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Seduced by Logic: Émilie Du Châtelet, Mary Somerville and the Newtonian Revolution
Newton's explanation of the natural law of universal gravity shattered the way mankind perceived the universe, and hence it was not immediately embraced. After all, how can anyone warm to a force that cannot be seen or touched? But for two women, separated by time and space but joined in their
passion for Newtonian physics, the intellectual power of that force drove them to great achievements. Brilliant, determined, and almost entirely self-taught, they dedicated their lives to explaining and disseminating Newton's discoveries.
Robyn Arianrhod's Seduced by Logic tells the story of Emilie du Chatelet and Mary Somerville, who, despite living a century apart, were connected by their love for mathematics and their places at the heart of the most advanced scientific society of their age. When Newton published his revolutionary
theory of gravity, in his monumental Principia of 1687, most of his Continental peers rejected it for its reliance on physical observation and mathematical insight instead of religious or metaphysical hypotheses. But the brilliant French aristocrat and intellectual Emilie du Chatelet and some of her
early eighteenth-century Enlightenment colleagues--including her lover, Voltaire--realized the Principia had changed everything, marking the beginning of theoretical science as a predictive, quantitative, and secular discipline. Emilie devoted herself to furthering Newton's ideas in France, and her
translation of the Principia is still the accepted French version of this groundbreaking work. Almost a century later, in Scotland, Mary Somerville taught herself mathematics and rose from genteel poverty to become a world authority on Newtonian physics. She was f�ted by the famous French Newtonian,
Pierre Simon Laplace, whose six-volume Celestial Mechanics was considered the greatest intellectual achievement since the Principia. Laplace's work was the basis of Mary's first book, Mechanism of the Heavens; it is a bittersweet irony that this book, written by a woman denied entry to university
because of her gender, remained an advanced university astronomy text for the next century.
Combining biography, history, and popular science, Seduced by Logic not only reveals the fascinating story of two incredibly talented women, but also brings to life a period of dramatic political and scientific change. With lucidity and skill, Arianrhod explains the science behind the story, and
explores - through the lives of her protagonists - the intimate links between the unfolding Newtonian revolution and the development of intellectual and political liberty.
passion for Newtonian physics, the intellectual power of that force drove them to great achievements. Brilliant, determined, and almost entirely self-taught, they dedicated their lives to explaining and disseminating Newton's discoveries.
Robyn Arianrhod's Seduced by Logic tells the story of Emilie du Chatelet and Mary Somerville, who, despite living a century apart, were connected by their love for mathematics and their places at the heart of the most advanced scientific society of their age. When Newton published his revolutionary
theory of gravity, in his monumental Principia of 1687, most of his Continental peers rejected it for its reliance on physical observation and mathematical insight instead of religious or metaphysical hypotheses. But the brilliant French aristocrat and intellectual Emilie du Chatelet and some of her
early eighteenth-century Enlightenment colleagues--including her lover, Voltaire--realized the Principia had changed everything, marking the beginning of theoretical science as a predictive, quantitative, and secular discipline. Emilie devoted herself to furthering Newton's ideas in France, and her
translation of the Principia is still the accepted French version of this groundbreaking work. Almost a century later, in Scotland, Mary Somerville taught herself mathematics and rose from genteel poverty to become a world authority on Newtonian physics. She was f�ted by the famous French Newtonian,
Pierre Simon Laplace, whose six-volume Celestial Mechanics was considered the greatest intellectual achievement since the Principia. Laplace's work was the basis of Mary's first book, Mechanism of the Heavens; it is a bittersweet irony that this book, written by a woman denied entry to university
because of her gender, remained an advanced university astronomy text for the next century.
Combining biography, history, and popular science, Seduced by Logic not only reveals the fascinating story of two incredibly talented women, but also brings to life a period of dramatic political and scientific change. With lucidity and skill, Arianrhod explains the science behind the story, and
explores - through the lives of her protagonists - the intimate links between the unfolding Newtonian revolution and the development of intellectual and political liberty.
338 pages, Paperback
First published January 6, 2000
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422 people want to read
About the author
Robyn Arianrhod
8Ìýbooks422ÌýfollowersRobyn Arianrhod is an Australian science writer historian of science known for her works on the predecessors to Albert Einstein, on Émilie du Châtelet and Mary Somerville, and on Thomas Harriot.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 8, 2019
Revisted in 2019: When I reviewed this some years back I began with a cross rant, which I'm going to truncate here. It is a great pity that this book did not have competent editorial assistance - not one of OUP's strong points (rolls eyes). Intensely irritating is that the author uses the word 'recall' incessantly and inappropriately. It would have been a simple matter for OUP to fix before publication. It's by no means the only flaw and more on that later.
