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Available
Call number
Call number
921 New
Local notes
921 NEW
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Series
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Publication
Viking Juvenile (2006), Hardcover, 128 pages
Description
Isaac Newton was not only briiliant, but secretive, vindictive and obsessive. Here is a portrait of the man, contradictions and all, than places him against the backdrop of seventeenth-century England, a time of plague, the Great Fire of London, and two revolutions.
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Awards
Physical description
128 p.; 5.74 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member wackermt
I really enjoyed reading Giants of Science. I picked it out randomly from the bookstore, and found it to be an extremely engaging, informative, student friendly account of Isaac Newton. What I knew about Isaac Newton before the book: He wrote the laws of motion and universal gravitation before he
What I learned from this book was the how and why behind these events, but also a great deal more about how he has shaped science as we now understand it on a fundamental level.
The reason I was particularly taken with Krull's book is that it is accessible. Students will enjoy reading it, despite that it is a book about an old dead scientist. Her tone is sarcastic, comic, and light, which makes the book engaging to read the entire was through. She begins chronologically through the time he was 25, then she switches to different threads of his life and work, spending a chapter on each. This was the only thing that caused me some confusion because we would jump forward then backwards in time, but it was a sensible organization style since it went thematically.
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was 25, took years to publicize it because he was scared, and said he was "standing on the shoulders of giants."What I learned from this book was the how and why behind these events, but also a great deal more about how he has shaped science as we now understand it on a fundamental level.
The reason I was particularly taken with Krull's book is that it is accessible. Students will enjoy reading it, despite that it is a book about an old dead scientist. Her tone is sarcastic, comic, and light, which makes the book engaging to read the entire was through. She begins chronologically through the time he was 25, then she switches to different threads of his life and work, spending a chapter on each. This was the only thing that caused me some confusion because we would jump forward then backwards in time, but it was a sensible organization style since it went thematically.
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LibraryThing member avcr
Krull snaps your attention like a juicy novel, “Secretive, withdrawn, obsessive. Ruthless, bitter, perhaps in need of therapy . . . All these things apply to Isaac Newton. Oh, and he was one of the greatest scientific minds of all time. (Albert Einstein, who should know, said Newton was the
If You Liked This, Try: Leonardo Da Vinci: Giants of Science #1 by Kathleen Krull, Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium by Carla Killough McClafferty, Sigmund Freud: Giants of Science #3 by Kathleen Krull, Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman, Up Before Daybreak: Cotton And People In America by Deborah Hopkinson.
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greatest.)” How can any young mind resist that temptation to find out more—hooked! Newton invented a new form of mathematics called calculus (I was very proud of my B as an undergrad ), he created the reflecting telescope, the principle of gravity, he described the basic laws of motion that underlie all of physics. Kulikov’s illustrations in black and white are inviting—comic book style. Newton’s childhood was disturbing and probably damaged him emotionally, but perhaps fed his brilliant mind toward such profound discoveries. Krull likens Newton and his thrill at finally reaching Trinity College (Cambridge) to the thrill Harry Potter felt at entering Hogwarts.If You Liked This, Try: Leonardo Da Vinci: Giants of Science #1 by Kathleen Krull, Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium by Carla Killough McClafferty, Sigmund Freud: Giants of Science #3 by Kathleen Krull, Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman, Up Before Daybreak: Cotton And People In America by Deborah Hopkinson.
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LibraryThing member JulianeAdams
This book is bout the science that was discovered by Isaac Newton and other ideas that Newton had.
I thought this book was okay. It did mention a lot of good information in regards to science, but it didn't really catch my interest in the long run.
I could relate this to the classroom by finding a
I thought this book was okay. It did mention a lot of good information in regards to science, but it didn't really catch my interest in the long run.
I could relate this to the classroom by finding a
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science experiment that class could partake in that would be safe for them to handle. Show Less
LibraryThing member dees
great information, but too much for grade school students
LibraryThing member dominirose
Mind boggling. Perfect mix of the cerebral - abstract and inspirational with the absurd - gross and gossipy.
LibraryThing member elainevbernal
Isaac Newton's biography from Krull's, "Giants of Science" series offers a raw account of Newton's life and accomplishments. From being labeled as "inattentive," "idle," and "sober, silent, thinking child," who was left behind by his mother to marry a Church of England clergyman, and growing up to
Newton's childhood offers interest and meaning to today's child - he was made fun of, resented by other boys his age, and never really fit in with his peers, and his story is relevant to the increasing attention to bullying in today's schools.
The author's dialogue is casual and would be very easy to read for children ages 10-12, and is engaging because in featuring each accomplishment and major event in Newton's life, the author offers quotes and sources revealing his experience and frustrations with his work, making Newton a believable and multidimensional character.
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be one of the most accomplished and respected scientists in the Royal Society. But while he became famous for his scientific discoveries, Newton was extremely distrustful and arrogant among his colleagues, and the author poses the question to the reader what could Newton have really accomplished if he wasn't so narrow-minded and on frequent campaigns to destroy the credibility of other scientists. Newton's childhood offers interest and meaning to today's child - he was made fun of, resented by other boys his age, and never really fit in with his peers, and his story is relevant to the increasing attention to bullying in today's schools.
The author's dialogue is casual and would be very easy to read for children ages 10-12, and is engaging because in featuring each accomplishment and major event in Newton's life, the author offers quotes and sources revealing his experience and frustrations with his work, making Newton a believable and multidimensional character.
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LibraryThing member Honanb
Krull gives a detailed and humane look at the life of one of the most intelligent people ever known, in a humorous and interesting way that makes it a perfect book for kids. From sticking needles in his eye and drinking turpentine, to improving the telescope and discovering calculus, Newton's
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weirdest quirks and greatest moments of genius are presented together in a way that shows the real person, rather than just a man wearing a wig under an apple tree. The story and the science involved are told in an easy to understand manner, with lots of white space surrounding a large text, and a relatively simple vocabulary. The large-headed illustrations tie in with the oddness and humor, and poke fun at Newton's larger-than-life brain. The personal and lighthearted attitude of the book could draw in readers who are resistant to nonfiction texts. Show Less
LibraryThing member themulhern
The cover illustration is quite impressive. It is contemporary in style, but also echoes much older portraits of Newton, representing him with artifacts that illustrate his accomplishments. He sits next to the farmhouse where he was born, Trinity college is on his right, and London, more distant,
This is an 128 page chapter book. It is mostly correct, uses original quotations, and emphasizes Newton's foibles and quarrels with fellow scientists. Generally speaking, the chronology is well done, but the science not as careful.
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on his left.This is an 128 page chapter book. It is mostly correct, uses original quotations, and emphasizes Newton's foibles and quarrels with fellow scientists. Generally speaking, the chronology is well done, but the science not as careful.
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Pages
128