Isaac the Alchemist

December 5, 2016
In this charming biography of Isaac Newton (1642–1727), Losure (Wild Boy) posits that “this last sorcerer—this greatest of all alchemists—was the same man who banished magic from the scientific world.” Portrayed as an uncommonly inquisitive, albeit reclusive, thinker with a secret addiction to alchemy (not an unusual preoccupation in a period when the borders between science and magic were uncertain), Newton may have written as many as a million words regarding alchemy, papers he kept while destroying many related to his revolutionary work in other fields: mathematics, optics, and what is now called physics. Interspersing engrossing chapters about alchemy (but largely ignoring the last third of Newton’s life), Losure uses a light touch to trace his childhood endeavors, his rise from student to professor at Cambridge’s Trinity College, his prickly relationship with other scientists in the Royal Society (Newton became a member in 1672), and the publication of his masterpiece, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, in 1687. Period images and afterwords with curiosity-spiking headings such as “Stinks, Bangs & More Chymical Secrets” bring additional depth and interest to this study of Newton’s surprising pursuits. Ages 10–up.

Starred review from December 1, 2016

Gr 6-8-Losure brings a world-renowned scientist to life. Isaac Newton's story, from his tough formative years through the end of his life, is ably told and peppered with a mix of Old English and scientific terms. Fascinating details, such as experiments with mercury that involved him tasting the poisonous element, humanize him and will keep reader interest high. Losure adeptly presents the complex subjects of chemistry, math, and physics, along with alchemy-related recipes, by breaking up the narrative with engrossing images from Newton's published and private works and other books that he used or referred to in his research. The back matter includes excerpts from Newton's journals and other contemporaneous texts and an author's note that explains how Losure researched and used these materials-an excellent addition to reinforce lessons on how to find and use primary sources. VERDICT Losure has written a volume that both informs and excites. Highly recommended for middle school science biography sections.-Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2016
The last of the magicians: Sir Isaac Newton.In the middle of the 17th century, in a Puritan England full of mystery and magic, Newton grew up over an apothecary shop, studied alchemy and the world around him, went to Cambridge, taught himself mathematics, and deduced the laws of motion that underlie our understanding of the physical world. Losure has created a compellingly readable biography of the father of modern physics and "greatest alchemist who ever lived," starting, appropriately for her audience, with his lonely childhood. She pieces together bits of information from his notebooks, from his biographers, old and new, and from social history to create a plausible character and bring readers into his world. Her Newton is bookish and curious about the world around him, mostly self-taught, reclusive and secretive about his discoveries--not only his efforts to create a "philosopher's stone," but also his observations about light (after they were scorned by another scientist), his invention of calculus, and his laws of motion. Much about Newton's life has to be conjecture, but the author adds details from history and from her understanding of human behavior that make this splendid story both convincing and accessible to her readers. Illustrations, engravings from the time and pages from his notes, and interesting afterwords add to the appeal. Narrative nonfiction at its best and most convincing. (acknowledgements, source notes, bibliography, index not seen) (Nonfiction. 10-15)

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December 1, 2016
Grades 6-9 Isaac Newton is known as one of the most brilliant scientific minds in human history, so what was he doing studying alchemy? Losure (The Fairy Ring, 2012) paints a vivid picture of the lonely, curious young Isaac, who grew up with an insatiable appetite for reading (particularly about alchemy), which ultimately fueled his scholarly pursuits. While teaching mathematics and formulating his famous theories, for instance, he simultaneously pored over crucibles of mercury, hoping to transmute lead into gold. Of course, we know now that alchemy is nonsense, but in Isaac's seventeenth-century existence, it was a serious scientific study and thought to be the key to unlocking the universe's secrets. In Losure's engaging narrative, she compellingly ties Isaac's desire to solve the world's mysteries through alchemy to his groundbreaking theories, which actually did lead to solving many of those mysteries. Snippets of Isaac's notebooks and period illustrations further enliven Losure's already fascinating, energetic writing. More than just a picture of Isaac Newton's life, this illuminates the historical context for his work and the sea change his discoveries ushered in.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

Starred review from January 1, 2017
In 1936, economist John Maynard Keyes bought a set of Isaac Newton's manuscripts at auction only to discover that many of the pages had nothing to do with science, but rather alchemy. Newton, Keyes reasoned, "was not the first of the age of reasonHe was the last of the magicians." Indeed, Newton grew up in a world where it was very difficult to tell where one field of study ended and another began, a world where alchemy and "chymistry" (as it was then spelled) seemed to be related disciplines. Losure faithfully hews to this worldview, communicating the sense of awe and wonder about the natural world that Newton must have felt. This immersive experience is enhanced by historical documents that are reproduced throughout the text, along with several appendices of additional information. Perhaps even more impressive than her re-creation of Newton's world, however, is her re-creation of the man himself--or rather, the boy who became the man--without embellishing the historical record with speculation and conjecture. Thus, the reader is left with the bare facts of Newton's life--his difficult and troubled childhood, his prodigious talent at Cambridge, his prickly and reclusive nature, and his famous Laws of Motion--but more importantly, Losure has communicated his very essence, recalling Albert Einstein's assertion that "imagination is more important than knowledge." Source notes, a bibliography, and an index are appended. jonathan hunt

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)