Amazon.com
Everyone knows that Galileo Galilei dropped cannonballs off the leaning tower of Pisa, developed the first reliable telescope, and was convicted by the Inquisition for holding a heretical belief--that the earth revolved around the sun. But did you know he had a daughter? In Galileo's Daughter, Dava Sobel (author of the bestselling Longitude) tells the story of the famous scientist and his illegitimate daughter, Sister Maria Celeste. Sobel bases her book on 124 surviving letters to the scientist from the nun, whom Galileo described as "a woman of exquisite mind, singular goodness, and tenderly attached to me." Their loving correspondence revealed much about their world: the agonies of the bubonic plague, the hardships of monastic life, even Galileo's occasional forgetfulness ("The little basket, which I sent you recently with several pastries, is not mine, and therefore I wish you to return it to me").
While Galileo tangled with the Church, Maria Celeste--whose adopted name was a tribute to her father's fascination with the heavens--provided moral and emotional support with her frequent letters, approving of his work because she knew the depth of his faith. As Sobel notes, "It is difficult today ... to see the Earth at the center of the Universe. Yet that is where Galileo found it." With her fluid prose and graceful turn of phrase, Sobel breathes life into Galileo, his daughter, and the earth-centered world in which they lived. --Sunny Delaney
Book Description
Galileo Galilei's telescopes allowed him to discover a new reality in the heavens. But for publicly declaring his astounding argument--that the earth revolves around the sun--he was accused of heresy and put under house arrest by the Holy Office of the Inquisition. Living a far different life, Galileo's daughter Virginia, a cloistered nun, proved to be her father's greatest source of strength through the difficult years of his trial and persecution.
Drawing upon the remarkable surviving letters that Virginia wrote to her father, Dava Sobel has written a fascinating history of Medici--era Italy, a mesmerizing account of Galileo's scientific discoveries and his trial by Church authorities, and a touching portrayal of a father--daughter relationship. Galileo's Daughter is a profoundly moving portrait of the man who forever changed the way we see the universe.
• Winner of the Christopher Award and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award
• Named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, and the American Library Association
Customer Reviews:
Interesting subject, thin prose........2007-09-29
My real issue with this book is that Sobel's writing leaves me cold. I had avoided reading this for a long time because I had not really enjoyed Longitude. But countless critical raves and the response from friends caused me to decide to give Galileo's Daughter a try.
The subject matter is interesting enough. The book is very little about Galileo's daughter and is more a book about the man himself. That is not really a bad thing, since there is sadly not very much to know about Suor Maria Celeste. The episodes Sobel chooses to highlight are interesting, and I believe she succeeds in making Galileo human to the readers.
I would be hard pressed to say what exactly it is that I do not like about Sobel as a writer. It is not something that I can easily articulate. I think that it has something to do with the fact that her prose feels like an overextended magazine article. Both in Longitude and in this book, I felt as though the material were too thin for the weight that she was trying to hang on the pages. I am not sure that this is true, and suspect it may have something to do with the structure. In any case, with both books I had the experience that I was quite impatient with the prose even as I was interested in the material.
If you are interested in scientific history and in the mood for some reasonably light reading, then my review should not discourage you from picking up Galileo's Daughter. Myself, I am probably going to avoid Sobel in the future.
Galileo imprisoned for furthering a truth that disagreed with biblical writings and Christian teachings: a daughter's view.......2007-09-29
At sixty-eight years of age, Galileo, a Catholic, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for writing a philosophical story in support of the Copernican sun-centered universe theory. Unfortunately for him (and the truth), it was in conflict with the wording of the bible (p 62):
"O lord my God, Thou art great indeed....Thou fixed the Earth upon its foundation, not to be moved forever.[103:1,5]
The actions leading up to that event make up the majority of the book, which distinguishes itself from other biographies by its inclusion of the content of letters written by his elder daughter, Virginia, who was born in 1600 and "adopted the name Maria Celeste when she became a nun" at age thirteen. Because Galileo's letters were destroyed, the majority of what we learn about him is through her writings, which is both the book's strength and its weakness. In fact, it might more aptly be titled, Galileo's Daughter's Letters: a view of his life from behind the walls of the nunnery. Because there are no letters before she became a teenager, little is known about that part of her life. And although it is reader friendly, even for the non-scientifically minded, it could have been shortened by a fourth to a half of its 420 pages without losing much in readability and coverage of the most important aspects of Galileo's life.
FAMILY PORTRAIT.......2007-07-11
A violent and unruly age is the setting for this story of the relationship between Galileo and his illegitimate daughter Maria Celestes (born Virginia). Placed in a convent at the age of thirteen, she spent her remaining years loyal to the hard life of her order, the Poor Clares, and to her infamous father. While not engaged in a "typical" father daughter relationship, the 124 letters written by Marie Celestes to her father offers the reader an insight into the intense personal devotion that developed between the two........ as well as a retelling of Galileo's notorious clash with the Inquisition and his subsequent trial for heresy as seen through his daughters eyes.
Along the way, we are exposed to the horrors of the bubonic plague as it rampages through Italy, the problems with travel and communication, the loss and damage caused by the 30 years war, and a vicarious trip into the garish lifestyle of Galileo's patrons, the Medicis.
This is truly more a story of Galileo than his daughter, but nevertheless interesting. Reading this story brings to the forefront the several interesting situations and provokes the reader to examine and compare life in the 17th century with our lives today. For example: (1) the reaction of the populace to bubonic plague versus our initial reaction to the AIDS epidemic, (2) the continuing tenuous and conflicted relationship between science and religion (stem cell research, etc.), (3) the opposition to the acceptance of revolutionary new discoveries over established methods, (4) the curtailment of freedom to pursue thought and speech that is contradictory to what is considered acceptable (attempted censorship of the conservative media).
Ms. Sobel's love for her subject matter is obvious in every word she put to paper.
Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love.......2007-05-20
The Seventeenth century was the most significant period after the fall of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire fell apart, all knowledge of the Romans was lost. However, all this knowledge slowly recovered when the Reformations, Renaissance, and Science Revolution were initiated. People brought back the Classic Age that had been lost. Art, music, and literature were not difficult to revive, but science was. When the Classic Age ended, and after the Black Plague, people believed all the teachings of the church were right. People against the Church's teachings were considered heretics.
This book, Galileo's Daughter: A historical memoir of science, faith, and love by Dava Sobel, starts with a letter from Galileo's daughter, Maria. In her letters, the readers can learn many details of the 1600's. Even though she is a nun, she supports his father and does not consider him as heretic because she knew that his theory was the truth. When Galileo saw that the Copernicus's ideas were more likely to be true than Ptolemy's established philosophy, he began the teaching it in defiance of the Catholic Church. However, he was forced to recant his theory. Despite opposition of the Catholic Church, Galileo publishes Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican. Because of that, his book was banned, and he encountered peril. He was put on trial for heresy and convicted. Maria Celeste was insightful, grandiloquent, and loved her father as he loved her. Regardless of her occupation, she supported her father through the trials. Although Galileo and Maria sent letters back and forth, Galileo's letters to Maria are nowhere to be found.
At first, I thought this book was about the story of Sour Maria Celeste and her relationship with her father, Galileo. However, this book manifested the struggles Galileo went through externally and internally. Because he was a religious man, he had a hard time fighting for what was right, his theory over the teachings of the Church. At the end of the book is very poignant moment, when Galileo's body was finally allowed to be placed in the monument.
I recommend this book to other students completing this assignment because it shows Galileo's accomplishments, and much more. This book is profound to the extension that as a daughter, I could see the father and daughter relationship, and how that relationship has effected Galileo I become one of the most extolled scientists in the world.
THE EARTH ALSO RISES:.......2007-03-20
It is a fascinating tale of a father, a devout Catholic, obedient son and above all a scientist, astronomer, and a philosopher, decades ahead of his time. He paved the way for all future discoveries and revelations in Physics and Astronomy. Newton, who was born the year Galileo died, did stand squarely on Galileo's shoulders to go where no man had gone before .
It is Galileo's courage and conviction that we so admire in facing Pope Urban's ire and ridicule in the 17th century Italy. Popes come and go but the name of Galileo would shine for ever as long as the Jovian moons would orbit their planet. His brilliant "dialogues" on astronomy, wave theory, motion and scores of other subjects were the foundation of everything we know today about anything.
Even today, it is sad to say, there are remnants of Urban's ilk all over the world that cling to creation theory and even believe that Ptolemy was right.
Galileo had two daughters and a son. Tradition forced him to enroll the girls in the convent hoping to find suitable husbands if not marry them to Christ and spend rest of their lives as nuns. Sister Maria Celeste, the older daughter, a paragon of virtue, devotes her entire life in serving others and above all to take care of her dear father. Her letters are down to earth, personal, articulate and at times with a touch of humor.
The book narrates Galileo's epic journey from early childhood, as a medical student even contemplating on becoming a priest. He eventually gets his degree in physics and engineering, his true calling, and then becomes a professor at prestigious university at Padua. Medici's hire him as their court advisor. His experiments from the leaning tower of Pisa are known to all of us who took any science in school. His books promote Sun being the center of the universe confirming Copernicus's theory. The church clinging to Bible's version of a stationary Earth is outraged and begins its ignominious inquisition, sentencing the aged scientist to house arrest where he dies, blind and heart broken.
The book's other protagonist, the ever loving daughter, whose letters to her father are interspersed throughout the book, makes a interesting and noble contrast to the dogmatic, self centered pious hypocrites of Church in Rome.
It is MUST read.
Book Description
Galileo Galilei was one of the world's greatest scientific pioneers. His work ranged through mechanics and motion, to sound, speech and light, astronomy, and the system of the universe. Despite his outstanding contributions to science, he was labeled a heretic by the Catholic Church and was imprisioned for life.
Customer Reviews:
A True Giant of Science!.......2005-11-16
"The mathematician and physicist Galileo Galilei is one of the most famous scientists of all times. The story of his life and times, of his epoch-making experiments and discoveries, of his stubbornness and pride, of his patrons in the house of Medici, of his enemies and friends in their struggle for truth - all is brought vividly to life in this book. Atle Nss has written a gripping account of one of the great figures in European history.He was awarded the Brage Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in Norway." (review from First Science Online Newsletter)
Inventor, Astronomer, and Rebel.......2005-03-16
Galileo Galilei was one of the world's greatest scientist. He developed the telescope. With it, he discovered Jupiter's moon and hundreds of stars. He declared that Earth was not in the centre of the universe with the sun revolving around it. Galileo proved that the Earth was acctually revolving around the sun. The Church found out and home arrested him. Galileo's methods was the birth of modern science.
Invenor, Astronomer, and Rebel.......2005-03-16
Galileo Galilei was one of the world's greatest scientist. He develope the telescope. With it, he discovered Jupiter's moons and hundreds of stars. He declared that Earth was not in the centre of the universe with the sun revolving around it. Galileo proved that the Earth was acctually revolving around the sun. The Church found out and home arrested Galileo. Galileo's methods was the birth of modern science.
Average customer rating:
- IN DEFENCE OF SCIENCE
- ** 1/2 (**** for the play, zero for Bentley's comments)
- Galileo
- Good play, bad packaging
- This is tripe
|
Galileo
Bertolt Brecht
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Continental European
| Drama
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Brecht, Bertolt
| ( B )
| Playwrights, A-Z
| Drama
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Drama
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
German
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Brecht, Bertolt
| ( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Bronte, Charlotte
| Bronte, Emily
Continental European
| Drama
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Drama
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Playwrights, A-Z
| Drama
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| ( S )
| ( W )
German
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Copenhagen
-
Mother Courage and Her Children
-
The Top 10 Myths About Evolution
-
Arcadia: A Play
-
Five Dialogues
ASIN: 0802130593 |
Book Description
Considered by many to be one of Brecht's masterpieces, Galileo explores the question of a scientist's social and ethical responsibility, as the brilliant Galileo must choose between his life and his life's work when confronted with the demands of the Inquisition. Through the dramatic characterization of the famous physicist, Brecht examines the issues of scientific morality and the difficult relationship between the intellectual and authority. This version of the play is the famous one that was brought to completion by Brecht himself, working with Charles Laughton, who played Galileo in the first two American productions (Hollywood and New York, 1947). Since then the play has become a classic in the world repertoire. "The play which most strongly stamped on my mind a sense of Brecht's great stature as an artist of the modern theatre was Galileo." - Harold Clurman; "Thoughtful and profoundly sensitive." - Newsweek.