However, I really don’t want to put you off reading about two women whose impact on the science world of France and the UK lasted for hundreds of years.
As the author chose to write this in chronological order, this book has the misfortune of starting with the more interesting of the two stories it tells. The tale of Chatelet verges on the incredible, after which Somerville’s life palls in comparison. I can’t help thinking with some creativity applied, this history might have been presented in reverse chronological order to good effect. There might even have been some advantage in having done so, aside from making it more readable.
I bought this book because I discovered the influence that Mary Somerville had in England for a hundred years or so as the translator (and 'improver') of Laplace used in universities until the mid-nineteenth century, at least, and wished to find out more about the background to this. The first part of the book, however, tells the nicely complementary story of Emilie du Chatelet, who somewhat earlier translated Newton to French, standing the test of time so that even late in the twentieth century it was highly regarded. Chatelet, like Somerville, was forced to set about her own education as an adult, no easy thing despite being an aristocrat. Her life was spent looking after an estate, having at least some times to educate her children herself, it was spent in part with her husband - if only for form and friendliness - and in passion and intellect with Voltaire. It is evident from this book that Voltaire would have been greatly diminished in the absence of Chatelet. Although one could say this was a reciprocal relationship, it nonetheless was a relationship that made things harder in some respects for Chatelet as she put Voltaire first always. Thus her life also consisted of keeping him out of gaol, getting him out of gaol, getting him unexiled, keeping him out of trouble, and helping him with his scientific endeavours. This latter was particularly important since he really wasn't up to it, whereas she was. Her own research, however, tended to be conducted in secret in the middle of the night, in her bedroom, using as equipment torn sheets and the like, so that it didn't interfere with his work or make him jealous.
Indeed, maybe she underestimated him in this last regard, since it seems he was anything but jealous of her greater abilities, generous in his praise and loyal to -
Loyal to? How to finish that. Emilie was beautiful, extremely intelligent and men were loyal to her. Her husband put up with the fact that her relationship with Voltaire utterly broke the formal rules of extra-marital affairs in France: it was real and it was public. Voltaire, when Emilie was in her late thirties, told her he didn't want to have sex with her any more. She was gutted but still stunning. After she found out by accident that Voltaire had moved on sexually, so did she. She became involved with a young man of society. Despite this Voltaire was utterly loyal in that he stayed with her, her husband stayed with her and Newton stayed with her. She was still desperately trying to finish her translation of Newton when the unthinkable happened. She felt pregnant to the young man. In her forties! I imagine that would be like being in your sixties and becoming pregnant now. Life expectancy can't have been more than around that figure, I would have thought. So now she has the disgrace of this happening, she has Voltaire livid - somehow he seemed to think that she would remain celibate in memory of him?! - her husband is humiliated, the young man is confused...but she still has them all. They are all still with her, now a bub inside her too...AND Newton. I am truly in awe of the fact that in this state she was still working on Newton. Voltaire, somewhat losing patience, said to a friend
Despite that, the baby did slip out with incredible ease, Emilie spent the next days making last changes to Principia...
And then? Suddenly one week after giving birth she died, just like that.
The husband, the ex-sexual-lover and still lover in other ways Voltaire, the young lover and father of the baby Saint-Lambert, were all utterly devastated. Of the latter it was said by a friend 'I would never have believed him capable of such passion,' his grief led to a breakdown from which he took a year to recover.
I can't help thinking Humphrey Bogart would have said 'This is some dame'. Boy, is she what.
Then, this heartbreaking footnote from some 40 years later in the 1790s when the churchyard in which she was buried was ransacked. One of her young admirers, now 83 years
This is the story that is unputdownable, it is impossible not to love Emilie and the author does a fair job of putting you in her shoes, at her dinner table, in her pained thoughts about her work. She also does a reasonable job of putting science as it was into the social and philosophical setting of the period. For me, she did not do a good job of making the science itself accessible, but aside from being a scientific imbecile, you will recall I was also irritated beyond endurance by the recall word and after a while skipped over the science. The author already has a reputation for pop maths/science, so I am prepared to take all the blame.
