Newton's Principia for the Common Reader (Physics) (Psychology)

出版者:Oxford University Press, USA

作者:S. Chandrasekhar

页数:616

出版时间:1995-07-27

价格:USD 255.95

装帧:Hardcover

isbn号码:9780198517443

具体描述

Review

"Only a few have ventured into Newton's forbidding cathedral of scientific understanding with the persistence and ability to appreciate both its genuine miracles and the sublime elegance of the imposing structures to be found within it. One of the most eminent of those who have done so is Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar." Sir Roger Penrose, Times Higher Education Supplement

"All will be grateful to Chandrasekhar for providing us with an access to the magnificence of the Principia that is exciting and relatively painless. He acts as a superb guide, pointing out ornaments of particular elegance and subtlety, while all the time keeping us in mind of the grandeur of purpose of the magnificent architecture." Sir Roger Penrose, Times Higher Education Supplement.

"Those who are familiar with Chandrasekhar's work...may find it surprising that he has devoted so many of his latest years to exploring the delights of Newton's geometry. This surprise is removed, once one appreciates that it is in his artistry with equations rather than with brute-force calculations, that his ability, in this regard, lie." Sir Roger Penrose, Times Higher Education Supplement

"...there is no question that Chandrasekhar has performed a uniquely valuable service. I know I shall often return to his book and continue to take advantage of his insights into Newton's supreme work for years to come." Sir Roger Penrose, Times Higher Education Supplement

`Chandrasekhar transforms the Newtonian mathematics into modern idiom and thus makes it much more accessible to what he quaintly refers to as the "common reader". The beauty, clarity and economy of Newton's achievements shine through. The great joy of Chandrasekhar's book is that it repays all the attention one gives it. As one proceeds, everything becomes so much easier to undrstand. The veil of Newtonian obscurity is lifted and one begins to grasp is lifted and one begins to grasp the extent of Newton's achievement.' David Hughes, Nature

`This book will stimulate great interest and debate among the scientific community, illuminating the brilliance of Newton's work.' Zentrallblatt fur Mathematik, Vol. 821, 1995

`... a remarkable tour de force ...' Leon Mestel

`This remarkable book is both an interpretation of and a commentary on Newton's 'Principia' in which the author analyses some 150 propositions which lead eventually to the formulation of the law of gravitation.' Aslib Book Guide, Vol. 60, No. 9, September 1995

`....a remarkable tour de force..' Leon Mestel, The Observatory, February 1996

`To grasp the truly awesome nature of Newton's achievement in the Principia, it is necessary to turn to Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar's Newton's Principia for the Common Reader...This is a valuable guide to the Principia--certainly beyond the level of the "common reader"--that will take its place in the succession of major commentaries on the Principia of the past three centuries.' Physics Today, November 1996

Product Description

Representing a decade's work from one of the world's most distinguished physicists, this major publication is, as far as is known, the first comprehensive analysis of Newton's Principia without recourse to secondary sources. Chandrasekhar analyses some 150 propositions which form a direct chain leading to Newton's formulation of his universal law of gravitation. In each case, Newton's proofs are arranged in a linear sequence of equations and arguments, avoiding the need to unravel the necessarily convoluted style of Newton's connected prose. In almost every case, a modern version of the proofs is given to bring into sharp focus the beauty, clarity, and breathtaking economy of Newton's methods. This book will stimulate great interest and debate among the scientific community, illuminating the brilliance of Newton's work under the steady gaze of Chandrasekhar's rare perception.

用户评价

从整体的情绪基调来看，这本书散发着一种强烈的、近乎宗教般的热情，但这种热情指向的对象似乎有些分散。作者对牛顿本人怀有近乎神化的崇敬，但这崇敬之情并没有完全转化为清晰的知识传递。更像是，作者沉浸在了自己构建的知识宇宙中，邀请读者进入，但并未提供一张可靠的地图。在讨论到牛顿的炼金术和神学活动时，那种笔墨的投入程度，甚至超过了对经典力学基础的讲解。这让我感觉，这本书与其说是一部物理学入门，不如说是一部关于“牛顿这个复杂个体”的深度侧写，而且侧重于那些非科学领域的探索。对于我来说，我最想从“牛顿”这个名字里获取的，关于如何理解物体运动的基本法则，反而在这种对传主本人全方位（甚至过度全方位）的剖析中，变得模糊不清，最终更像是一场关于天才内心世界的、华丽但有些跑偏的学术考察报告。