Customer Reviews:
IN DEFENCE OF SCIENCE.......2007-06-15
The pressures that the established order can bring to bear on those who want to move outside the status quo are enormous. In the end those in charge can grind down the best of men with the most worthy knowledge to disseminate. That is the story that the master communist playwright Bertolt Brecht brings here about the pressures to recant brought on Galileo by the Catholic Church in the 1500's. And for what crime? For merely bringing out facts about the nature of the world and its place in the universe that are taken as commonplaces, even by children, today.
Brecht himself certainly knew about such pressures. Although in public, at least, Brecht was a fairly orthodox Stalinist he had his private moments of doubt. Certainly some of the themes in his plays stretch the limits of the orthodox `socialist realist' cultural program. Thus the strongest part of the play is the struggle between an individual who is onto something new about the world and an institution that saw that such a discovery would wreak havoc on its claims to centrality. Every once in a while a section of humankind turns inward on itself like that and here the Church was no exception. Damn, the fight against such obscurantism is the price that we pay for some sense of human progress. Except, as in the case of the Catholic Church, it should not have taken 300 years to admit the error. Know this. We have to defend the Galileos of the world against the rise of obscurantism. And in this play Brecht has done his part to honor that commitment.
** 1/2 (**** for the play, zero for Bentley's comments).......2003-11-18
Galileo is presented from the time of his first findings with which Mother Church took offense until twenty years after his recantation. While the play mainly focuses on Galileo and how his own views toward his work affect him and those around him, we're not allowed to go away without understanding how those views also affected the Italian society around him; as with all things, the subversion to be found in Galileo's discovery that the Earth revolves around the Sun instead of vice-versa seeps into the public mind, much to the Church's dismay. But at its heart, the play is about the man himself and those around him. Galileo himself, historically accurate or not, is a convincing character, and his family, friends, and supporters are also very well-drawn (with the arguable exception of his daughter, who never seems to really flesh out and become a believable human being; her actions and reactions are predictable and wooden). Whatever the message underlying, and whether the reader agrees with it or not, Galileo is first and foremost a decent piece of drama. Leave Bentley's preface until after you've drawn your own conclusions.
Galileo.......2002-10-24
So maybe it's not completely accurate. I just read this book for a class I have to take. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It wasn't the dry, boring piece of literature I had expected. It's really a book to read - maybe not multiple times, but at least once. It has an important message, and is presented in a reasonably interesting way.
Good play, bad packaging.......2002-01-08
Bertolt Brecht, Galileo (Grove Press, 1952)
Publishers who put out "literature" (perhaps I should capitalize the L) have felt it necessary for the past half-century or so to include long-winded dissections of the texts as a part of their editions. No mind is paid, seemingly, to whether these long-winded dissections contain major plot spoilers (they almost always do). Add Eric Bentley's interminable preface to the Grove Press edition of Brecht's Galileo to the list. Perhaps Grove assumes anyone reading the thing will either have already read the play or will be so turned off by Belntley's wooden prose style that they won't read far enough to get to the spoilers. My advice: go the second route. And book publishers, if you're putting essays in your editions, PLEASE put them AFTER the actual text, so the novice reader of a given work will be able to approach it without the coloring of another reader's analysis.
Bentley spends forty-odd pages discussing the historical inaccuracies of Brecht's Galileo and the two extant versions of the text (though Bentley says both are presented in the Grive edition, this is not the case; from his comments, I gather this is the second version of the play, completed after WW2 [the first was completed in 1937]). Bentley goes on forever about the socialist qualities of Galileo, and whether the scientist makes a worthy Marxist hero, both in the reader's eyes and in Brecht's. Whether anyone outside those writing a paper for a Marxist lit class would care doesn't seem to have crossed his mind. Brecht is one of the few authors who is capable of taking a political statement and couching it in such writing as to make the statement itself visible only to those looking for it; Galileo's Marxism, or lack of same, doesn't hit the reader in the face with a dead herring (or a dropped pebble, as 'twere) throughout the text. Commendable, especially for as fervent a Marxist as was Brecht. Here is a man who never let the message overtake the medium, and scads of modern authors could do with repeated readings of this text to get a handle on what it is they're doing wrong.
Bentley aside, the play itself is certainly worth the reader's time. Galileo is presented from the time of his first findings with which Mother Church took offense until twenty years after his recantation. While the play mainly focuses on Galileo and how his own views toward his work affect him and those around him, we're not allowed to go away without understanding how those views also affected the Italian society around him; as with all things, the subversion to be found in Galileo's discovery that the Earth revolves around the Sun instead of vice-versa seeps into the public mind, much to the Church's dismay. But at its heart, the play is about the man himself and those around him. Galileo himself, historically accurate or not, is a convincing character, and his family, friends, and supporters are also very well-drawn (with the arguable exception of his daughter, who never seems to really flesh out and become a believable human being; her actions and reactions are predictable and wooden). Whatever the message underlying, and whether the reader agrees with it or not, Galileo is first and foremost a decent piece of drama. Leave Bentley's preface until after you've drawn your own conclusions. ** 1/2 (**** for the play, zero for Bentley's comments)
This is tripe.......2001-05-01
Anybody who would recommend this as a history book is completely unaware of the true history. Brecht may have been using dramatic license or he may have had an axe to grind with the Catholic Church. Either way, this is NOT an accurate historical account. Any person who would suggest it as such is guilty of what Brecht and revisionists accuse the Church of doing: suppressing the truth to further their personal agenda.
Book Description
This 1967 edition of the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems is a revision of a 1953 edition. It includes a foreword by Albert Einstein, which is presented in en face German and English versions.
The translation itself is based on the definitive National Edition prepared under the direction of Antonio Favaro and published at Florence in 1897. The material specifically added to the text by Galileo himself after publication of the first edition (1632) has been included as well. In addition, the margins of the book include translations of Galileo's own postils (running notes), placed as nearly as possible beside their textual references.
Customer Reviews:
Perhaps a great find?.......2006-06-05
Found this today at the annual library sale for 25 cents and now that I have read the reviews on Amazon I am anxious to read it.
a lovely book.......2003-04-11
To read this book is to see the Western Mind open to light and fresh air after centuries of stale darkness. This is not to snub the monumental work of Aristotle or Ptolemy but to rue the fact that their writings were clung to as doctrine for so long.