I've been discussing the whole issue of reviewing lately, being honest vs saying nice things and I'm rather torn on this one. It has large flaws, but nonetheless the subject matter is in my opinion so rarely dealt with, that it is worth endeavouring with this and most readers might not even notice some of the things that I have been picky about. Although the author herself was full of praise for the publishing assistance she received when she wrote to me in response to a query, I think she has been utterly let down by completely inadequate editorial process. I simply cannot understand at a point in time where real publishing houses should be stating loudly and clearly that there is genuine value and purpose to their role, why it is that we see instead something that quite simply fails the writer. The material was here to make a GREAT book, instead of which it is far far less than that.
Shame OUP.
-------------------
Written during my reading...
Recommended for: all the male scientists and academics who think they have it tough.
I bought this to find out more about Mary Somerville, having discovered how influential her work was in the UK for a hundred years. What a bonus to discover the story of the scientist, mathematician and writer Emilie Du Chatelet.
The book is in chronological order and hence starts with an account of du Chatelet's life and work. She has the advantage of being a wealthy aristocrat. Against that, however, all the disadvantages stand out, the consequence of being female. Even becoming educated as an adult was a great struggle.
The legacy of the crippling handicap of being female was that even when she overcame it to produce a translation of Newton which remains the standard French account (as well as the first), at the time there was the usual condemnation and presumption that it was the result of the work of the various men in her life. I understand it is only over the past forty years or so, as women are slowly being accepted as approximately 'equal' to men, that history is being rewritten to put Du Chatelet where she should be.
Arianrhod is a competent writer and mathematician and gives an account which is nicely dispassionate while occasionally finding it impossible not to express her emotion. You will understand why, if you read the book. You will read it with your heart in your mouth for Du Chatelet. You'll be barracking for her all the way.
Hate the reference 'system'. You guess when you are on a page if there will be any references and go to the back of the book to search for them.
The author makes some attempt to explain the personal side of this venture, her own development in the field and how it drew her to her subjects. There is a brief discussion of the status of women in science at the time of writing. I don’t think any of this works. The author’s life is not an interesting addition to the story of the subjects and the discussion of ‘how things are now� is simply way too cursory for it to have any point. Nor is is possible to see the soul mate connection: the author spent a bit of time in her life deliberately eschewing modern conveniences which is simply not anything like the difficulties under which these two were forced to labour.
However, I really don’t want to put you off reading about two women whose impact on the science world of France and the UK lasted for hundreds of years.
As the author chose to write this in chronological order, this book has the misfortune of starting with the more interesting of the two stories it tells. The tale of Chatelet verges on the incredible, after which Somerville’s life palls in comparison. I can’t help thinking with some creativity applied, this history might have been presented in reverse chronological order to good effect. There might even have been some advantage in having done so, aside from making it more readable.
I bought this book because I discovered the influence that Mary Somerville had in England for a hundred years or so as the translator (and 'improver') of Laplace used in universities until the mid-nineteenth century, at least, and wished to find out more about the background to this. The first part of the book, however, tells the nicely complementary story of Emilie du Chatelet, who somewhat earlier translated Newton to French, standing the test of time so that even late in the twentieth century it was highly regarded. Chatelet, like Somerville, was forced to set about her own education as an adult, no easy thing despite being an aristocrat. Her life was spent looking after an estate, having at least some times to educate her children herself, it was spent in part with her husband - if only for form and friendliness - and in passion and intellect with Voltaire. It is evident from this book that Voltaire would have been greatly diminished in the absence of Chatelet. Although one could say this was a reciprocal relationship, it nonetheless was a relationship that made things harder in some respects for Chatelet as she put Voltaire first always. Thus her life also consisted of keeping him out of gaol, getting him out of gaol, getting him unexiled, keeping him out of trouble, and helping him with his scientific endeavours. This latter was particularly important since he really wasn't up to it, whereas she was. Her own research, however, tended to be conducted in secret in the middle of the night, in her bedroom, using as equipment torn sheets and the like, so that it didn't interfere with his work or make him jealous.
