Summary
Although the son of a farmer, Isaac Newton proved himself not to be cut out for farm work, preferring to read books rather than do his chores. He did moderately well in school at first, but a rivalry with a school bully motivated him to work much harder, and he eventually became a top-ranked student, making his way into Trinity College at Cambridge University. There, among many other things, he would write his landmark works Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica and Opticks: or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light, both of which would revolutionize physics and astronomy and are still used by scientists today. With full-color photographs, a helpful chronology, and suggestions for further reading, Isaac Newton describes the many contributions to science made by a man considered by many to be one of the greatest scientists of all time.
About the Author(s)
Jon Sterngass has written more than forty books, including biographies of Jose Marti, John Brown, Frederick Douglass, Crazy Horse, Queen Elizabeth, and Alexander Graham Bell for Chelsea House. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jon Sterngass has a B.A. in history from Franklin and Marshall College, an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in medieval history, and a Ph.D. from City University of New York in nineteenth-century U.S. history.