Even in translation, Galileo is a lively, robust, even funny writer. His fiery spirit is especially welcome in these troubled opening years of the 21st century: I kept marking pages for later reference. Some parts of this great book will require work on the reader's part, but the work is so eminently worth it. This edition has copious, interesting notes, too, which make the adventure an even more colorful and full one.
This is no "great grey classic" to be endured, but a living bronco of a book: relevant, ferocious, and of great historical and scientific interest.
A Piece of Scientific History.......2002-12-15
Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems has long had its place in the history books. The work consists of a dialogue between three characters, Salviati, Sagredo, and Simplicio. They gather together over the course of four days to discuss the Ptolemaic and Copernican views of the universe. Ptolemy's system is that of an earth centered universe that aligns with the views of Aristotle, the more popular conception. Copernicus's system is heliocentric. This is a radical opinion of the time and incidentally is the correct one. Salviati supports the Copernican system and Simplicio adheres to the Ptolemaic view. These two refute the ideas of the other and argue for their own. Sagredo is somewhat caught in the middle. However, he ultimately aligns with Salviati on every point. The translator, Stillman Drake, in his introduction, goes over the climate and political forces of Galileo's day along with Galileo's reason's for writing this book. As Drake points out, Galileo is appealing to the public here. It seems that this is Galileo getting in the last word on the argument for a heliocentric universe. This book is also what largely does him in with the Vatican. Galileo dose not directly argue against the church in this book but only against the Aristotelian opinion while showing reverence for divine power.
The best was to describe this book is verbose. It fills 465 pages with small print. Because it is written in conversational tone, perhaps Galileo felt that the extra wording was necessary. It does take some time to read. Drake does an excellent job of making important notes throughout the work. Some of these are geared more for an academic study, but others give needed explanation. Just like we do not have all the answers today, Galileo makes some scientific mistakes. These are few and Drake gives explanations for them. This book is worth the read for its place in history. A brief background in astronomy and even Aristotelian philosophy will benefit the reader. I would also recommend Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, also translated and compiled by Drake.
Excellent Edition.......2001-04-14
The book is well done, I like the type, the notes are informative, the preface by Einstein is by Einstein, and Drake inserts the Italian phrase at the right moments. The book itself is not read as much as it should be--it is an excellent introduction to the history of science and cosmological thought, and an informative specimen of the rhetoric of science at the very moment that rhetoric is derogated by Galileo. For instance, Galileo borrows the valorization of circular motion from Plato and Aristotle (Galileo sides with Plato against Aristotle) and argues that all motion is circular, even freefall, but not circular precisely, but spiral. He is relying in part on the geometry of spirals by--Apollonius?--a good example, to my mind, of the "geometrization of space." The equation of freefall is also demonstrated geometrically in a way that is very elegant. It should also be noted that Simplicio is hardly the fool that he is made out to be--his objections are far more acute than this reader could come up with on his own. The enormous prestige of physics and science is in my opinion one of the greatest obstacles to thinking, and reading Galileo goes a long way towards an appreciation of what mathematical physics is not.
Centuries of Lights.......2000-03-26
This book clears up a universe. Galileo had hundreds of problems with the Inquisition,even though he had written his masterpiece based on his observation of the cosmo, in a period that technological devices were rare. The book is not only a scientific work but also a piece of good literature, a historical lesson of how to write and how to defend a great idea. The dialogues remind Plato works and make the book really update.
Average customer rating:
- Yes, Virginia, There Can Be A Second Life For A Great Book
|
Galileo's Treasure Box
Catherine Brighton
Manufacturer: Walker Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Renaissance
| Fiction
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Parents
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Children's Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei
ASIN: 0802787681 |
Book Description
Virginia's famous father, Galileo, sleeps during the day and studies the sky at night. While he is sleeping, Virginia discovers a box on his desk with five objects inside - four pieces of glass and a feather - that reveal the world to her in new and wonderful ways.
Using the rich colors and lush textures of the Renaissance, Catherine Brighton recreates Galileo's world. This child's-eye-view gives young readers an enchanting introduction to the accomplishments of Galileo, and delightfully celebrates the magic of science.
An introduction by Dava Sobel, author of the best-selling adult book Galileo's Daughter, further illuminates the life experience of Galileo's daughter, Virginia.
Customer Reviews:
Yes, Virginia, There Can Be A Second Life For A Great Book.......2001-07-14
Galileo's Treasure Box by Catherine Brighton [with an introduction by Dava Sobel of Galileo's Daughter and Longitude fame] is a great children's book that will hopefully enjoy a wider readership the second time around. Originally titled Five Secrets In A Box [1987, E.P. Dutton], the book tells the story of Virginia, eldest daughter of Galileo Galilei, and her curiosity about some items her father kept in a gold box. Through a simple text and exquisitely done illustrations, Brighton gives you a view of what it would have been like to be a curious kid in the house of a scientist during the time he made his great discoveries. Virginia finds the lenses for a telescope, colored filters for viewing the sun, and a feather, all in a gold box on her dad's desk. The book leaves Virginia asking why her dad would keep a feather and this will leave the door open for a young, curious reader to find out more. I fell in love with the book when it originally came out and gave many copies as presents. Later, when the original hardback was remaindered, I bought all the copies from several local bookstores and continued to give them as presents. If you know a young reader with readers for parents, give the child a copy of the delightful Galileo's Treasure Box by Catherine Brighton and give their folks a copy of the equally delightful Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel. Hopefully many people, young and old, will discover the story of Virginia and Galileo Galilei.
Book Description
"This fine translation is a god-send. . . . Surely you want to read what Galileo wrote. If so buy this book. Van Helden's introduction is scholarly; no one knows more about Galileo's telescope; the translation is superb; Van Helden's review of the reception of the Sidereal Messenger is profound; the bibliography is extensive. What more can I say?"—David W. Hughes, The Observatory
"[Sidereus nunclus] has never before been made available in its entirety in a continuous form, with full notes and comment. The introduction, translation and notes by Van Helden are a splendid example of the best scholarship and fullest accessibility. . . . we can now truly get to grips with the phenomenon of Galileo and what his life and work should mean to us today."—Robert Temple, Nature
Customer Reviews:
An excellent translation with good context.......2003-10-24
Sometimes reading the great works of literature- be they scientific, historical, fictional or otherwise- is a chore. The language is often stilted and the reasons for an author touching on a given subject are not entirely clear. Not so with this excellent translation of Galileo's "Starry Messenger" or, as he called it in the original latin, Sidereus Nuncius. Albert van Helden has provided us with an excelent and wonderfully readable translation of one of the most thrilling "messages" of the last thousand years: that is, that the universe is much more than it seems to the naked eye.
