Rating: 
Summary: Excellent for Newton's enthusiasts
Review: This book is simply excellent if you really like Newton's work and its importance for physics. Written in good English, the book is a pathway to understand Newton's mind and why his work was revolutionary. However, it is a good idea to have previous knowledge about classical mechanics.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful overview, somewhat overwhelming.
Review: This is a wonderful reference, but frankly, it was overwhelming for me. Let's just say that while the first two sections of this book were clear, informative, meticulously and thoroughly footnoted and annotated, the last section-- the actual translation-- proved beyond my abilities. I'd HIGHLY recommend a college-level geometry course before attempting to read the actual translation of Newton's revolutionary work.
Frankly, the combination of archaic verbiage (Cohen kept a number of obsolescent terms in translating from the original Latin), combined with a predominately narrative style (reading in an entire paragraph what can in modern mathematical symbology be articulated in a single line) combined with my lack of working analytic geometry enabled me to follow this seminal work conceptually, but not in detail. Other reviwers have suggested that a working knowledge of calculus and Newtonian physics is required. I disagree. To follow Newton's proofs in detail, it is Euclidean geometry that is required. Newton's Principia CONCEPTUALLY utilizes calculus, but the proofs themselves are Euclidean with the concept of "infinitisimally small" added to the equation. I have single- and multi-variable calculus, linear algebra, differential equations (first-, second-order, and partial), and graduate-level statistics under my belt. Junior high school geometry is insufficient to understand his work. So far, I am studying tensors, differential geometry/exterior calculus with respect to gravitation physics without too much difficuly. Geometry!
Otherwise, this book was wonderful. Section One is a thoroughly researched historical background. Social setting, scientific thought at the time, the controversies of the times, historical perspective, insights into Newton himself. Wonderfully referenced and annotated.
Section Two is a clear "How to Read" section-- discussing section by section of the Principia what the main concepts and issues are, even critiquing Newton's flaws and obvious attempts to fill in gaps or alter data when existing data were insufficient to his theories! Cohen even guides us step-by-step through some of the more important proofs in the Principia-- proofs that for the most part I followed, except for certain geometric assumptions that I had to assume were true.
My fascination has always been relativity... which I am working on understanding now. When finished, I may read a college-level text in analytic geometry, then come back to this. But I was impressed by the sheer breadth of conceptual material Newton covered. Certainly entitling his last book of The Principia "The System of the World" was justified.
Rating:
Summary: A humbling and awe inspiring experience...
Review: This is the third time I have read the PRINCIPIA. Every time I come back with even greater awe and respect for this masterpiece. Friends, this is a classic work. Reading this book and digesting the material is an experience you will never forget. Just imagine. Three hundred and some years ago Newton came up with the theory of fluxions (Calculus), the theory of light, the theory of gravitation, and much more. Then reading about it in his own words (here translated from the original Latin); is very humbling and awe inspiring. A word of caution. The writing is turgid in keeping with the times and because it is a translation. Also, if you are not familiar with calculus or basic classical mechanics the material will require an extra effort on your part. This is NOT a easy read. Therefore, take your time reading this book. Maybe even a chapter a week. After the initial inconveniences believe me you will not regret it. You will be inspired and plain surprised that this jewel of knowledge is so affordable to us today.
Rating:
Summary: A humbling and awe inspiring experience...
Review: This is the third time I have read the PRINCIPIA. Every time I come back with even greater awe and respect for this masterpiece. Friends, this is a classic work. Reading this book and digesting the material is an experience you will never forget. Just imagine. Three hundred and some years ago Newton came up with the theory of fluxions (Calculus), the theory of light, the theory of gravitation, and much more. Then reading about it in his own words (here translated from the original Latin); is very humbling and awe inspiring. A word of caution. The writing is turgid in keeping with the times and because it is a translation. Also, if you are not familiar with calculus or basic classical mechanics the material will require an extra effort on your part. This is NOT a easy read. Therefore, take your time reading this book. Maybe even a chapter a week. After the initial inconveniences believe me you will not regret it. You will be inspired and plain surprised that this jewel of knowledge is so affordable to us today.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterful Translation
Review: When not using this book as a reference, I often use it to exercise. Seriously, the translation from the original Latin has finally paid off. This book is an important part of science and history. One can get into the thought processes of Newton with this book. Having read other translations, I must say that this one is by far the best.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterful Translation
Review: When not using this book as a reference, I often use it to exercise. Seriously, the translation from the original Latin has finally paid off. This book is an important part of science and history. One can get into the thought processes of Newton with this book. Having read other translations, I must say that this one is by far the best.
Rating:
Summary: now there is a good english edition!
Review: [...]
It was very difficult to grasp in Latin (I've had a try on it),
not that much easy in the Motte facsimile translation (I can assure it), and the Cajori-Motte edition was only half modernized and otherwise flawed. This edition, sponsored by I.B. Cohen (the Latin editor) gives us a fresh, modern English translation of the text, and -almost as thick- a guide to using and reading this all-important book, which is not -as everybody is aware- an easy reader. One word of caution: Newton was, of course, (pace Leibnitz) the discoverer of calculus, but he doesn't use it here, but "more geometrico"
rigorous proofs, much in the style of that other genius of all ages, Archimedes. If you need help grasping the contents and impact of this work, then you must get some book like DENSMORE, D., Newton's Principia: The Central Argument (other auxiliary books are commented in the Guide potion of the book I'm reviewing).
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