The System of the World by Neal Stephenson, the concluding volume of The Baroque Cycle, is a masterwork of historical fiction that blends science, finance, and political intrigue. This first edition hardcover, published by William Morrow in 2004, follows the adventures of Isaac Newton, Gottfried Leibniz, and Daniel Waterhouse in early 18th-century London. The narrative weaves together the birth of the modern scientific method with the high-stakes world of global commerce and royal succession. The book features a dust jacket with map illustrations and endpaper maps by Nick Springer, printed on acid-free paper.