Isaac Newton’s ‘Principia’ Wasn’t Just A Scientific Landmark, It Was Surprisingly Widely Read When It Was New

“Historians have discovered that the first, limited edition of the seemingly incomprehensible book in fact achieved a surprisingly wide distribution throughout the educated world. An earlier census of the [1687] book, published in 1953, identified 189 copies worldwide. But a new survey by two scholars has found nearly 200 more — 386 copies in all, including ones far beyond England.” – The New York Times