Isaac NewtonIsaac Newton
Score Modern
What it's about
James Gleick, the science writer, tells the life of Isaac Newton: a lonely boy from a farm in Lincolnshire who became the greatest scientist of his age, discovering the laws of motion and gravity, inventing calculus and studying light, while also devoting himself to alchemy and secret religious beliefs.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Pulitzer finalist. It's a short, elegant biography.
You'll love it if you liked
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman
Chaos: Making a New Science
The Structure of Scientific RevolutionsGood to know
It's short.
By the numbers
- Readers9 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller2 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #117 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #288 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #1537 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2767 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by James Gleick
The Information: A History, a Theory, a FloodGenius: The Life and Science of Richard FeynmanChaos: Making a New ScienceIf you like this, read next
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
How to Be an Antiracist
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Wright Brothers
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American FamilyExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Isaac Newton worth reading?
Yes. It was a Pulitzer finalist. It ranks #2,767 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 53.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Isaac Newton about?
James Gleick, the science writer, tells the life of Isaac Newton: a lonely boy from a farm in Lincolnshire who became the greatest scientist of his age, discovering the laws of motion and gravity, inventing calculus and studying light, while also devoting himself to alchemy and secret religious beliefs.
How long does it take to read Isaac Newton?
About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Isaac Newton?
If you liked it, try Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Gleick, Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick or The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn.