Who Was Isaac Newton?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Janet B. Pascal, Tim Foley (Illustrations), Nancy Harrison (Illustrations)

Isaac Newton was always a loner, preferring to spend his time contemplating the mysteries of the universe. When the plague broke out in London in 1665 he was forced to return home from college. It was during this period of so much death, that Newton gave life to some of the most important theories in modern science, including gravity and the laws of motion.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Science, History, Childrens, Biography Memoir

112 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2014

About the author

Janet Pascal, author of many YA biographies and Viking’s senior copy-editor, lives in New York, New York.

Reviews

[Shaikhah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book and loved Isaac Newton and his temper 😂😂😂😂


‘’The only time he actually spoke was to ask for a window to be closed ‘’

[Esraa Gibreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب مختصر عن محطات حياة وأهم إنجازات نيوتن، ومعاركه الشهيرة مع هوك ولابنتز. مزود برسومات وأسلوبه سلس وبسيط، وأعتقد إنه موجه للناشئة ولكن معلوماتي عن حياة أحد علمائي المفضلين قد أضيف إليها في جميع الأحوال.
كتاب مسلي، مثمر، قصير.

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this along with the audiobook. If ALL the books I have in English had audiobooks on Scribd, I would learn English much easier and faster.

[Felipe Alfaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born prematurely on Christmas day, Isaac Newton would soon change the world.

I find it very interesting that Newton was guided towards his discoveries through some key incidents.

1) His mother moved into his step-father’s house abandoning him. He despised his step-father and wished his house would burn down. This was a sign that anger and resentment would motivate him throughout his life.

2) As a youngster, he was kicked in the stomach by a rival student at King’s School. Newton won the ensuing fight, but it wasn’t enough! He wanted to show he was better by surpassing him in schoolwork as well!! Before this fight, Newton had very poor grades. Had this incident not happened, I’m not sure Newton would have impressed the schoolmaster so much, thereby guaranteeing his rise to academic legend! He went on to Cambridge University.

3) During his trip to Stourbridge Fair, Newton encountered the usual attractions, but a couple things stood out to him, a book on astrology and a prism. The former would inspire in him an interest in mathematics. The latter would lead to his discovery of the light spectrum.

4) The Plague broke out in England. The city was too dangerous due to potential contagion, so Newton had to retreat to the countryside. It was here, alone that he developed many of his great ideas.

5) Newton sat under the apple tree. It may be apocryphal, but the well-known story goes that he was inspired to ponder gravity when he witnessed an apple fall from the tree, an epic moment!!

6) Galileo died the year Newton was born. Had Galileo not developed his telescope, it is unlikely Newton would have developed his improvement, the reflecting telescope.

7) Again, a rivalry. Robert Hooke claimed that Newton was stealing his ideas! Furious, Newton retreated from debate at the Royal Society, and feverishly worked on his ideas alone. Hooke and Newton were enemies for life.

We see a pattern here. It seems that throughout Newton’s life, he was periodically challenged by a rival. I believe this must have been a driving force for him, pushing him to prove to everyone that he was the best.

This may not be the best way to accomplish things in life, but his story demonstrates that rather than backing away from a challenge, meeting the challenge head-on can lead us to great accomplishments.

[Wara Diyari · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Nature and nature’s law lay hid in night.
God said, ‘let Newton be!’ and all was light.”

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite in the series but a good summary of Newton's life and accomplishments....

[Adam Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good and interesting story, but reading through, it seemed like the author didn’t like Isaac Newton. I am all for “telling it like it is,” “not pulling any punches,” and “taking off the rose-colored glasses” but this author seemed to make an effort to portray Newton in a negative light. It was very odd. Newton is the main character of the story, after all.

I feel like the author’s opinion could be summed up in: “Isaac Newton was annoying, but he was brilliant and did great stuff. But I still think he was a jerk. The end.”

Maybe not, but that was my take away from the book...

Overall, though, the book was enjoyable and interesting.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea Isaac Newton was such a curmudgeon!

I have to say, though, that I think it's better for people that like to live privately and for their passions, to do just that. Otherwise you end up making other people miserable. (I recently read a book about Louis Agassiz, who should NOT have gotten married for this very reason, so this topic is fresh on my mind.)

Newton was brilliant, but prickly. He definitely didn't think anyone was as smart as he was. He lived and worked at Cambridge for many a year, even wrote a letter to the king to get out of becoming a church leader, which was usually required. Afterwards he ran the national mint for 30 years.

Great series!

[Meshal · Rating 5 out of 5]

جميل جدا.

[Sarah Roberts Lundy · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a depressing poorly written book. Will not give to my kids to read. Terrible character and every angle is depressing.
We can do better with educating about Newtons laws

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series! I read this for myself when my kids weren't interested. I learned more about Isaac Newton in small doses so I didn't get bored. Quite interesting!

