On science as it is lived: its culture, its characters, their follies and dreams
Although Newton is a familiar cultural figure — who doesn’t know the story of his encounter with the apple? — many facets of his life and thought have remained obscure. For example, while most biographical books and essays will at least mention Newton’s religious writings and his work on alchemy, they rarely offer anything but a superficial explanation of his thinking, and no real understanding of how these pursuits might have fit together with his contributions to science. Outside of scholarly circles, these important aspects of Newton’s life remain in shadow.