Indeed, maybe she underestimated him in this last regard, since it seems he was anything but jealous of her greater abilities, generous in his praise and loyal to -
Loyal to? How to finish that. Emilie was beautiful, extremely intelligent and men were loyal to her. Her husband put up with the fact that her relationship with Voltaire utterly broke the formal rules of extra-marital affairs in France: it was real and it was public. Voltaire, when Emilie was in her late thirties, told her he didn't want to have sex with her any more. She was gutted but still stunning. After she found out by accident that Voltaire had moved on sexually, so did she. She became involved with a young man of society. Despite this Voltaire was utterly loyal in that he stayed with her, her husband stayed with her and Newton stayed with her. She was still desperately trying to finish her translation of Newton when the unthinkable happened. She felt pregnant to the young man. In her forties! I imagine that would be like being in your sixties and becoming pregnant now. Life expectancy can't have been more than around that figure, I would have thought. So now she has the disgrace of this happening, she has Voltaire livid - somehow he seemed to think that she would remain celibate in memory of him?! - her husband is humiliated, the young man is confused...but she still has them all. They are all still with her, now a bub inside her too...AND Newton. I am truly in awe of the fact that in this state she was still working on Newton. Voltaire, somewhat losing patience, said to a friend
'Madame du Chatelet has not yet delivered. She has more difficulty bringing into the world a baby than a book'.
Despite that, the baby did slip out with incredible ease, Emilie spent the next days making last changes to Principia...
And then? Suddenly one week after giving birth she died, just like that.
The husband, the ex-sexual-lover and still lover in other ways Voltaire, the young lover and father of the baby Saint-Lambert, were all utterly devastated. Of the latter it was said by a friend 'I would never have believed him capable of such passion,' his grief led to a breakdown from which he took a year to recover.
I can't help thinking Humphrey Bogart would have said 'This is some dame'. Boy, is she what.
Then, this heartbreaking footnote from some 40 years later in the 1790s when the churchyard in which she was buried was ransacked. One of her young admirers, now 83 years
watched a shocking desecration of Emilie's grave, in which her bones were scattered and her jewellery and finery mocked and stolen by uncomprehending 'citizens' of the new republic. When the mob had gone, Devaux lovingly replaced Emilie's remains in her grave. There was no inscription on her black, marble tombstone, but the old man regularly kept a silent vigil in honour of her memory, sitting by her grave and remembering the glory days of the philosophes - the days of hope, through faith in reason, before reason temporarily turned into madness.
This is the story that is unputdownable, it is impossible not to love Emilie and the author does a fair job of putting you in her shoes, at her dinner table, in her pained thoughts about her work. She also does a reasonable job of putting science as it was into the social and philosophical setting of the period. For me, she did not do a good job of making the science itself accessible, but aside from being a scientific imbecile, you will recall I was also irritated beyond endurance by the recall word and after a while skipped over the science. The author already has a reputation for pop maths/science, so I am prepared to take all the blame.
I've been discussing the whole issue of reviewing lately, being honest vs saying nice things and I'm rather torn on this one. It has large flaws, but nonetheless the subject matter is in my opinion so rarely dealt with, that it is worth endeavouring with this and most readers might not even notice some of the things that I have been picky about. Although the author herself was full of praise for the publishing assistance she received when she wrote to me in response to a query, I think she has been utterly let down by completely inadequate editorial process. I simply cannot understand at a point in time where real publishing houses should be stating loudly and clearly that there is genuine value and purpose to their role, why it is that we see instead something that quite simply fails the writer. The material was here to make a GREAT book, instead of which it is far far less than that.
Shame OUP.
-------------------
Written during my reading...
Recommended for: all the male scientists and academics who think they have it tough.
I bought this to find out more about Mary Somerville, having discovered how influential her work was in the UK for a hundred years. What a bonus to discover the story of the scientist, mathematician and writer Emilie Du Chatelet.
The book is in chronological order and hence starts with an account of du Chatelet's life and work. She has the advantage of being a wealthy aristocrat. Against that, however, all the disadvantages stand out, the consequence of being female. Even becoming educated as an adult was a great struggle.
The legacy of the crippling handicap of being female was that even when she overcame it to produce a translation of Newton which remains the standard French account (as well as the first), at the time there was the usual condemnation and presumption that it was the result of the work of the various men in her life. I understand it is only over the past forty years or so, as women are slowly being accepted as approximately 'equal' to men, that history is being rewritten to put Du Chatelet where she should be.
Arianrhod is a competent writer and mathematician and gives an account which is nicely dispassionate while occasionally finding it impossible not to express her emotion. You will understand why, if you read the book. You will read it with your heart in your mouth for Du Chatelet. You'll be barracking for her all the way.
