Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz began life as a child prodigy, yet his brilliance and enormous talents remained in evidence throughout his entire lifetime. Liebniz's father, a professor of philosophy, died when he was only six years old. By the age of eight, Leibniz had taught himself Latin, and by 14 he had already mastered the Greek language. Educated at home, Leibniz often spent his spare time in his father's library, reading historical or classical literature. Leibniz entered the University of Leipzig when he was 15. At 17 he had completed his studies, but stayed on to earn his doctorate in law in 1665 at age 20.

During the next six years, Leibniz worked in the legal and diplomatic professions. While on a diplomatic mission to Paris in 1672, Leibniz became fascinated with mathematics and began to study the subject fervently. It was Leibniz's ambition to reform all of science by the use of a universal...