Each of the three volumes in this comprehensive entry in Bloomsbury’s “Reception of British and Irish Authors in Europe” series approaches the reception of Newton’s work from a particular angle. The ten essays in the first volume cover various geographical and language communities in Europe (French-speaking lands, Low Countries, Iberian Peninsula, and so on). The second volume (16 essays) focuses ... Read moreon the content of Newtonianism, looking at, for example, celestial mechanics and gravitational theory, optical work, chemistry, and alchemy). The final volume comprises 18 essays on responses to Newtonianism by individuals and groups, among them Christiaan Huygens, Leibniz, the Bernoullis, Voltaire, and "women readers" in 18th-century Italy. The contributors are all recognized scholars in the history of science and the specialized areas covered, and the essays are insightful and well written. Newton is of course a towering figure in science history, and it will be enlightening for students to see how his ideas spread, caused controversies, were challenged, and were eventually adopted, even if with reservations in some cases. The essays will serve as a rich source for engaged students looking for topic ideas, background, and facts for papers. Summing Up: Highly recommended.
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