Hate the reference 'system'. You guess when you are on a page if there will be any references and go to the back of the book to search for them.
The author makes some attempt to explain the personal side of this venture, her own development in the field and how it drew her to her subjects. There is a brief discussion of the status of women in science at the time of writing. I don’t think any of this works. The author’s life is not an interesting addition to the story of the subjects and the discussion of ‘how things are now� is simply way too cursory for it to have any point. Nor is is possible to see the soul mate connection: the author spent a bit of time in her life deliberately eschewing modern conveniences which is simply not anything like the difficulties under which these two were forced to labour.
January 20, 2016
Back in the 1980s when schools were not only keen to redress the gender imbalance but were required to do so by government, there was particular concern about the lack of female role models in science and maths. They were few and far between.
Well, it’s not hard to see why there weren’t too many female scientists and mathematicians prior to reliable birth control: these are subjects where concept formation is sequential so time out for having a baby every year is a bit of a barrier, to say the least. And then, of course, there was the not inconsequential matter of access to education. Even the daughters of the wealthy missed out. Their brothers, either with professional private tutors or at school, were taught serious, useful subjects to fit them for purposeful lives, to understand the world around them, to continue with further study at university or to follow their own interests in research and discovery if they wanted to. Science was a ‘gentleman’s hobby then, not a profession.
Daughters of the wealthy, on the other hand, learned The Accomplishments, i.e. nothing that would tax (or stimulate) the brain but would make women fit for pleasant companionship. Girls learned the art of conversation, perhaps in one or two foreign languages � but certainly not Latin or Greek which is what the boys learned. Girls learned to be able to entertain the household with music, song and reading books aloud; to do pretty crafts such as tatting and embroidery; and to do a bit of sketching or portraiture.
So women like the subjects of this most interesting book by Robyn Arianrhod were very, very rare. Seduced by Logic tells the story of Émilie du Chatelet (1706-1749) who translated Isaac Newton’s Principia and defied the Paris Establishment by promoting his theories on the Continent. It was she who made this work of genius accessible to scholars and philosophers across Europe so that they might build on it with further discoveries. And she was able to do this because she understood it, where many of them did not � because they were constrained by religious orthodoxy and (to some extent) xenophobic distrust of ideas which came from England.
Émilie du Châtelat is one of the heroes of Enlightenment France, but everybody remembers the name of her lover Voltaire instead.
To read the rest of my review please visit
Well, it’s not hard to see why there weren’t too many female scientists and mathematicians prior to reliable birth control: these are subjects where concept formation is sequential so time out for having a baby every year is a bit of a barrier, to say the least. And then, of course, there was the not inconsequential matter of access to education. Even the daughters of the wealthy missed out. Their brothers, either with professional private tutors or at school, were taught serious, useful subjects to fit them for purposeful lives, to understand the world around them, to continue with further study at university or to follow their own interests in research and discovery if they wanted to. Science was a ‘gentleman’s hobby then, not a profession.
Daughters of the wealthy, on the other hand, learned The Accomplishments, i.e. nothing that would tax (or stimulate) the brain but would make women fit for pleasant companionship. Girls learned the art of conversation, perhaps in one or two foreign languages � but certainly not Latin or Greek which is what the boys learned. Girls learned to be able to entertain the household with music, song and reading books aloud; to do pretty crafts such as tatting and embroidery; and to do a bit of sketching or portraiture.
So women like the subjects of this most interesting book by Robyn Arianrhod were very, very rare. Seduced by Logic tells the story of Émilie du Chatelet (1706-1749) who translated Isaac Newton’s Principia and defied the Paris Establishment by promoting his theories on the Continent. It was she who made this work of genius accessible to scholars and philosophers across Europe so that they might build on it with further discoveries. And she was able to do this because she understood it, where many of them did not � because they were constrained by religious orthodoxy and (to some extent) xenophobic distrust of ideas which came from England.
Émilie du Châtelat is one of the heroes of Enlightenment France, but everybody remembers the name of her lover Voltaire instead.
To read the rest of my review please visit
May 30, 2017
I did not notice the endless "recall"ing that other reviewers have noticed. Maybe because I'm a math major and so we get used to repetition in that area of life.
