Never at Rest: A Biography of Isaac Newton Book

As a fashion designer who needs a calculator to complete even the most basic calculations and as a mediocre at best science student (okay I was horrible). The motivation to read Never at Rest, comes from my absolute admiration of Newton as a scientist and my interest to learn more about how genius works.

As with most lives how much can we really know about another person. I know more about Newton, much more but not all of it is welcome news. I was saddened to learn that during Newton's administration as president the first person to be denied election since the founding of the Royal Society , was a "Black Native of Jamaica" named Mr. Williams.

Other revelations include a dismantling of the modern reverent mythology of institutions such as the Royal Society and universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. The reality is much messier and this book puts them into a clear historic, political, social and cultural light. As Mr Westfall explains their impact on Newton's career.

The twists and turns of his life and the dramas that ensued and in many cases he inflamed makes him all the more human. And in some ways that makes him both more interesting and in some ways less likable. But In the end my respect for Newton as a scientist and one of the most important geniuses to ever live remains.