这部书的封面设计着实引人注目，那是一种老派的、带着一点历史厚重感的排版，仿佛直接从维多利亚时代的图书馆书架上搬下来的。我最初被它吸引，是冲着那个“Newton”的名头去的，心里盘算着，至少能找到些许经典物理学的骨架脉络。然而，当我真正翻开第一章时，那种期望立刻受到了强烈的冲击。作者的叙事风格极其跳跃，一会儿深入到微积分的早期雏形探讨，那种详尽到让人几乎能闻到羊皮纸味道的推导过程，让我这个非专业人士感到吃力；转眼间，笔锋又急转弯般地跑到了某种关于“心智结构与宇宙秩序对应”的哲学思辨上，完全不是我预想中那种系统、线性的科普读物。感觉作者像是在一个巨大的思维迷宫里漫步，时不时抛出一个精心打磨的观点，但连接这些观点的逻辑链条却时常隐藏在云雾之中。比如，在讨论到引力定律时，他会突然插入一段对十七世纪欧洲贵族沙龙中辩论科学与信仰的细致描述，那种细节的堆砌，虽然丰富了时代背景，却极大地稀释了核心物理概念的讲解力度。这本书更像是一场由一位博学但略显神经质的学者主持的，跨越了学科边界的、令人眼花缭乱的午餐派对，你不知道下一道菜是浓汤还是甜点，但每一口味道都极其复杂。

翻到后半部分，内容开始变得极其零碎，简直像是从好几份不同讲稿里强行拼接出来的。尤其是在涉及心理学和精神哲学的章节，那种感觉尤为强烈。作者似乎在极力证明，牛顿的机械论世界观如何深刻地影响了后世对人类意识的理解，这本身是一个很有意思的切入点。然而，他的论证过程却充满了主观臆断的色彩。他会毫不犹豫地将某位18世纪哲学家的只言片语，拔高到与万有引力定律同等的地位，并进行长篇累牍的解读。这种解读的自由度太大了，以至于我读完一段话后，不得不停下来，反问自己：这是在分析牛顿的思想遗产，还是在为作者本人未发表的心理学理论寻找历史注脚？书中充满了大量的“或许可以这样理解”、“如果深入探究其隐藏的意图”，这种模棱两可的措辞，在严肃的科学或哲学著作中是需要极其谨慎使用的，但在本书中却如同口头禅一般频繁出现，让人对结论的可靠性产生了极大的怀疑。

这本书的版式设计，透露出一种令人费解的矛盾。一方面，印刷质量精良，纸张厚实，装帧坚固，仿佛是要世代相传的典籍；但另一方面，内页的布局却显得拥挤不堪。字体大小时常变动，脚注的引用也常常打断正文的流畅性，有些甚至直接以一种近乎手写体的潦草方式出现，似乎是为了模仿牛顿手稿的原始面貌。这种对“原貌”的过度追求，反而成了阅读的障碍。我发现自己不得不频繁地在正文和注释之间来回跳转，试图理清作者到底是在引用牛顿的原话，还是在阐述自己的理解。这种设计选择，无疑是向那些追求极致学术考据的读者致敬了，但对于我这样寻求轻松阅读体验的人来说，简直是一场视觉上的马拉松。它要求读者付出极大的专注力去解读物理公式、历史背景和哲学思辨交织在一起的文本迷宫，而不是提供一个舒适的观察点。

这本书的阅读体验，简直像是在尝试用一把瑞士军刀去砍一棵红杉树——工具箱里工具是齐全的，但用起来总感觉不得要领。我原以为，既然书名里挂着“Common Reader”，那至少在解释抽象概念时会辅以大量的日常类比或者现代生活实例，毕竟，我们现在看待世界的方式与牛顿时代已经有了天壤之别。可是，作者似乎对“常识”有着一种近乎傲慢的坚持，他似乎默认读者已经具备了某种坚实的古典教育背景，能够无缝对接他那略显晦涩的古法语和拉丁文术语的引用。我印象最深的是关于“作用与反作用”的讨论部分，他用了整整三页篇幅去分析一个假设中在真空环境中悬浮的钟摆，而不是用一个简单的推铅球的例子来建立直观感受。这种处理方式，让本书的门槛陡然升高，对于那些只是想了解牛顿力学基本原理的普通读者来说，这本书与其说是“为普通读者准备的”，不如说是“为那些自诩为不那么普通的读者准备的”。它的价值或许在于重现了牛顿思想的“氛围”，但却牺牲了作为一本普及读物的核心功能——易读性。