Émilie du Châtelet is definitely one of my mathematical heroes, and most of that is as a direct result of reading this book. She was remarkably motivated, even in an age where women were considered to be unable or incapable of higher thinking. Truly an inspiration, and a very good person to look up to when being lazy to do my own work.
Mary Somerville also made me realize how privileged I am in this day and age; people tend to give me math books, whereas both Mary and Émilie had their books and candles taken away to save them from themselves. Sobering.
Émilie du Châtelet is definitely one of my mathematical heroes, and most of that is as a direct result of reading this book. She was remarkably motivated, even in an age where women were considered to be unable or incapable of higher thinking. Truly an inspiration, and a very good person to look up to when being lazy to do my own work.
Mary Somerville also made me realize how privileged I am in this day and age; people tend to give me math books, whereas both Mary and Émilie had their books and candles taken away to save them from themselves. Sobering.
June 8, 2018
This is a magnificent book, in so many ways. First on my list of accolades is praise for Robyn Arianrhod's achievement--to fully explain the significance of these two women's contribution to mathematics (and in Emilie's case physics) as only a mathematician of Arianrhod's calibre could do. I am a lifelong fan of Emilie du Chatelet, yet none of the biographies I've read in French or English (and I believe I've read them all) have even tried to give me the insight into Emilie's mathematical genius that Arianrhod describes with such clarity and elegance. American Ira Wade first explained Emilie's importance in the history of mathematics in his groundbreaking book last century; Arianrhod generously fills out the picture in this book and paints a sympathetic, balanced portrait that even I, a non-mathematician, can understand. She then goes on to introduce Mary Somerville, of whom I confess I'd never heard, and produces another vivid portrait, worthy of JMW Turner, with whom Somerville was friendly. Easy to read, sparkling with two amazing characters, this is an inspiring book that brings two extraordinary women to centre stage, for women of our century to admire and learn from.
March 10, 2021
Yes, I only read, for the most part, the ones exclusively about the life of my favourite French mathematician Émilie du Châtelet. And yes, she is my profile picture. Can’t help it, she’s too glorious not to put on display.
June 20, 2018
2 smart 4 me
December 10, 2024
The first story about Émilie Du Châtelet is really exciting by also incorporating lots of context of her era and developing her story alongside other famous characters, including her lover, Voltaire. It gets into good background of Newtonian physics without overwhelming the reader with sophisticated formulas and equations. The second half about Mary Somerville, however, felt at times that it was more about other mathematicians and discovery by others than necessarily her. But because of how good the first 2/3rds of the book were, I rated it higher. I enjoyed it overall and helped me get a better understanding of foundational physics and its history.
July 17, 2016
Seduced by Logic: Emilie Du Chatelet, Mary Somerville, and the Newtonian Revolution is an interesting hybrid between science, history, and biography. It is aimed at the lay reader, but it is also a book that pays scholarly attention to detail and encourages further exploration into the various threads of science, politics, and philosophy Arianrhod has woven into a cohesive narrative. Arianrhod turns mathematics, and its relationship to other Enlightenment ideas, into a major theme and takes great delight in leading the reader into an understanding of why ' mathematics is the language of the universe'( p. 254).
That this language is not immediately clear to all is intimated by Arianrhod's choice to highlight women who were more notable in their roles as science facilitators then as independent scientists themselves, though they 'also managed a degree of active involvement in the practice of physics, in which they published original research papers' (p. 4). While the author may introduce ' the wonderfully outrageous Émilie du Châtelet and the charmingly subversive Mary Somerville' (p. 1) as heroines the truth is that their lives are secondary to the author's sketch of the scientific legacy left by Newton, the Newtonian Revolution of the title.The book debunks the ' detached, rational, "lone genius" stereotype of popular scientific legend' (p.4). This wide lens approach to the scientific turns of history forces the reader to process information that has no connection to the story they think they are following. One entertaining example of this is when Arianrhod finishes a paragraph on the discovery of electromagnetism and how Benjamin Franklin's experiments with lightning contributed to it with the aside that incidentally ' Franklin had assisted Jefferson in drafting the American Declaration of Independence' (p.234). Part of this generalization is due to the intended readership. Many topics are simplified to make sure the reader does not become lost. This pandering to a lay reader extends to a lack of footnotes or in-text citations to make the story flow more on the page. While this technique makes reading a breeze it forces those who want more depth to negotiate the author's notes and sources at the back of the book for further explanation, this also applies to diagrams of the mathematical equations discussed in the text. Another more serious gloss structurally is the generalizing that is made of the oppression of women over time: the book does not take delve into the different historical contexts or social classes of the women.