[Andra · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is what it presents.
It's a funny, biographical book. I liked it, it was good. 5/5

[Zahra Essa · Rating 5 out of 5]

ولد نيوتن قبل موعد ولادته حتى أنه ظنوا إنه لن يستطيع العيش كثيرًا، وعندما كبر قليلا تركته والدته لتعيش مع زوجها الجديد ، وتولد حقد داخل الطفل إسحاق حتى أنه كان يفكر بحرق منزل زوج أمه . باختصار لم تكن طفولة نيوتن رائعة.
أرادت والدته إن يصبح مزارعا ، لكنه كره هذا العمل ولم يستطع أحد إقناع والدته في تركه يعمل عملاً آخرا إلا مدرسه في مدرسة القديمة حيث كان يرى إن عقلية الفتى عقلية فذة وهذا يعتبر إهدارا لها .
درس نيوتن في جامعة كامبريدج، ولكي يدفع تكاليف الدراسة عمل كمساعد للطلبة الأغنياء.

بعد سنوات قليلة أنتشر مرض الطاعون وجلس نيوتن في منزله ، وفي هذا العام الذي سمي بعام المعجزات كانت ذروة اكتشافاته وأفكاره ، فاستغل هذه الأيام حسن استغلال .

عمل كمدرس رياضيات في الجامعة ، ولم يهتم أحد بمحاضراته المملة حتى نشر كتابه الذي حوله لأسطورة الفيزياء الحديثة وشرح فيه قوانين الحركة ،الجاذبية ، الضوء...إلخ .


كانت شخصية إسحاق صعبة الإرضاء ، متكبر ومغرور قليلاً ، لا يتقبل النصح ولا الذم ، ويحب الاهتمام والمدح . لم يستطع أن ينسجم مع بقية العلماء لأنه لم يتعلم كيف يأخذ ويعطي معهم ويناقش أبحاثه .
ولكن والحق يقال أنه كان عبقري ، وذو عقل شغال لا يتوقف ، فعرف بذكائه من طفولته ، فلم يهتم بلعب الأطفال وعلى العكس كان يفكر ويتعلم.
لم تكن المدرسة محط اهتمامه لأنها بنظره كانت سهلة ، لكنه تعلم أساسيات الكيمياء منذ صغره .
وعندما دخل الجامعة قرأ كتابا عن علم الفلك ، وأصبح هذا العلم من اهتمامات نيوتن الجديدة الذي بدأ في البحث فيه وفي أقوال العلماء المعارضون لأرسطو .

أما بالنسبة لقصة سقوط التفاحة ، هل هي صحيحة ؟
بالطبع لم تسقط التفاحة على رأس نيوتن ، ولكنه كان يفكر باعتقادات أرسطو التي تقول بأن هناك قوة تجعل الأجسام الثقيلة تتحرك لأسفل ، ويفكر بحركة القمر التي تشابه حركة سقوط التفاحة ، وهو من قال أنه استلهم هذه الفكرة من سقوط التفاح ، لكن هل هذه القصة حقيقية ؟ كان هناك أشجار تفاح في مسقط رأس إسحاق لذا من الممكن أن تكون صحيحة ، ومن الممكن أن تكون فقط للتشبيه لتوضيح الفكرة للناس.

[Maddie Terhark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book Who Was Isaac Newton by Janet B. Pascal was very interesting. This book is nonfiction, and surprisingly although this book was partially about gravity it was impossible to put down! This book mostly takes place in Cambridge and the main character is obviously Isaac Newton. This book is about Isaac Newton's life and discoveries. I would rate this book three stars because although it was very informative it was more of like a list of discoveries and accomplishments instead of a story.

[Esther May · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was fun to read that Isaac Newton had a bunch of free time because his college shut down due to the pandemic. This is when his ideas about gravity started. He was a very interesting person. In general he did not like people and was not that great with people skills. His ideas have heavily influenced physics, calculus and even chemistry.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned a few new things about Newton from this book...assuming facts are accurate. Proves the point that unless you can communicate your scientific ideas clearly to others they may not do very much good in the end. I do like this series of books.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book mentioned a lot of other people, but FAILED to mention that the Russian Tsar, Peter the Great, visited Newton in 1697. They discussed esoteric questions and Newton's book, Principia, and things like light passing through a prism. Huge oversight.

[Louli · Rating 4 out of 5]

الحلو بالكتاب انه صغير وبسيط وسهل الفهم ويعطيج موجز عن حياة نيوتن لكن لا يوجد به معلومات عميقة فقط القشور، يعني حق اللي حاب ياخذ موجز عن حياته يقرى هااكتاب، انا استمعت

