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Bezig met laden... Emilie Du Chatelet: Daring Genius of the Enlightenmentdoor Judith P. Zinsser
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. I read parts of this biography & then decided I had better books to read. Perhaps I just got too annoyed at La Marquise & her milieu. Granted, in 18th century France, only a wealthy, high-status noblewoman would have been able to engage in the intellectual pursuits of Emily du Chatelet (mathematics, physics, philosophy) & granted, she was, at a minimum, exceedingly brilliant. Nevertheless I found her insufferable. Vive la revolution! geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
The only woman of the Enlightenment to be recognized for her genius, Gabrielle Emilie le Tonnelier de Breteuil was born to the highest circles of the French aristocracy, married a marquis at the age of eighteen, and indulged in all the pleasures of her class. Then, at 27, defying convention, she became the mistress of Voltaire, embarking on an extraordinary and transformative intellectual journey as his patroness, lover and companion. Historian Zinsser explores how she transformed herself from courtier, wife, and mother into one of the leading intellects of the French Enlightenment, an accomplished mathematician, physicist, translator, and author of original works of philosophy and science. At the end of her life, pregnant by a young new lover, she raced to complete her translation and commentary on Newton's Principia. By bringing this singular woman to life with style and wit, Zinsser at last gives this revolutionary her due.--From publisher description. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)848.509Literature French and related languages Miscellaneous French writings 18th century 1715–89LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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The irony is circumstantial evidence indicates Zinsser is probably correct. The Marquise translated Newton (I’m not sure if Zinsser’s claim that her translation is still the definitive French version is correct). She mastered calculus, which is no mean feat – I’d bet there weren’t a dozen people in the world who could make that claim in the 1730s. Although Zinsser glosses over it, the Marquise’s most significant work might be experiments with heat – she set up a foundry at her chateau and measured the cooling rate of various molten metals. It seems that Voltaire, although he assisted her, didn’t quite understand what she was trying to accomplish here – although it isn’t very glamorous, the careful measurement of physical properties is the foundation of all science and technology. Her contemporaries acknowledged her with favorable reviews of her books without mentioning her gender or nobility. It’s too bad this book – which I again agree is interesting enough as a biography of a courtier of the time – doesn’t go into more detail on just what was involved in the Marquise’s mathematical and scientific work. ( )