Isaac Newton

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Good read for the mathematically baffled - Rated
I've always been interested in how magic and alchemy was perceived and practised in medieval and Renaissance Europe, and was slightly weary of ordering this biography, terrified of the potential countless incomprehensible equations inside the book - luckily for me, there were none, and even the scientific aspects of gravity weren't given much coverage. So if, like me, you're interested in Newton's life, rather than his theories and what they all mean, you will certainly enjoy this biography. It focuses more on his time at Cambridge and his relationships with various people rather than dwelling on the physics, so for someone who doesn't really "get" the technical side of things, this was truly a breeze :) 4 stars instead of 5 because I thought more space would be given to Newton as alchemist, as the title suggests, but a lot of the 'sorcery' was simply in passing.

The best biography of Newton I’ve read to date - Rated
I've read other biographies of Sir Isaac Newton, and this is the best. As the title suggests, there is an emphasis on his interest in Alchemy.

I worried (unnecessarily as it turned out) that other aspects of his life would be neglected. But his time at the Royal Mint, and his clashes with Huygens, Hooke, Leibniz etc are well covered.

The only disappointment for some readers might be that this is not an overtly scientific/mathematical biography - there are no formulae : so if you want to know that little more detail about Newton's discoveries, such as the Laws of Motion, Laws of Gravity, and Differential Calculus, you won't see any of that in here. In fact the word 'Gravity' (perhaps his most famous discovery) doesn’t even appear in the Index (although the 'Apple' does).

Isaac Newton - A Fascinating Genius - Rated
This is one of the most interesting biographies I've read. As well as outlining Isaac Newton's outstanding contributions to science, the book also give a revealing insight into the character of Isaac Newton, which can only be described as eye-opening!! On the down side, the book tends to dwell on the negative aspects of Newton's character, rather than presenting a well rounded account of what he may have been like, but it is still a good read for anyone interested in science and its history.

Fascinating and eye opening - Rated
I have read this book and found it both fascinating and a real eye opener. Newton's interest in alchemy had been kept quiet by many people, as had details of his life away from the scientific world. He is a thoroughly fascinating character and anyone interested in the man as well as his work would do well to read this.

Not engaging enough, bland writing of a great story. - Rated
Although I can not put a finger on any single fault, I found this book a very bland biography of Newton and for me added nothing to what I already knew of the great man (which wasn't much more than you can find in A-level physics texts). In the title I was expecting a little more on the alchemical persuits of Newton, however, little is really added to his life story that has not already been published many times elsewhere in a more erudite and concise form. There is nothing particularly wrong with the writing, although it is a little long winded in places, but it just didn’t engage me in a way I expected the biography of whom I personally rate as the greatest scientist in history.