Ch 1 - "The Basis of Civilization": The Pythagorean Theorem 21 Interlude: Rules, Proofs, and the Magic of Mathematics
Ch 2 - "The Soul of Classical Mechanics": Newton's Second Law of Motion
Ch 3 - "The High Point of the Scientific Revolution": Newton's Law of Universal Gravitatio
Ch 4 - "The Gold Standard for Mathematical Beauty", Euler's Equation
Ch 5 - The Scientific Equivalent of Shakespeare: The Second Law of Thermodynamics
Ch 6 - "The Most Significant Event of the 19th Century": Maxwell's Equations
Ch 7 - Celebrity Equation: E = mc²
Ch 8 - The Golden Egg: Einstein's Equation for General Relativity
Ch 9 - "The Basic Equation of Quantum Theory": Schrödinger's Equation
Ch 10 - Living with Uncertainty: The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

With vignettes full of humor, drama, and eccentricity, philosopher and science historian Robert P. Crease shares the stories behind ten of history’s greatest equations, from the "first equation," 1 + 1 = 2, which promises a rational, well-ordered world, to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, which reveals the limitations of human knowledge. For every equation, Crease provides a brief account of who discovered it, what dissatisfactions lay behind its discovery, and what the equation says about the nature of our world.