Michael White is the author of Conversations with Isaac Newton: A Fictional Dialogue Based on Biographical Facts was published in 2020. It was originally published as Coffee with Isaac Newton in 2008. It is the 38th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this book as G.

The book starts with a brief biography of 17th-century figure Isaac Newton. It covers his early life as a mathematician and scientist. His time as Master of the Royal Mint and as President of the Royal Society is also discussed.

The book then gives a hypothetical conversation between the author and Newton. It covers 14 different subject areas. Included are alchemy, the occult, gravity, and optics.

I enjoyed the 2 hours I spent reading this 129-page biography. Newton is portrayed as a brilliant but somewhat cantankerous character. The book contains a brief explanation of his most important works is given. If you are interested in science, you will enjoy this book. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this book a rating of 4.4 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

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Just like the Freud book I was approved for, I loved this one as well. Taking into consideration that I do not know many details about Isaac Newton, this was a freshly made "encyclopaedia" for me, for lack of a better word. Quite funny and creative, with original dialogues and depicting scenes. A must read for a lighthearted evening!

This book is a posthumous 'interview' with Isaac Newton, one if history's greatest minds.  The content is drawn from views that he had expressed, but are otherwise purely imaginary conversations.  Something about how this book came together sparked my interest and made me want to check it out. The interviews are "believed" to haven taken place near the end of his life. It's definitely a much different approach to a biography and was a lot quicker and easy to read since it is in conversational form!  I really liked it - and it even gave you a list of some further readings to check out if once you were done you decided you needed to find out more!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I wasn't otherwise compensated.

My thanks to Watkins Publishing for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Conversations with Isaac Newton’ by Michael White with an Introduction by Bill Bryson in exchange for an honest review.

From publisher:
‘Imagined by one of the world's foremost Newton scholars, this fictionalized conversation presents the essential biography of one of the greatest scientific minds of all time.’

This is one of a series of fictional dialogues of famous men published by Watkins based on biographical facts.

I was interested in knowing more about the life and work of Isaac Newton. His interest in alchemy and the occult has tended to be downplayed in accounts of his life. I had every confidence that Watkins Publishing, given their history as an imprint, would honour this part of his work. In addition, Michael White wrote an important biography, ‘Isaac Newton: the Last Sorcerer’, that brought this aspect of Newton’s life and work to the fore.

I felt using the concept of a conversation was a very interesting way to frame a short biography and thought that it flowed well. I would think it also suitable as an introductory biography for students.

White concludes with a useful list of suggestions for further reading.

The third for me from this series of reprinted and rebranded "Coffee With…" books, and the one that taught me the most. Yes I knew the laws of motion and some of the other bits, but I think Newton was so removed in time, however his greatness and legacy, that I had never been taught anything like a full grounding of the man and his works. So this cod conversation, a fictional Q&A from perhaps just before his death mask was prepared, was quite eye-opening, especially where Newton's religious fervour and love of the arcane and the occult was concerned. All three books were sprightly in their educational qualities, and all three (Einstein and Freud the others, by the way) come recommended. I doubt the others in the series are failures, either.

A novel method of presentation of the life of a fascinating figure in the history of science. Isaac Newton was highly intelligent and skilled. He also did things and lived a life that would surprise most of us.
The first third of the book is a brief factual biography of Newton. It touches on some of the major points in his life as well as a few of the controversies. The rest is an imagined back and forth interview with Newton. This portion presents much the same information as the first part, but presented in a question/answer format with each section preceded with a summary of the biographical topic.
If you are just being introduced to Newton or want to know more about the life of one of the giants of science, this work would be a good introduction to the topic.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of this book.

An interesting and informative read that stands apart from the crowd due to its originality and fresh take on Newton - it works as a great introduction piece to Newton and his work and would be perfect for school reading

I thought this was a really good potted biography of Isaac Newton. It is the third I’ve tried in this series (after Galileo and Einstein) and it is definitely the best so far.

The book is commendably brief and begins with a summary of Newton’s life and achievements, which I thought was excellent. The “conversations” which follow were also very good, reading like genuine conversation and giving an insight into both the man and his work. I thought the sections on how Newton viewed his alchemical studies and his religious research and analysis as an important part of his thinking about the physical world were especially interesting, but it’s all very well done. Michael White doesn’t shy away from Newton’s arrogant, quarrelsome and vindictive personality - but thankfully avoids the sort of vacuous “psychoanalysis” which Frank Manuel indulged in.

Anyone seeking a brief but accurate and readable account of Newton’s extraordinary achievements and lasting influence, plus a good feel for the man himself should enjoy this very much. I was surprised and delighted by how good it was and I can recommend it very warmly.

(My thanks to Watkins publishing for an ARC via NetGalley.)

A painless introduction to Newton’s life and work
No matter how bad they were in science class, everyone knows about Sir Isaac Newton and his laws of gravity, and those who stayed awake a bit longer certainly remember his three laws of motion, his work in optics, and his invention of calculus (assuming Leibniz did not get there first). Many also know that Newton was not a very sociable person and never married, but fewer know about his very extensive interest in alchemy and the occult tradition.
In Conversations with Newton the reader gets an introduction to Newton’s life and his work as told by the man himself in fictional conversation with author Michael White. As one of those who did stay awake in science class, I did not need the explanation of his main contributions to science, although I believe they were fairly clearly explained. It was interesting to hear his perspective on who influenced his thinking: who he admired, such as Archimedes and Galileo, and who he considered somewhat over-rated, such as Aristotle.
Newton’s life, however, is not something they cover in science class. Sir Isaac was not just not very sociable; he was rather secretive, downright disagreeable, and jealous. His argument with Gottfried Leibniz over who invented calculus was well-known, but he had long feuds with many other leading lights of his day, like Robert Hooke of the Royal Society. Sir Isaac is not hesitant to express his opinions of those he disagrees with in his conversation, and I suspect that this is just how he would be if the conversation were not fictional!
It is also generally known that Newton was interested in alchemy, which is not that surprising given the state of scientific knowledge and investigation in his era. His alchemical investigations were actually quite extensive, even though such work was illegal and punishable by death. Newton genuinely believed that alchemy and other mystical principles could help him in his quest for knowledge.
If you would like a quick introduction to one of the greatest minds of modern times, you, too, might just want to have a conversation with Sir Isaac Newton.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an Advance Review copy of this book.

This is a short book with an biography of Newton, and then a interview session where Newton answers questions about his life (as if he were alive). The series has been renamed Conversations with ... some well known person and is a good light summary of Newton's life. It would be a good book for an advanced reader in public school.