Van Helden divides his book into three sections: First, he gives a well researched, well footnoted, introduction to Galieo and his times. We learn about the invention of the telescope (then called the "Spyglass")- an exceptionally crude instrument by even the most modest of today's standards. Van Helden tells his story with abundant quotes from the writings of Galileo's contemporaries. Amongst other things, we learn that another astonomer, Thomas Harriot, may have observed the moon with a telescope somewhat before Galileo, but that his observations, through an inferior instrument, did not reveal much more than could be seen with the naked eye. We learn about the then dominant view of the univserse, the geocentric "Aristotelean" model and the arguments given in favor of it. We also learn about Galileo himself. The publication of the "Starry Messenger," was, it seems, a bit of a rush job, as a financially strapped Galileo wanted priority for his discoveries and the position and money that he though would go with it.
We also learn that while Galileo didn't invent the telescope (or SpyGlass) he greatly improved it from an almost totally useless instrument, to a useful, merely wretched, one (again, by today's standards.)
The middle section is Galileo's "Starry Messenger" itself. The text is brief and only strays a bit from a simple recounting of his observations to explain such things as his deduction of the height of the moons' mountains. Galileo wrote with a wide and not necessarily scientific audience in mind and he took their preconceptions into account when cobbling together his "message". This makes his thought process easy to follow. (Van Helden's translation uses apropriately contemporary English.) It's a delight to read about Galileo's observations and follow his careful (though sometimes incorrect) reasoning about what he has seen. There are delighful reproductions of Galileo's illustrations of the moon, stars, and Jupiter's satellites.
Armed with the knowledge and sense of the times that Van Helden has given us, Galileo's discoveries feel as revolutionary as they were. (Quite a feat, given our current view of the universe.) Having learned that the Aristotelians thought of the universe as somehow different, more perfect, than the "corrupted" terrestrial world, Galileo's observations of the moon take on great significance. Galileo wonders in amazement at the multitudes of stars his telescope reveals and gives a few sample drawings of some "nebular" regions of the Milky Way- which he discovers are mere assemblages of stars too faint to make out individually, but which cumulatively present to the eye a cottony appearance.
The least readable portion of Galileo's writing is also the most significant and carefully presented: his discovery and observations of the "Medician" moons- as he dubbed them, we now refer to them as the four "Galilean" moons. Galileo makes it clear that he, early in his observations of the planet Jupiter, sensed the three (later four) "stars" that he had discovered whirling about Jupiter were significant. He proceeds to carefully, and monotonously, document several weeks of observations of what he comes to consider planets. That he chose to do this in such a thorough way, however, is telling. Despite his desire to publish early and claim priority, Galileo wanted to assure his readers that what he was seeing was real.
Throughout the text, the translator provides footnotes explaining some of Galileo's mistakes, later changes of thought, and the context of a given argument. I came away from the text knowing exactly what Galileo was attempting to convey, and the few places where he went wrong (for instance, in surmising that the moon had a thick atmosphere).
The third section is similar to the first and covers the immedate reaction to the publication of the Sidereus Nuncius- which Galileo sent to as many heads of state as he could, often sending a spyglass along with the text so that observations could be repeated. Van Helden outlines many of the objections to Galieo's claim that he had discovered the moon to be rough and Jupiter to be surrounded by satellites of its own. The most significant of these objections was grounded, once again, in the Aristotelian logic of the day which claimed that one could learn all there was to learn about the world with the unaided senses. In other words, people didn't believe that the telescope (the first instrument to extend human senses beyond their natural talents) could be trusted to present reality.
Van Helden only briefly hints at Galileo's subsequent trial and trouble with the Church. This seems apropriate, however, considering that, at the time of its publication, some of Galileo's most ardent supporters were not other "natural philosophers" or "mathmeticians"- who, Van Helden demonstrates, were sometimes jealous and harshly critical- but some members of the Church- his sponsors.
All in all, this is a wonderful introduction to the times and discoveries of Galileo. It's a great book to read for those who enjoyed Galileo's Daughter and other biographies one of the world's first true scientists. That the words "Starry Messenger" do not appear in the title might throw a few potential readers off its trail in their search for a good translation, and this is a shame- let's hope that Amazon's new search engine brings this one up from the depths.
Significant Work.......2002-02-25
This book will help you understand just how much Galileo affected and reflected the science of the time and even the science of today. I had the privilage of taking Prof. Van Helden's courses at Rice U. and they were some of the most informational and facinating courses I took. He is now emeritus, but hopefully that means we can look forward to more excellent translations and commentary in the years to come.
A Starry Message in Galileo's Own Words.......2000-11-15
This new translation, with introduction, conclusion, and notes, by famed author Albert Van Helden is a wonderful reading of Galileo Galilei's timeless classic, Sidereus Nuncius. For all who are astronomy fans, Van Helden, Professor of History at Rice University, gives readers a glimpse of the man, Galileo, and his earth-shattering findings. In his book,Sidereus Nuncius, or the Sidereal Messenger, Galileo describes his reinvention of the refracting telescope and his subsequent astronomical discoveries. Never before has a scientific instrument had a more dramatic impact than that of Galileo's telescope. It not only advanced scientific knowledge, but affected personal philosophy and religion by upsetting the traditional belief of the Earth as the center of the universe. Galileo's work challenged the geocentric cosmology that had been accepted since the days of Aristotle. If Galileo's discoveries and carefully documented observations were true, people had to accept the fact that the Earth was not at the center of the universe. This was very difficult for people in the 17th century to accept because it went against long held beliefs.. Add Galileo's analysis of an imperfect moon and people were force to reevaluate history,science, and their personal religions. Galileo opened the door to the truth about our heliocentric universe; however, few people of his day were prepared to accept it. Van Helden's translation, based on the original 1610 Latin text, is a wonderful book for all those who enjoy gazing into the heavens on a clear, star-filled night in wonder. Galileo Galilei did the same. Everyone will enjoy reading Sidereus Nuncius, as Galileo's voice echoes down the centuries and brings his amazing discoveries to life.
