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The Clockwork Universe
- Isaac Newton, The Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern World
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
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Publisher's summary
The Clockwork Universe is the story of a band of men who lived in a world of dirt and disease but pictured a universe that ran like a perfect machine. A meld of history and science, this book is a group portrait of some of the greatest minds who ever lived as they wrestled with natures most sweeping mysteries. The answers they uncovered still hold the key to how we understand the world.
At the end of the 17th century, an age of religious wars, plague, and the Great Fire of London when most people saw the world as falling apart, these earliest scientists saw a world of perfect order. They declared that, chaotic as it looked, the universe was in fact as intricate and perfectly regulated as a clock. This was the tail end of Shakespeare's century, when the natural and the supernatural still twined around each other. Disease was a punishment ordained by God, astronomy had not yet broken free from astrology, and the sky was filled with omens. It was a time when little was known and everything was new. These brilliant, ambitious, curious men believed in angels, alchemy, and the devil, and they also believed that the universe followed precise, mathematical laws, a contradiction that tormented them and changed the course of history. The Clockwork Universe is the fascinating and compelling story of the bewildered geniuses of the Royal Society, the men who made the modern world.
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Worth the Effort
- By Roy on 08-13-09
By: Marcia Bartusiak
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The Genesis of Science
- How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution
- By: James Hannam
- Narrated by: Rich Germaine
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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If you were taught that the Middle Ages were a time of intellectual stagnation, superstition, and ignorance, you were taught a myth that has been utterly refuted by modern scholarship. As a physicist and historian of science James Hannam shows in his brilliant new book, The Genesis of Science: How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution, without the scholarship of the "barbaric" Middle Ages, modern science simply would not exist. The Middle Ages were a time of one intellectual triumph after another.
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Insightful!
- By John on 07-07-15
By: James Hannam
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The Discoverers
- A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself
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- Narrated by: Christopher Cazenove
- Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
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Why didn't the Chinese discover America? Why were people so slow to learn the earth goes around the sun? How and why did we begin to think of "species" of plants and animals? How, when, and why did people begin digging in the earth to learn about the past? How did the study of economics begin? These are but a few of the fascinating questions answered by Dr. Boorstin, Librarian of Congress Emeritus.
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One of my Top 10 Fav. Books!
- By shannonnn on 05-09-05
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When Einstein Walked with Gödel
- Excursions to the Edge of Thought
- By: Jim Holt
- Narrated by: David Stifel
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Does time exist? What is infinity? Why do mirrors reverse left and right but not up and down? In this scintillating collection, Holt explores the human mind, the cosmos, and the thinkers who’ve tried to encompass the latter with the former. With his trademark clarity and humor, Holt probes the mysteries of quantum mechanics, the quest for the foundations of mathematics, and the nature of logic and truth. Along the way, he offers intimate biographical sketches of celebrated and neglected thinkers, from the physicist Emmy Noether to the computing pioneer Alan Turing and the discoverer of fractals, Benoit Mandelbrot.
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A good overview of scientific theory
- By MJ Walters on 09-11-18
By: Jim Holt
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The Invention of Science
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In this fascinating history spanning continents and centuries, historian David Wootton offers a lively defense of science, revealing why the Scientific Revolution was truly the greatest event in our history. The Invention of Science goes back 500 years in time to chronicle this crucial transformation, exploring the factors that led to its birth and the people who made it happen. Wootton argues that the Scientific Revolution was actually five separate yet concurrent events that developed independently.
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A Good Read Spoiled
- By David A. Donnelly on 12-23-16
By: David Wootton
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The Age of Entanglement
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A brilliantly original and richly illuminating exploration of entanglement, the seemingly telepathic communication between two separated particles - one of the fundamental concepts of quantum physics.
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Quite nice
- By Michael on 02-14-10
By: Louisa Gilder
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The Kingdom of Speech
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Tom Wolfe, whose legend began in journalism, takes us on an eye-opening journey that is sure to arouse widespread debate. The Kingdom of Speech is a captivating, paradigm-shifting argument that speech - not evolution - is responsible for humanity's complex societies and achievements.
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Takedown of a pseudointellectual bully!
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Einstein's Cosmos
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- Narrated by: Ray Porter
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A dazzling tour of the universe as Einstein saw it. How did Albert Einstein come up with the theories that changed the way we look at the world? By thinking in pictures. Michio Kaku, leading theoretical physicist (a cofounder of string theory) and best-selling science storyteller, shows how Einstein used seemingly simple images to lead a revolution in science. With originality and expertise, Kaku uncovers the surprising beauty that lies at the heart of Einstein's cosmos
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Mix of science and the man
- By B. Ruple on 11-03-13
By: Michio Kaku
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Longitude
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- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
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In 1714, England's Parliament offered a huge reward to anyone whose method of measuring longitude could be proven successful. The scientific establishment--from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton--had mapped the heavens in its certainty of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution--a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had been able to do on land. And the race was on....
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To hear Neil Armstongs Voice
- By Boots on 01-19-13
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The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved
- How Mathematical Genius Discovered the Language of Symmetry
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For thousands of years mathematicians solved progressively more difficult algebraic equations, until they encountered the quintic equation, which resisted solution for three centuries. Working independently, two prodigies ultimately proved that the quintic cannot be solved by a simple formula. The first popular account of the mathematics of symmetry and order, The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved is told not through abstract formulas but in a beautifully written and dramatic account of the lives and work of some of the greatest and most intriguing mathematicians in history.
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Historical Perspective Appreciated
- By Michael Hanrahan on 01-22-20
By: Mario Livio
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Fascinating, educational, and a great police story
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Get'em Isaac.
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What listeners say about The Clockwork Universe
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Patricia H. Weiss
- 09-02-21
Jacob Bronowski & James Burke, move over.
I must say Edward Dolnick has written a masterful book which is a fascinating tale of how we got from "there" to "here". Every bit as interesting as Jacob Bronowski's "Ascent of Man" and "Connections" by James Burke. Narration by Alan Sklar is wonderful. I really enjoyed this book. I recommend everyone who loves science, history and mathematics have a go at this book. (And no, you don't have to be a mathematician, astronomer, or physicist to appreciate this explanation of the wonders discovered by Newton and company.)
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- Doug vanDyke
- 09-08-20
Fascinating
A great resource to go to inspire one's own intellectual pursuits...even if one isn't a Descartes or a Newton.
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- JessicaRaeF
- 01-02-20
Excellent book in both context and achievements
This book not only covers the birth of the scientific era, but describes the world and conditions it arose from which made this new era all the more welcome. Highly recommended!
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- Charles C.
- 01-04-18
Love the personal details
Great history of the 17th century's greatest minds and achievements. Especially loved the details of Newton's feuds with Hook and Leibniz.
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- science_saves_the_world
- 04-12-16
Fascinating synopsis of 17th century science
If you could sum up The Clockwork Universe in three words, what would they be?
Calculus, Gravity, God
Any additional comments?
Great book summarizing the world of math, science, astronomy, physics and God's role in the real physical world in the 17th century.
It has been a while since I read up on important historical figures of that time frame, but after listening to this book, I am thinking I want a more in depth knowledge of Galileo, Kepler, Leibniz and Newton.
The author ties these people and others of the time as well as the pervading world view (God is the ultimate creator) into a seamless summary of the 17th centuries greatest contributions to the world of math and science.
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- N. Barnes
- 04-20-16
Fascinating history with a skilled narrator
I am a professional historian, so if history is not your thing then take my review with a grain of salt. This book is very well written (though it is geared toward a lay audience so it's sometimes a bit repetitive) and the narrator is one of my favorites.
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- Paul J Giordano
- 11-01-15
Don't often write reviews or recommendations.
What made the experience of listening to The Clockwork Universe the most enjoyable?
I initially picked this audio reading because it advertises as a book about the birth of Calculus and the rivalry of Leibnitz and Newton. It gets there, but maybe not until the 30th chapter. After listening to the first 10 chapters, I picked up a copy of the book which only added to my enjoyment and I ended up both reading and listening to the entire book. That should be praise enough. Opens in London in 1600s, goes back before Pythagoras and everyone of importance makes an appearance. If that sounds like too much, it's not. Too often science writers rely on vignettes to lighten the mood and sugar coat the science. That's not what Edward Dolnick does here. To his credit, Dolnick's skill as an author is to give the reader what is needed to understand the development of the concepts and when you get to the Calculus, everything that preceded makes sense and you understand why you took the trip though history. Excellent book, extremely well written and the audio presentation was professional.Do yourself a favor and don't categorize this book as one you should read or have to get to because you will just consider it a chore.The book is a pleasure, it's educational and it's relevant.
What other book might you compare The Clockwork Universe to and why?
Don't often pick up books on the history of Calculus, but I am glad I read this and my only regret is that I did not hear about this 2011 book earlier.
What about Alan Sklar’s performance did you like?
Alan Sklar was flat out excellent. In the first five minutes,you think you are listening to coming attractions for a film, but once you get settled it --Sklar gives a truly remarkable performance.You don't to need the book to follow Sklar's performance but you will want to read it also and that's a credit to Sklar.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The book is often funny,even when it deals with dreary subjects or historically unfunny moments.I laughed our loud and that's a credit to both Dolnick and Sklar.
Any additional comments?
Don't hesitate. Pick it up. Highly recommended. I don't often take the time to write a review, but this book and the audioreading deserves a wide (or perhaps wider) audience..
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-26-17
Second half saves it.
The first 20 chapters were not very interesting with a lot of generalities. Then Newton
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- Matt
- 03-12-14
Well Done!
I had just finished Einstein’s biography and I thought I might follow up with a book about Isaac Newton. This is the book I chose. It was very well done, even for the scientific laymen. The book does have a Newton focus, but it also goes into many of his contemporaries which I found equally interesting. The book would be a helpful read for those entering a basic Physics class. It is really effective at taking what could be difficult subject matter and tying it out to real life examples that most should be able to follow and understand.
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- julian higgins
- 02-12-15
Great job
Wonderful delighting read! I hope to read it again someday in the near future. He really captured the works of the two greats.
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