On the Shoulders of Giants: The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy

by Stephen Hawking (Editor)

Overview

Theoretical physicist stephen hawking illuminates the origins of modern physics and astronomy in this fascinating work. On the shoulders of giants opens with hawking's overview of five-ground breaking books that revolutionized science. And then he provides the english translations of each, so you can read these works of genius for yourself. To make these works of genius even more accessible, hawking prefaces each with a captivating biographical essay that reveals the man behind the scientist. Learn about copernicus' unwavering commitment to truth, even when it pitted him against the church he professed to uphold; galileo's spirit of defiance, kepler's unusual method of keeping debtors at bay, and newton's passionate feuds. The essays bring these men alive, while the great works that follow will no doubt inspire awe. This book is a treasure for anyone interested in understanding more about the way science evolves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141015712
Publisher:	Viking Penguin
Publication date:	10/28/2007
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Stephen Hawking was one of the most highly celebrated and recognized scientists who has ever lived. He first came to mainstream prominence with the publication of A Brief History of Time, and followed with a second triumph, The Universe in a Nutshell, and most recently, The Grand Design. The media has called Hawking "the most intelligent man in the world today" and "the scientific heir to Einstein, Newton, and Galileo." He lived in Cambridge, England.

Hometown:

Cambridge, England

Date of Birth:

January 8, 1942

Date of Death:

March 14, 2018

Place of Birth:

Oxford, England

Table of Contents

	Introduction	IX
	Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)
	His Life and Work	1
	On the Revolution of Heavenly Spheres	7
	Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
	His Life and Work	391
	Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences	399
	Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
	His Life and Work	627
	Harmony of the World, Book Five	635
	Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)
	His Life and Work	725
	Principia	733
	Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
	His Life and Work	1161
	Selections from The Principle of Relativity	1167
	Acknowledgements	1265

Editorial Reviews

The words of the title derive from a famous passage in a letter by scientist Isaac Newton. "If I have seen further," Newton wrote, "it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, himself a renowned far-sighted thinker, has compiled an anthology of the seven great classics in astronomy and physics. To each of these masterworks, Hawking adds an introductory essay that shows how each was built on previous discoveries. In addition, the author of A Brief History of Time provides penetrating biographies of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, and Einstein.

bn.com