Passionate Minds: Emilie du Chatelet, Voltaire, and the Great Love Affair of the Enlightenment
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.71 (835 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0307237214 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 392 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-12-28 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Two Great Minds, One Great Read Stellarondo A great read about a highly influential pair of brilliant people, who found each other and did incredible work, in separate spheres. Excellent descriptions of the era and details to place these 2 in their significant place in their own day and in history. I just wish my math skills would allow me to grasp the details of du Chatelet's work more completely!. Great volume for high school students. George R. Collison I am a teacher of high school physical science. This book is a superb read for teen girls interested in science or in the arts. The tale chronicles the life and loves of Mme. Émile Du Châtelet [spelling fixed] the translator of Newton's work, The "Principia", into French. She did much more than that; she actually made it intelligible. That is quite a feat if anyone has ever attempted to read Newton's work translated into English. Newton discovered calculus, used it to make his discoveries, then translated all the math back into the language of conics from Euclid and Appolonius - all geometry, not a variable. Who knew? Fascinating look at the brilliant and indomitable Madame Pompadour!
DAVID BODANIS taught a survey of intellectual history at the University of Oxford for many years and is the author of several books, including Electric Universe, The Secret House, and the bestselling E=mc2. Originally from Chicago, Bodanis lived in France for a decade and currently lives in London, England.From the Hardcover edition.
Now David Bodanis has not only brought her to life, but also uncovered one of the great love affairs of the eighteenth century.”—Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire“Installs Emilie in the front row of the pantheon of Enlightenment natural philosophers.”—The Times (London)“Fast-paced, engrossing, and enlightening, Passionate Minds is a ‘can’t put it down’ read—a mélange of colorful, fascinating characters, and ideas captured in an irresistible mix." —Barbara Goldsmith, author of Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie“Highly entertaining and holds the most agreeable surprises. David Bodanis has taken up one of the great stories of the period, a potent mix of romance, scie
Together the two lovers rebuilt a dilapidated and isolated rural chateau at Cirey where they conducted scientific experiments, entertained many of the leading thinkers of the burgeoning scientific revolution, and developed radical ideas about the monarchy, the nature of free will, the subordination of women, and the separation of church and state. The pair survived court intrigues at Versailles, narrow escapes from agents of the king, a covert mission to the idyllic lakeside retreat of Frederick the Great of Prussia, forays to the royal gambling tables (where Emilie put her mathematical acumen to lucrative use), and intense affairs that bent but did not break their bond.Along with its riveting portrait of Voltaire as a vulnerable romantic, Passionate Minds at last does justice to the supremely unconventional life and remarkable achievements of Emilie du Châtelet—including her work on the science of fire and the nature of light. Long overlooked, her story tells us much about women’s lives at the time of the Enlightenment. In an era when women were rarely permitted any serious schooling, this twenty-seven-year-old’s nimble conversation an