In 1600, William Gilbert called Earth a giant magnet; his book sold for Rs 58.5 lakh in 2026

William Gilbert and his book Published in 1600, William Gilbert’s De Magnete argued that Earth itself behaved like a giant magnet. Four centuries after it challenged conventional ideas about the natural world, the book helped lay the foundations of modern electrical science. Written by English physician and natural philosopher William Gilbert, the book also introduced important terminology for understanding electrical phenomena.The first edition of the book is attracting attention once again at an auction conducted by Christie's. The book was sold for $61,440, approximately Rs 58.5 lakh. The copy, offered as Lot 61 in the auction house's Fine Printed Books, Manuscripts, and Science sale in New York on October 13, 2026, had been estimated at 25,000–35,000.The physician who saw Earth as a giant magnetWilliam Gilbert’s De Magnete's first edition (PC: Milestone Books)William Gilbert was born in 1544 and studied at Cambridge. He was an English physician who became one of the most influential early investigators of magnetism. He also practised medicine in London and eventually served as physician to Queen Elizabeth I.During Gilbert's lifetime, magnets were familiar objects, particularly ...