Robyn Arianrhod

Robyn Arianrhod has lectured for many years at Monash University where she is an Honorary Research Associate in the School of Mathematical Sciences.

Her first book, Einstein’s Heroes: Imagining the World Through the Language of Mathematics has been sold into the UK, USA, Japan, France and Turkey. It was shortlisted for the 2004 Age Non-Fiction Book of the Year and the 2004 Victorian Premier’s Prize (first book of history).

Robyn’s new book, Seduced By Logic, is out now from University of QLD Press. She lives in the hills outside Melbourne.

Books by Robyn Arianrhod

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  Einstein's Heroes: Imagining the World Through the Language of Mathematics

  Einstein’s Heroes blends science, history and biography to take you on a journey of discovery about the phenomenon of mathematics – humanity’s universal language and one of our most amazing accomplishments. It uses as its axis the lives and work of the brilliant scientists who inspired Einstein, particularly James Clerk Maxwell, Michael Faraday and Isaac Newton.

  Shortlisted 2004 Age Book of the Year (Non-Fiction)
  Shortlisted 2004 Victorian Premier's Literary Prize (First Book of History)

  Details
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  Seduced By Logic

  Isaac Newton’s Principia changed forever humanity’s understanding of its place in the universe – not with the traditional tools of theology or philosophy but with the seductive logic of mathematics.

  But it was feisty French aristocrat Émilie du Châtelet who played a key role in bringing Newton’s revolutionary opus to a Continental audience. Together with her lover Voltaire, Émilie – a largely selftaught scholar – personified the exciting mix of science, literature, politics and philosophy that defined the Enlightenment.

  A century later, in Scotland, Mary Somerville taught herself mathematics and rose from genteel poverty to become a world authority on Newtonian physics. Mary’s many books, and her charm, made her a legend in her own lifetime. Connected by their passion for mathematics, Mary and Émilie bring to life a defining period in science and politics, revealing the intimate links between the unfolding Newtonian revolution and the origins of intellectual and political liberty.

  Seduced by Logic is a thrilling foray into the lives of these extraordinary women – and the fascinating ideas that seduced them both.

  Details