In this episode we’re looking at a foundational text of modern math and science, Sir Isaac Newton’s Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. The volume with us today is a beautifully bound third edition, published in 1726 (a first edition, worth millions, would have probably stayed back at the shop, although Ken does describe an electric encounter with Newton’s own annotated copy). Concerned that these laws of motion might be too easy to understand? Don’t worry, the book is also written in Latin. We’ll round out the episode with a chat about more recent collectible math books—and take an interesting digression into the history of the dust jacket—on this dynamic new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #16 - The Spy Behind Home Plate
Batter up! Red Sox catcher Moe Berg was tasked with intercepting much more than fastballs as a spy inflitrating Nazi Germany. Ken shares intimate stories about Moe's life, including numerous visits to the Brattle Book Shop in this privileged look at the enigmatic ballplayer.
