Descartes' Secret Notebook: A True Tale of Mathematics, Mysticism, and the Quest to Understand the Universe

I'm a Mechanical Engineer with enough Mathematics and Philosophy study in my past to have a basic understanding of Descartes. I went into the book with no knowledge of Aczel, the secret notebook, or of the details of Descartes life. With that said I found the book to be great. I walked away understanding much more of Descartes' life and studies. I feel the secret notebook was addressed fairly well through out hinting that it existed through Descartes' fear of publishing. We know the secret notebook is lost to time and very little of it is known, so I'm not sure that we can expect the detail that some reviewers are demanding. All in all I liked it. Fine, if you are a mathematics or Descartes scholar you will not learn much here. But for 99.9% of the population, you will learn of a great Mathematician and Philosopher. Thanks Aczel.

"I think, therefore I am." You may well know this famous phrase, and even if you don't know Latin, you may well recognize the original "Cogito Ergo Sum." This was the start of the philosophic treatise of René Descartes, the seventeenth-century philosopher and mathematician. Descartes has been enormously influential, but because he had to be careful what church authorities knew about what he was working on, some of his mathematical ideas have not become clear until the past few decades. The story about the inception and recovery of Descartes' hidden discoveries is the tale in _Descartes' Secret Notebook: A True Tale of Mathematics, Mysticism, and the Quest to Understand the Universe_ (Broadway Books), the latest book from the science writer Amir Aczel. Aczel has previously applied his ability to explain arcane mathematics lucidly in such books as _Fermat's Last Theorem_, and his ability to get some highfalutin mathematical ideas across to non-experts is well displayed here, as is a good grasp of the tumultuous intellectual history of Descartes' time. His book is a fine introductory biography to one of the founders of our modern world. Descartes was born in 1596, a Catholic from a Protestant region of France. After a period of dissolution, he became convinced that mathematics and geometry held the secrets to understanding the universe, and delved deeply into ancient Greek geometry. He invented what are now called Cartesian Coordinates, the plane divided up like graph paper with every point having a specified pair of numbers to indicate its horizontal and vertical position. He became associated with (and perhaps initiated into) the Rosicrucians, a mystic order that delved into alchemy and astrology, and his work in physics supported Copernican theory. These activities could have branded him a heretic, and he was worried about the condemnation of the Catholic Church. He stopped doing mathematics in public, working on geometry only in his own room and hiding his discoveries. To avoid religious controversy, he eventually moved to take a position as a teacher to his royal fan, Queen Christina of Sweden. Her court, however, was full of Calvinists, fiercely opposed to Catholicism, and he met only distrust and dislike from them. The Queen, however, was a model student, greatly affectionate to her teacher, and no one really knows how far the affection actually went. Unfortunately, the fierce cold took its toll on Descartes, and he died five months after he arrived, not fifty-four years old. He left behind a secret notebook which was eventually traced down by the German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Liebniz. Liebniz was battling accusations (from Newton's camp) of plagiarizing the invention of the calculus, and he wanted to show that even in secret writings, Descartes had given up nothing that Liebniz could have used. Liebniz did get a peek at the notebook, and in 1676 made copies of some of its pages; they are all we have now, b

I found this book to be an excellent introduction to the life of Rene Descartes, one of the most important philosophers of Western culture. Descartes' life was extremely unusual: he slept late every morning and woke up whenever he felt like it; he paticipated in battles, duels, and defended himself against pirates on the high seas. Aczel argues convincingly that Descartes may also have been a member of the Rosicrucians. He delved in mysticism and developed much of his mathematics and philosophy in the context of the alchemical and astrological milieu of the Rosicrucian order. Aczel describes in a lively language Descartes' complex relationships with religious authorities, academics, and the women he met and loved. The Queen of Sweden fell for the philosopher and had him join her court as her private tutor. It was here in Sweden that Descartes found his end: he now had to wake up early every morning, in the freezing cold of the nordic winter--he caught pneumonia and died. Aczel explores the theory that Descartes was poisoned by one of his Dutch opponents, who happened to be a doctor treating him. A very amusing read.

To look at a portrait of Descartes, one would consider him somewhat of a fop. And if one were to strictly consider Descartes' contributions to mathematics and philosophy, then he might be seen as a nerdish fop. But this portrait couldn't be farther from the reality that was Descartes' life. He was a world traveler and adventurer in addition to being one of the most brilliant minds the world has produced - before or since. But you wouldn't know it from reading current biographies of Descartes. They are in the main turgidly written tomes; the only excitement they instill in the reader is wondering when they will end. I began to despair of there ever coming into print a biography of Descartes that captures both the thought and details of his fascinating life. Until now. Amir Aczel combines the life and thought of Descartes in a slim breezy volume with an enthusiasm for his subject rarely seen in this sort of biography. His talent for explaining mathematical ideas and formulas that might seem daunting to the lay reader only adds to our enjoyment and deepens our appreciation for this most prolific philosopher-scientist. To say Descartes led an interesting life is an understatement, and perhaps the most interesting thing about was the aura of intrigue and mystery in which it was enveloped. Aczel uses this as his starting point, investigating the mystery of Descartes' secret notebook which survived his death and part of which was copied by Leibniz, who easily broke the code in which it was written. What was in this notebook that was so dangerous that Descartes felt compelled to write it in code? Aczel rightly decides to view the work in context of Descartes' life and thought, examining the charges heard in Descartes' day that he was a Rosicrucian, that he was writing heresy, and embracing the banned theories of Copernicus. Descartes, for his part, feared the Inquisition, especially after learning the fate of Galileo. He sought refuge in Holland, only to become once again embroiled in controversy. He reluctantly accepted an invitation from Queen Christina of Sweden as her personal tutor, thinking perhaps he could leave his detractors behind. But even his death in Sweden a short time later would become controversial. Did he die of natural causes, or did his enemies in the Queen's court, fearing his influence on the Queen, poison him? And why was Leibniz so interested in copying the notebook? And why were his notes only fully understood in the late Twentieth century? Aczel tackles these issues and offers reasoned explanations based on the facts at hand. All this makes the reader want to know more about the life and thought of Descartes and his times, and that makes Aczel's book a success.

This biographical sketch of René Descartes makes for truly fascinating reading. Although not what one would expect in a full-length biography, this book covers the highlights of Descartes' life and works. The intrigue stems from Descartes' secretiveness regarding some of his work - more specifically, that pertaining to the possible workings of the universe. This secrecy - a sign of the times in which he lived - resulted in Descartes' musings on taboo subjects to be written, in code, in a secret notebook. Years after his death, this secret notebook, was eventually partially deciphered; incredibly, it was found to contain.... well, I'll leave that up to the readers to discover for themselves. The book is very well written, as one would expect from its well-seasoned author, and is difficult to put down. The text is complemented by a few pictures and diagrams as well as only a couple of equations - inserted mainly for the purpose of illustration. This book will appeal not only to science, mathematics and history buffs, but to anyone interested in a good mystery/detective story.