Wonderful Bit of Astronomical History.......2000-04-04
This is Galileo's report of his first discoveries with the telescope, especially his drawings of the moon and obervations of Jupiter's satellites. To read Galileo's ideas, methods, and results first hand gives an idea of his brilliance and attention to detail. This book was crucial in the development of the Copernican revolution. It is exciting to read, and not at all difficult.
Book Description
The Thirty Years War continues to ravage 17th century Europe, but a new force is gathering power and influence: the Confederated Principalities of Europe, an alliance between Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, and the West Virginians from the 20th century led by Mike Stearns who were hurled centuries into the past by a mysterious cosmic accident.
The democratic ideals of the CPE have aroused the implacable hostility of Cardinal Richelieu, effective ruler of France, who has moved behind the scenes, making common cause with old enemies to stop this new threat to the privileged and powerful.
But the CPE is also working in secret. A group of West Virginians have secretly traveled to Venice where their advanced medical knowledge may prevent the recurrence of the terrible plague which recently killed a third of the city-state's population.
At the same time, the group hopes to establish commercial ties with Turkey's Ottoman Empire, then at the height of its power. And, most important, they hope to establish private diplomatic ties with the Vatican, exploiting Pope Urban VIII's misgivings about the actions of Richelieu and the Hapsburgs.
But a Venetian artisan involved with the West Virginians may cause all their plans to come to naught. Having read 20th century history books of the period, he has become determined to rescue Galileo from his trial for heresy. The Americans are divided on whether to help him or stop him--and whether he succeeds or fails, the results may be catastrophic for the CPE.
This audiobook is delivered as an MP3-CD disc containing MP3 files. In orderto play this title you must have either a computer that is capable of playing MP3 audio though an application like Apple's iTunes or Real Network's RealPlayer or an MP3 device like an Apple iPod, Creative Labs NOMAD MuVo TX FM 256 MB MP3 Player (DAP-TD0004) or a Compact Disc player that is capable of playing MP3 audio like the Sony D-EJ100PS Psyc Walkman Portable CD Player (Black) or Panasonic SL-SX430 Portable CD/MP3 Player with D-Sound. This audiobook cannot be played on most Compact Disc players that are more than 2 years old. If your computer has a CD Burner (CD recording drive) you can make standard Compact Discs that are playable in almost all CD players. Please see the User Manual for your MP3 player application software for instructions.
Customer Reviews:
Continuing Grantville's Struggle.......2007-07-16
In this, the third installment to Flint's Assiti Shards series, Grantville's former president, and new prime minister of the United States of Europe (USE), Mike Stearns, sends a delegation to Venice, Italy, to set up firm trade and industrial ties with the city noted for its merchants. While establishing these ties, certain members of the USE delegation simulataneously begin to set up small economic empires of their own, fall in love with the locals, and develop hare-brained schemes to rescue (along with a clan of locals) a certain famous scientist from the shackles of the notorious Inquisition.
The Galileo Affair was certainly not a bad continuation of Flint's series. Indeed, the story continues to provide depth into the world Grantville now finds itself in since the Ring of Fire. However, the story takes much too long to really get going, and even when it does finally start to pick up, there are moments when things just don't feel "realistic". However, I do look forward to further installments in this series; despite the "slower-than-molasses" approach at times to the story, the characters and ideas presented are fundamentally interesting and I most thoroughly look forward to continuing the story of Grantville and its ever-broadening cadre of citizenry.
People are too harsh on this one........2007-07-02
This is one of numerous spin-offs from Eric Flint's brilliant 1632 and 1633. What that means is that this book (and the other spin-offs) deviate from the primary storyline of the previous books. While expanding the overall story of the impact Grantville has on the world of the 1630's, this book basically ignores the (more exciting) developments of the war with France and the exploits of the USE ambassadors in London, Scotland, and Amsterdam. That is the reason I think most people are disappointed by this book. After being left with so many open plot lines after 1633, readers are anxious to see what happens with those and don't have too much patience with this apparently unrelated (and seemingly unnecessary) new direction. Why spend time developing this new story when your readers are so excited about finding what happens in the primary plot lines?
That being said, The Galileo Affair was enjoyable and informative. The Stone family and Father Mazzare travel to Venice and Rome, establish important diplomatic ties with various groups, and get mixed up in some double-dealing agents that could spoil all of their gains as well as threaten their very lives. This book also chronicles the falling in love of two important Grantville characters, Sharon Nichols and Frank Stone. These two romances couldn't be more different and each is for the most part amusing to see develop. There is very little action in this book (especially compared to the previous books) but lots of diplomacy and intrigue. For some reason this book reads as if it was meant for a somewhat younger audience than the others. This may be the influence of Andrew Dennis, with his attempts at humor sometimes being rather immature seeming. Fighting off muggers and assassins by using your soccer and baseball skills may appeal to some readers, but IMHO it takes away from the otherwise realistic feel of the novels.
Taken as a purely side story, this book is actually rather good. The dynamics within the Catholic church and among the various people of Venice is very interesting. Richeleu and Mike Sterns are still involved here, Mazarini and Mazzare are both developing into very important players, and the overall impact of the Ring of Fire is further developed in this book. Additionally, the same charm that the first two novels have is also present here. The dramatic influence of current day knowledge on life in 17th century Europe is still attractive and fascinating.
Writting What Should Be Forgotten.......2007-05-26
A novel about a section of the alternate history that should be forgotten or covered briefly. The story goes off on a tangent from the main storyline that is boring, it should have been either ignored or covered in a few well written chapters in other books. Save your time and money for better books.
Religions to the fore!.......2006-10-19
This is the first-published "1634" novel in the "Ring of Fire" epic Alternate History being conducted by young Eric Flint. It follows on the brilliant initial "1632" and sequel "1633" novels. They must be read first or you won't care much for this novel. The "Ring of Fire" and "Grantville Gazette I and II" anthologies in the same series will also contribute your enjoyment of "1634." What is going on is an immense collaborative construction of a saga about the trial and tribulations understandably faced by a mining town from West Virginia that suddenly is whipped back intact to 1632 in southern Germany, into the middle of a war chewing up Europeans. While it was initiated by Flint, it has morphed into the work of many authors who are building all the background elements, like genealogies, for a consistent and constrained (no nuclear weapons in W. Va.!) "history" of how the up-time American cope with, and attempt to democratize, a Europe full of conflicts. This is an astounding endeavor, one unique in my reading experience. It looks like five or six "1634" novels will be produced, each taking up one geographical/topical thread of the overall saga, as Grantville attempts to expand its sphere of security.