The book is inspiring and enjoyable, even to readers who prefer words to mathematical equations, but it can fall short of expectations due to the fact that there are not enough pages to cover such a vast time period and its dazzling discoveries with minute detail. Arianrhod has found a way of combining the sciences with the humanities in a way that makes the book interdisciplinary and suggests further research.
That this language is not immediately clear to all is intimated by Arianrhod's choice to highlight women who were more notable in their roles as science facilitators then as independent scientists themselves, though they 'also managed a degree of active involvement in the practice of physics, in which they published original research papers' (p. 4). While the author may introduce ' the wonderfully outrageous Émilie du Châtelet and the charmingly subversive Mary Somerville' (p. 1) as heroines the truth is that their lives are secondary to the author's sketch of the scientific legacy left by Newton, the Newtonian Revolution of the title.The book debunks the ' detached, rational, "lone genius" stereotype of popular scientific legend' (p.4). This wide lens approach to the scientific turns of history forces the reader to process information that has no connection to the story they think they are following. One entertaining example of this is when Arianrhod finishes a paragraph on the discovery of electromagnetism and how Benjamin Franklin's experiments with lightning contributed to it with the aside that incidentally ' Franklin had assisted Jefferson in drafting the American Declaration of Independence' (p.234). Part of this generalization is due to the intended readership. Many topics are simplified to make sure the reader does not become lost. This pandering to a lay reader extends to a lack of footnotes or in-text citations to make the story flow more on the page. While this technique makes reading a breeze it forces those who want more depth to negotiate the author's notes and sources at the back of the book for further explanation, this also applies to diagrams of the mathematical equations discussed in the text. Another more serious gloss structurally is the generalizing that is made of the oppression of women over time: the book does not take delve into the different historical contexts or social classes of the women.
The book is inspiring and enjoyable, even to readers who prefer words to mathematical equations, but it can fall short of expectations due to the fact that there are not enough pages to cover such a vast time period and its dazzling discoveries with minute detail. Arianrhod has found a way of combining the sciences with the humanities in a way that makes the book interdisciplinary and suggests further research.
April 12, 2015
This book is incredible, and inspiring.
Robyn brings light and colour to the 1700 & 1800's, weaving in facts so effortlessly that you do not even register them, only absorb. She touches on scientists of note at the time, piecing together the past in a beautiful quilt of scientific intrigue and bitter feuds, as well as political upheavals, friendships, loves, and scandals.
But even among the quirks and genius of the men who ruled that era (most notably Newton himself), she makes Emilie and Mary shine.
As they only deserve to...
Robyn brings light and colour to the 1700 & 1800's, weaving in facts so effortlessly that you do not even register them, only absorb. She touches on scientists of note at the time, piecing together the past in a beautiful quilt of scientific intrigue and bitter feuds, as well as political upheavals, friendships, loves, and scandals.
But even among the quirks and genius of the men who ruled that era (most notably Newton himself), she makes Emilie and Mary shine.
As they only deserve to...
February 22, 2022
Seduced by Logic has a clear purpose and serves it. I did not find the writing in this book particularly flavorful, and I feel that it spent too much time discussing the work of Newton as opposed to its actual subjects. Regardless, Seduced by Logic is an important book for Enlightenment historians because rarely are important women if the period documented as thoroughly as in this book. I would be interested to see how it would turn out had an editor had more input.
March 20, 2012
Difficult going but very rewarding. The author is a physicist and so despite her best efforts assumes the reader has some basic knowledge of physics. Still it is wonderful to read about women in history who surmounted seemingly impossible barriers to make contributions to science. Inspiring to stay the least
September 9, 2014
There were a couple issues of organization, but the tangents were all relevant and enjoyable.
Also, Émilie Du Châtelet has a story that makes me wonder why it isn't told more. Drama, an uphill struggle, what more could you ask for?
Also, Émilie Du Châtelet has a story that makes me wonder why it isn't told more. Drama, an uphill struggle, what more could you ask for?
August 19, 2013
Quite interesting but rather badly written. Desperately needs a good editor.
October 20, 2015
Robyn Arianrhod needs an editor for this book, obviously. Good idea but badly written.
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