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Was Isaac Newton? By Janet B. Pascal, Illustrator Tim Foley & Nancy Harrison- Children’s illustrated Motivational picture book- The book narrates the story of Issac Newton. Newton was born on 06 January, 1642 in England. Newton’s father died just before he was born. When Newton was three his mother got married again to a man named Smith, Smith wanted a wife but not a son. Newton’s mother agreed to move with Mr Smith, a Priest to his house. The Priest did like to live with his mother but he did not want to take Newton with him, therefore, Newton grew up and lived with his grandmother. After 9 – years of marriage, his father died. His mother sent him to Cambridge University for education and after completion of education, to become a Priest. After a few years, plague broke out. All students were asked to return home. Newton spent time in research on Physics by observing nature. He was a loner. He did not have many friends. During his period, books showed that all metals could be converted to gold. Newton also experimented on this subject. At his mother’s farmhouse he saw an apple fall. He began to wonder what pulled the apple towards the earth. Newton thought about the idea of gravity. In the plaque years it was terrible but not for Newton. He kept himself busy thinking and writing and teaching people how to understand the universe in a whole new way. After eighteen months he left his mother’s farmhouse and returned back to Cambridge but he still didn’t make any friends. Newton taught at Cambridge and wrote his thesis which was published as Principia Mathematica. He presented his three laws of motion. He joined the Royal Society, London. In weekly meeting, Scientists lectured on their topic of study which was presented in a practical way so that others cold try and understand. A paper was also written by him on Calculus but was presented by another German mathematician. He served the Government currency Press and did notable work. He was nominated to the Parliament. I have read this book in Hindi language. Coloured sketches help the reader to relate to the story.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Issac Newton is a boy who is very lonely and very friendless. However he was one of the most geniuses ever born! He spent years trying to change ordinary metal objects into gold. When far long ago there was a sickness called plaque that made people’s skin turn black and there was no way to heal it. Plaque was also a very easy disease to catch. Newton left Cambridge university and flee to his mother’s farmhouse. He didn’t mind. He didn’t make any friends at Cambridge anyway. At his mother’s farmhouse he did what he liked best thinking. One day he saw an apple fall he began to wonder what pulled the apple towards the earth. Newton thought about the idea of gravity. In the plaque years it was terrible but not for Newton. He kept himself busy thinking and writing and teaching people how to understand the universe in a whole new way. After eighteen months he left his mother’s farmhouse and returned back to Cambridge but he still didn’t make any friends. He was one of the most geniuses that ever lived but he lost his temper easily with other people. Newton was born in 1642 January 4 at first a lot of people didn’t think he could live he was to weak and to tiny but he did live. Newton’s father died just before he was born. When Newton was three his mother got married again to a man named Smith, Smith wanted a wife but not a son. Newton’s mother agreed to move with Smith to his house which leaves Newton to live with his mother’s mom and dad. Newton almost never saw his mom after she moved with Smith he was very lonely and despised Smith. But that wasn’t the worst part. Back at a school Newton was teased and at the bottom of the class. Will Newton be able to see his mother more often and improve his education in school more, or will he end up with nothing at all? Find out in Who Was Isaac Newton!!!

[Vuongdang · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Who was Isaac Newton?” By Janet B. Pascal was a very awesome book, a very famous person known as Newton, one of the most famous scientist who invited many cool sciences projects that helped improving the world. Why do I like this book? I like it because studying about history and science, this book talked about how science started to improve, how much did it improve, about Newton life and what motivated Newton to invented awesome science project. For people who very like science should read this book once because this book will talk mostly about science.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a genius. But had some personality issues.

See Felipe's excellent review/summary. So true how little things had a huge impact. It's incredibly underrated how much luck and fate plays in life. One could argue strongly that there are others out there that could have been like Newton but they either died or didn't have those issues in life that drove them or directed them to the destination of greatness.

[Alycia Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was good. I always enjoy reading the Who Was books. Throughout this book you learn who Isaac Newton is. Newton was a lonely friendless boy, a secretive man who spent years trying to turn ordinary metals into gold, and one of the greatest geniuses of all time. I hope my students utilize this book in the future.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea what a strange fellow Isaac Newton was. Obviously brilliant and a creative thinker, his contributions to science cannot be denied but I can’t help but feel sorry for the emotionally empty life he led. Had he found joy in people his contributions to science may not have been as many but perhaps his own life would have been more fulfilling.

[Kelsey Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really liking this series. There is a lot of good information on the individual as well as relevant snippets of events that occurred and affected the person’s life. This book also did a good job not sugar coating disputes and other interpersonal issues Newton had with those around him. This honesty humanizes a well known scientist and allows for a deeper discussion of any issues with my son.

[Aaron Beane · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was said of Newton that he would sit for hours on end thinking. And then all of a sudden get up with pen in hand and write for the same amount of time. I can see why now. His intellect and voracious work ethic, and his assiduous meditation of topics that arrested his mind is few and far between.

[Stella McAllister · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok the only reason why was because Isaac Newton was alive a long time go and in the book it said he might have which I didn't personally like just because it was't telling me when it said might that it was real or not. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys non-fiction.

[Rosa S · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting character. I believe that Newton was on the spectrum, and if he was alive today, he'd probably be able to get some kind of help for his social issues. It's amazing what he was able to discover and accomplish despite his obstacles.

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book as a suggestion from my 9 year old. I must admit that I learned a lot about the personal life of Newton.
This series focuses a lot on the personal lives and personalities and not just the accomplishments of the characters.

[Davut Gürbüz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt sorry about Newton's childhood. Book gives an idea about how Newton's thinking is different than the time he lived.
His personality and his hiding valuable works for some reason might surprise you. This also reveales how England scholar society was working that time.