"1643: The Galileo Affair" is a further embodiment of Flint's philosophy that history moves in many directions and places simultaneously, that it is made up of many threads of change, and the ones with now-famous people in them were not whole story. After the sprawling "1633" almost lost control of its multiplying story lines, this novel, and the other "1634" novels to come, will divy up the continent and will each be more tightly focused on a comprehensible set of problems, characters, and locales within the same year. Read them all and see the big picture after the fact. (What's going to happen in "1635" and later years as the saga of Grantville's citizens ramifies further? It boggles the mind.)
In this book we travel to Italy, with an American embassy from Grantville to Venice, led by humble religious leaders because only they can be spared from other desperate ventures. We do occasionally hear of other threads taking place elsewhere in the saga, but most of the pressing issues raised in "1633" are left in limbo. "Galileo" is particularly notable for the unusually prominent role played by religion in a fictional history, in an age characterized by fierce competition between Catholics and Protestant sects, and all the principalities and kingdoms flunting them, stirred up by marauding mercenaries. Since the detailed, or even general, nature of the affronts taken between the parties is completely obscure history to most of us, considerable digressions into creeds and legalisms are properly necessary. Nevertheless, they also abet the lack of "action," particularly the absence of battle action that readers would expect from Flint's earlier books, in this series and out. Oh, and the Galileo affair is not about the infamously terrible Inquisition of his beliefs we've all heard about. "Affairs" have other meanings.
It is even clearer that the target audience for this series is teenagers. A main sub-plot in this novel features a passel of addled teenage American brothers and their Venetian girlfriend and her family of revolutionarily inclined Stooges. Venice = Venus = Love, right? They cavort and stumble through an inane and picaresque conspiracy to free Galileo, who thought Earth wasn't the center of the Universe. What an indulgence of these brats. Meanwhile, the serious business of expanding the sphere of American influence so they can access essential trade items, like zinc, and withstand their French and Spanish enemies, is in the hands of a priest and a pastor from Grantville on embassy to Venice, the fading capital of Mediterranean trade (no, it is not "sinking" in this story; stinking, yes). The embassy engages in a great deal of religious discussion and maneuvering, eventually leading to a surprising opening to the Catholic church and the Pope in Rome. Teenagers will not particularly enjoy the disputation, but it will be much better than their sanitized textbooks and might seduce a few into understanding why separation of competing churches from the state actually is a vital principle of beneficial government.
I found the chapter-head quotations more confusing and irrelevant than helpful. The prose reads a bit more like military communiques than literature--but then I do like a better sense of place in novels. Don't confuse the reader with ambiguity: everbody is played mostly to type and is pretty obvious: subtle, gentle, foolish, steady, sneaky, dastardly, or so forth. It's fun to suddenly encounter historical people or the roots of modern words: Newton, ghetto, imbroglio, and so on. Clearly this novel is a side thread in the overarching saga of The Ring of Fire, but it develops one good character (Father Mazzare) and ends with considerable intimation and promise of an amazing development to come.
1634: The Galileo Affair .......2006-09-07
Painful! Boring! Can't take it! The first two books 1632 and 1633 are awesome books and highly recommended. But this one has no serious plot and cannot really have a serious plot because the main storyline is still being written in a different forthcoming book. This book contains a barely amuzing diplomatic mission by side characters that if shortened would make a wonderful addition in Grantsville Gazzette (the author's collection of short stories about things that are not crucial to the main storyline). The side characters are two catholic priests, one protestant minister, the town's pharmacist/pothead and his three sons and some other inconsequential characters. Nobody on that mission is one of the main characters in previous stories and for a good reason. They are boring. There are no military confrontations, interesting inventions, or anything of consequence. You can skip it and wait for the main storyline book. Mr. Flint, please don't take us for granted. Otherwise, you will find yourself with Robert Jordan in the discount section of the bookstore.
Average customer rating:
- SPIRAL downward in my estimation, as well as voiced by other readers.
- Would you like to swing on a star? Carry a moonbeam home in a jar?
- Beautiful and Innaccurate
- Over simplified
- Nice Artwork, Misleading History
|
Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science & Technology
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Sports & Recreation
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Astronomy
| Astronomy & Space
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Sis, Peter
| ( S )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Children's Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
( S )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Dr. Seuss
| Scieszka, Jon
| Sendak, Maurice
| Simon, Seymour
| Simont, Marc
| Sobol, Donald J.
| Soto, Gary
| Steig, William
| Stevenson, Robert Louis
| Stine, R. L.
| Swanson, Diane
Science & Technology
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Sports & Recreation
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Astronomy
| Astronomy & Space
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards))
-
Leonardo, The Beautiful Dreamer (Golden Kite Awards (Awards))
-
Tibet Through the Red Box: Through The Red Box (Caldecott Honor Book)
-
The Three Golden Keys
-
Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare
ASIN: 0374470278 |
Amazon.com
The story of Galileo is at once inspiring and troubling. The brilliant astronomer was a celebrated scientist who was showered with honors and patronage until his greatest discovery--that the earth circled the sun rather than the other way around--proved to be too much of a threat to prevailing orthodoxy. Peter Sis, author of the wonderful children's book Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus, tells Galileo's tale for children ages 8 and older. A brilliant and sophisticated illustrator and a sensitive storyteller, he traces Galileo's life from childhood to his final days as a prisoner of the church. (Click to see a sample spread. © 1996 by Peter Sis. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.) (Ages 8 and older)
Book Description
"If they had seen what we see, they would have judged as we judge." -- Galileo Galilei
In every age there are courageous people who break with tradition to explore new ideas and challenge accepted truths. Galileo Galilei was just such a man--a genius--and the first to turn the telescope to the skies to map the heavens. In doing so, he offered objective evidence that the earth was not the fixed center of the universe but that it and all the other planets revolved around the sun. Galileo kept careful notes and made beautiful drawings of all that he observed. Through his telescope he brought the starts down to earth for everyone to see.
