Conversations with Isaac Newton

This is a short book with an biography of Newton, and then a interview session where Newton answers questions about his life (as if he were alive). The series has been renamed Conversations with ... some well known person and is a good light summary of Newton's life. It would be a good book for an advanced reader in public school.

I thought this was a really good potted biography of Isaac Newton. It is the third I’ve tried in this series (after Galileo and Einstein) and it is definitely the best so far.

The book is commendably brief and begins with a summary of Newton’s life and achievements, which I thought was excellent. The “conversations” which follow were also very good, reading like genuine conversation and giving an insight into both the man and his work. I thought the sections on how Newton viewed his alchemical studies and his religious research and analysis as an important part of his thinking about the physical world were especially interesting, but it’s all very well done. Michael White doesn’t shy away from Newton’s arrogant, quarrelsome and vindictive personality - but thankfully avoids the sort of vacuous “psychoanalysis” which Frank Manuel indulged in.

Anyone seeking a brief but accurate and readable account of Newton’s extraordinary achievements and lasting influence, plus a good feel for the man himself should enjoy this very much. I was surprised and delighted by how good it was and I can recommend it very warmly.

(My thanks to Watkins publishing for an ARC via NetGalley.)

An interesting and informative read that stands apart from the crowd due to its originality and fresh take on Newton - it works as a great introduction piece to Newton and his work and would be perfect for school reading

A novel method of presentation of the life of a fascinating figure in the history of science. Isaac Newton was highly intelligent and skilled. He also did things and lived a life that would surprise most of us.
The first third of the book is a brief factual biography of Newton. It touches on some of the major points in his life as well as a few of the controversies. The rest is an imagined back and forth interview with Newton. This portion presents much the same information as the first part, but presented in a question/answer format with each section preceded with a summary of the biographical topic.
If you are just being introduced to Newton or want to know more about the life of one of the giants of science, this work would be a good introduction to the topic.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of this book.

The third for me from this series of reprinted and rebranded "Coffee With…" books, and the one that taught me the most. Yes I knew the laws of motion and some of the other bits, but I think Newton was so removed in time, however his greatness and legacy, that I had never been taught anything like a full grounding of the man and his works. So this cod conversation, a fictional Q&A from perhaps just before his death mask was prepared, was quite eye-opening, especially where Newton's religious fervour and love of the arcane and the occult was concerned. All three books were sprightly in their educational qualities, and all three (Einstein and Freud the others, by the way) come recommended. I doubt the others in the series are failures, either.

This book is a posthumous 'interview' with Isaac Newton, one if history's greatest minds.  The content is drawn from views that he had expressed, but are otherwise purely imaginary conversations.  Something about how this book came together sparked my interest and made me want to check it out. The interviews are "believed" to haven taken place near the end of his life. It's definitely a much different approach to a biography and was a lot quicker and easy to read since it is in conversational form!  I really liked it - and it even gave you a list of some further readings to check out if once you were done you decided you needed to find out more!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I wasn't otherwise compensated.