Understand the radical shift in seventeenth-century science as Newton helped redefine motion from an Aristotelian process of change—like a rotting apple—into a quantifiable state.

What will I learn about: Learn how the 1664 plague closure of Cambridge University accelerated Newton's genius, giving him the extreme isolation needed to realize that everything in the universe is in constant flux?

Learn how the 1664 plague closure of Cambridge University accelerated Newton's genius, giving him the extreme isolation needed to realize that everything in the universe is in constant flux.

What will I learn about: how Newton engineered the world's first reflecting telescope in his twenties, revolutionizing astronomy by capturing far more light than previous refracting models?

Find out how Newton engineered the world's first reflecting telescope in his twenties, revolutionizing astronomy by capturing far more light than previous refracting models.

What will I learn about: the extreme lengths Newton went to for empirical research, including almost blinding himself by staring directly at the sun through a looking glass to study optics?

Discover the extreme lengths Newton went to for empirical research, including almost blinding himself by staring directly at the sun through a looking glass to study optics.

Isaac Newton

Learn the truth behind the legend

James Gleick

★ 4.5 / 5(106 ratings)

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Biography & Memoir

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that the man who defined the laws of physics also spent years obsessed with secret alchemical experiments and hidden biblical codes?
💡Have you ever wondered how a period of total isolation led one man to fundamentally reinvent our understanding of the universe?
💡What’s the secret behind Isaac Newton’s legendary genius—was it pure intellect, or his strange and often dangerous personal obsessions?

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Key Takeaways from Isaac Newton

✓Discover how Newton's actual empirical process of rolling and dropping objects led to his theory of gravity, debunking the famous myth of the falling apple.
✓Understand the radical shift in seventeenth-century science as Newton helped redefine motion from an Aristotelian process of change—like a rotting apple—into a quantifiable state.
✓Learn how the 1664 plague closure of Cambridge University accelerated Newton's genius, giving him the extreme isolation needed to realize that everything in the universe is in constant flux.
✓Find out how Newton engineered the world's first reflecting telescope in his twenties, revolutionizing astronomy by capturing far more light than previous refracting models.
✓Discover the extreme lengths Newton went to for empirical research, including almost blinding himself by staring directly at the sun through a looking glass to study optics.

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Isaac Newton

Early Life & Context+

Cambridge & Isolation+

Major Discoveries+

Rivalries & Critics+

Institutional Power+

Legacy & Hidden Life+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

What was the prevailing view of 'motion' before the seventeenth century, which Galileo and Newton helped to change?

A. It was seen merely as an illusion created by the human mind.
B. It was understood purely as a static state of physical displacement.
C. It was considered a process, meaning even a rotting apple was thought to be in motion.
D. It was believed to be a force caused exclusively by gravitational pull.

Question 2 of 8

How did the severe outbreak of the plague in 1664 ultimately impact Newton's scientific career?

A. It provided him with a period of intense, isolated experimentation at home where he developed revolutionary theories.
B. It forced him to permanently abandon his studies at Cambridge and work on his family's farm.
C. It caused him to shift his focus from mathematics to medicine in a desperate attempt to find a cure.
D. It led to his first meeting with Robert Hooke, who mentored him during the university's closure.

Question 3 of 8

What was a major advantage of the reflecting telescope engineered by Newton compared to prior models?

A. It utilized multiple prisms to produce artificial colors.
B. It was the first telescope capable of observing galaxies outside the Milky Way.
C. It proved mathematically that the Earth bulged at the equator.
D. It let in much more light, producing clearer and less distorted images of planets.

Question 4 of 8

How did Robert Hooke's harsh criticism ironically benefit Newton's scientific work?

A. It forced Newton to resign from the Royal Society and focus entirely on the Royal Mint.
B. It pushed Newton to work harder on providing robust mathematical proofs for his theories.
C. It caused Newton to form a lifelong, collaborative friendship with Gottfried Leibniz.
D. It inspired Newton to write philosophical poetry to counter the Romantic movement.

Question 5 of 8

What was Newton's primary focus during his tenure as the Master of the Royal Mint?

A. Funding French scientific expeditions to prove his theories on gravity.
B. Establishing a global standard for political arithmetic and population statistics.
C. Creating a new currency that would be harder for criminals to counterfeit.
D. Minting coins that featured the faces of prominent scientists instead of monarchs.

Question 6 of 8

What complicated Newton's claim that he, rather than Gottfried Leibniz, was the true inventor of calculus?

A. Newton had accidentally destroyed his original notes during a laboratory fire.
B. Leibniz had already published a co-authored paper with Edmond Halley on the subject.
C. Newton publicly admitted that he did not fully understand infinitesimal calculations.
D. Newton's claims were based on work he had produced decades earlier but had never published.

Question 7 of 8

Why did Romantic poets like William Blake criticize Newton's legacy?

A. They felt he had stripped the universe of its mystery by rationalizing it with cold rules and laws.
B. They believed his theories on gravity were scientifically inaccurate and poorly researched.
C. They were appalled by the revelation of his secret, lifelong obsession with alchemy.
D. They thought his focus on mathematics ignored the beauty of biological sciences.

Question 8 of 8

What surprising discovery about Newton's private life was made in the 1930s?

A. He had completely falsified the results of his famous prism experiments.
B. He had been a lifelong practitioner of alchemy and was deeply interested in the occult.
C. He had secretly collaborated with Robert Hooke to develop the theory of gravity.
D. He had fathered several children, disproving the historical belief in his lifelong celibacy.

Isaac Newton — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — Isaac Newton was born amid chaos, and his curiosity showed early.
32 — Newton thrived at Cambridge University, but even more in isolation.
43 — After the plague passed, Newton gained the Royal Society’s attention and earned a Cambridge professorship.
54 — The young Newton gained a critic in Robert Hooke and an ally in Edmond Halley.
65 — Now a model of respectability, Newton led both the Royal Society and the Royal Mint.
76 — Late in life, Newton’s work was challenged by Gottfried Leibniz, and their dispute outlived them both.
87 — Newton’s achievements troubled the Romantics, but his legacy remains secure.
98 — Final summary

Isaac Newton Summary & Overview

Isaac Newton (2003) takes readers on an insightful tour of the life and mind of one of history’s greatest thinkers. It’s more than a plain account of Newton’s life and accomplishments. Instead, we get a revealing glimpse of his habits, obsessions and eccentricities. It all makes for a revealing and rewarding biography.

Who Should Listen to Isaac Newton?

Students of history
People interested in learning how the modern world was shaped
Scientists curious about the mythology behind their interests

About the Author: James Gleick

James Gleick has written to great acclaim on the history of science and the impact of technology. His writing has garnered him the PEN/EO Wilson Literary Science Writing Award and the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books. His books have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. His previous books include The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood (2012) and Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman (1992).

Isaac Newton

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Isaac Newton — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Isaac Newton

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Isaac Newton — Full Chapter Overview

Isaac Newton Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Isaac Newton?

About the Author: James Gleick

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