Jerome Cardan: A Biographical Study

Waters, W. G. (William George), 1844-1928Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 545K words
Chapters: 55

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Jerome Cardan: A Biographical Study by W. G. WatersAuthor: Waters, W. G. (William George), 1844-1928,Language: English, Class: QA: Science: Mathematics, Release Date: Oct 22, 2006

Editor's review

W. G. Waters's biographical study of Jerome Cardan places a Renaissance figure who was at once physician, mathematician, and astrologer back in his own era. Cardan's life was long and his writings diverse, spanning mathematics, medicine, natural philosophy, and autobiographical texts; the biographer's approach is to trace his multiple identities through the thread of his life rather than to focus on achievements in any single discipline. For readers, the book's value lies in offering an accessible entry point: it shows Cardan's activity in mathematics and medicine while also conveying the complex position of a Renaissance intellectual moving between rational inquiry and astrological belief. Written in English in a largely biographical mode, it suits readers interested in the history of science and Renaissance intellectual history. It is best read as a study of a person and his age rather than as a mathematical monograph; those interested in Cardan's specific works may turn to the relevant texts afterward.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of science and intellectual history of the Renaissance
General readers who want to learn about Cardan's life and multiple identities
Students and researchers in the history of science and medicine
Readers who enjoy biographical narrative and want to approach an era through a person

Not a good fit for

Specialist readers seeking a systematic study of Cardan's mathematical achievements
Ordinary readers expecting novelistic plot and dramatic narration
Those entirely unfamiliar with Renaissance history who do not wish to fill in the background

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and chapter divisions first to grasp the biographical narrative before entering the main text.
When encountering Cardan's mathematical or medical activity, note the corresponding work titles for further reading.
Understand the astrological content within the context of Renaissance belief, avoiding judgment by modern standards.
After reading, compare with other works in the history of science to test the biographer's positioning of Cardan.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book mainly about Cardan's mathematical achievements?

No. It is a biographical study that presents Cardan's multiple identities as physician, mathematician, and astrologer through the thread of his life, with mathematics only one part. To delve into his mathematical works, one needs specialized studies or the original texts.

Can I read it without a Renaissance background?

You can, but it is advisable to first acquire some basic background on Renaissance Italy, especially the place of universities, medicine, and astrology in the intellectual system of the time. With that groundwork, the choices of the figures and the tensions of the era will be easier to understand.

How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for non-native readers?

The original is written in English in a biographical style; it was published relatively early, and the sentences are formal but not obscure. Readers with intermediate or above English reading ability can manage; early proper names and terminology can be looked up in reference works without affecting overall comprehension.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Waters, W. G. (William George), 1844-1928 Author

W. G. Waters (William George Waters, 1844–1928) was an English writer and scholar. Publicly available information about his life is limited; his principal known contribution is a biographical study of the Renaissance Italian scholar Girolamo Cardano, titled Jerome Cardan: A Biographical Study. The book follows Cardano's life and examines his activities in medicine, mathematics, and natural philosophy, combining careful use of sources with readable narrative. It reflects the late nineteenth-century English-speaking world's interest in Renaissance figures of science. Waters writes with attention to documentary evidence in a plain, measured style, offering an early English-language reference for understanding Cardano and his learning. Because records about him are scarce, his scholarly standing and influence await further study, and readers should consult him alongside other biographies and research works.