Newton: The Making of Genius

Newton: The Making of Genius is not a conventional biography of the man but a cultural history of the interrelated origins of modern science, the concept of genius, and the phenomenon of fame. Beginning with the eighteenth century, when the word ＂scientist＂ had not even been coined, Fara reveals how the rise of Isaac Newton’s status was inextricably linked to the development of science. His very surname has acquired brand-name-like associations with science, genius, and Britishness-Apple Computers used it for an ill-fated companion to the Mac, and Margaret Thatcher has his image in her coat of arms.

Patricia Fara lectures in the history and philosophy of science department at Cambridge University and is a fellow of Clare College. She lives in Cambridge, England.