De rerum natura vs Progress in optics: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Physics, Science
De rerum natura
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This is regarded as a seminal text of Epicurean science and philosophy. Epicurians discarded both the idea of immortality and the superstitious worship of wilful gods for a life of serene contentment in the available…
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Progress in optics
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Principles of Optics is one of the most highly cited and most influential physics books ever published, and one of the classic science books of the twentieth century. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of this remarkable…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- De rerum natura has the widest readership — 14924 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| De rerum natura | Progress in optics | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (14924) | — |
Reception
| De rerum natura | Progress in optics | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 14924 | 1 |
| Editions | 537 | 62 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 25726 | — |
| Reading it now | 1619 | — |
| Written reviews | 964 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 6817 | 59 |
| Pages | 311 | — |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: De rerum natura or Progress in optics?
De rerum natura has the higher combined reader rating across sources (De rerum natura 4.0/5, Progress in optics 3.8/5).
Which is harder to read: De rerum natura or Progress in optics?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — De rerum natura: Demanding; Progress in optics: Moderate.