By changing the way people saw the galaxy, Galileo was also changing the way they saw themselves and their place in the universe. This was very exciting, but to some to some it was deeply disturbing. Galileo has upset the harmonious view of heaven and earth that had been accepted since ancient times. He had turned the world upside down.
In this amazing new book, Peter Sís employs the artist's lens to give us an extraordinary view of the life of Galileo Galilei. Sís tells his story in language as simple as a fairy tale, in pictures as rich and tightly woven as a tapestry, and in Galileo's own words, written more than 350 years ago and still resonant with truth.
Customer Reviews:
SPIRAL downward in my estimation, as well as voiced by other readers........2007-03-24
I love history.
I love Biblical history.
It seemed as if the illustrator had a "proverbial gun to their head" to get all the text into "X" amount of pages --
thereby printing it every "which way" in order to accomplish this feat.
It wasn't "cute" nor CLEAVER having to read spirals -- in a book that has so much GOOD INFORMATION --
that NOVELTY need not be included!!!
Due to this need for attention -- my score for this book which had been a five star rating did a nose-dive down to one star.
I went to a librarian's meet, where this was a "must read" and in the discussion attended by 30+ librarians, they indicated the "same thought!"
(If there is ever a) next edition -- think twice!
Would you like to swing on a star? Carry a moonbeam home in a jar?.......2005-11-15
I've reviewed a fair amount of Peter Sis books in my day on Amazon.com, but this is the first book by Sis that I've come across that has so many negative/tepid reviews. Now, before I review a book I give its Amazon.com page a once-over to get a feel for what the public at large thinks about the story. Peter Sis is one of those authors who can write extraordinarily simple books for little children (like "Komodo", "Madlenka", or "Fire Truck") then turn around and do mind-bendingly complex picture books in the same breath (like, "Tibet: Through the Red Box", and "Tree of Life"). "Starry Messenger" was one of Sis' first forays into this combination of complex and simplistic together. As you can see, it wasn't wholly successful. Though still a visually eye-popping wonder and a tale that makes equal concessions to both young and old readers, the story sacrifices fact for simplification in ways that not everyone will enjoy. I believe that while this book is a necessary addition to any Galileo collection, it should certainly not be the ONLY book on that starry-eyed scientist available to your children.
Right from the get-go we are told that the whole notion of the earth moving around the sun is a bit new. People (and here we are shown a lovely Ptolemaic System of the universe) thought the planets, the moon, and the sun moved around the earth. There's a sudden and brief glimpse on the next page of The Copernican System, but the text tells us that Copernicus never published this idea and that, "it would take someone else to do that...". Enter, someone else. Someone else by the name of Galileo Galilei. Born on February 15, 1564 when Italy was just a quilt of city-states, little Galileo grew up with a healthy scientific curiosity. He invented things, became a young professor, and heard about a remarkable new instrument that would allow the viewer to see far away things near. Being a bright young man, he made his own instrument and pointed it upwards. He sketched the moon, made maps of the heavens, and was the toast of the town. Then The Church took note of his ideas, disliked them heartily, convicted him of heresy, and kept him under house arrest for the rest of his life. Three hundred years later the Church pardoned him. Happy ending for all. The end.
Now, you cannot say that this is one of Sis' more straightforward books, because it isn't. Though certainly his later works contain just as much sheer factual knowledge, "Starry Messenger" doesn't organize its information particularly well. In an attempt to bring the older information together with the younger, Sis will put info for little children at the bottom of a page in large letters and leave the older info at top or mid-page in a kind of squiggly cursive writing. The illustrations, for their part, sometimes apply to both the older and the younger text, and then sometimes have absolutely nothing to do with what has already been written. For example, on the pages that describe Galileo's desire for a newfangled telescope, the older text includes a translation of Galileo's words, the younger text speaks of how the man made his own, and the pictures are an odd hodgepodge of maps, the travels of telescopes, some odd visions of Flanders, and a kind of historical amalgamation of faces, figures, and historical references. It's beautiful to look at. It's hell to understand.
The main objection to "Starry Messenger", as I see it, comes from the book's shaky discussion of why exactly The Church was so upset with the man's ideas. The book says, "he has gone against the Bible", which isn't really true. That was just an interpretation. Still, it leaves the reader a bit confused over whether or not Galileo's conviction was justified or not. Also, factual references, bibliographies, and timelines are non-existent here. Kids doing reports would have to shift through a myriad of oddly hidden dates tucked away on every other page to get the info they need. The book also never makes it clear when it was that Galileo decided to publish the idea that the earth moves around the sun. Suddenly he's been dragged in front of the Pope, and we have no idea why (though the text offers clues). Tis odd.
There is much to like here, of course. The art is just gorgeous. When Galileo stands before the Pope's court, a sea of astrological figures (Pisces, Taurus, Capricorn, etc.) swim about him, like a whirlpool threatening to suck him down. Most people will not notice this, but one of the nicest elements of the hardback version of this book are the endpapers. The first two endpapers show a city that we may take to be 17th century Italy with a tiny Galileo staring through his telescope at the stars. Along the edges of the paper are small scenes in which countless civilizations (from Eskimos to Easter Island) stare up at the flickering sky. The back endpapers initially look the same as the front, but closer inspection reveals that we are suddenly looking at a modern city. Another little figure stares up at the night sky, but this time from a high-rise. Along the edges of the paper are far more contemporary scenes of submarines, airplanes, and high-speed trains. The implication seems to state that any child today can be a modern-day Galileo if they so choose. The choice is theirs.
So this isn't the best Galileo book out there, no. But is it without merit? Not at all! Different books have different functions. If you want a story to read to your child that gives them some basic info on Galileo (and you're willing to fill in the missing pieces yourself) then by all means hand them "Starry Messenger". If, on the other hand, your fourth-grader has just announced that they have a ten-page paper on Galileo due tomorrow and they needs some information immediately.... this book is not for you. It's flawed, sure, but also a visual stunner. A lovely work that shows the scope of Peter Sis if not his storytelling at its best.
Beautiful and Innaccurate.......2005-06-19
This absolutely stunning book is simple, difficult and innaccurate. Sounds contradictory? It is.
If one were to read the large text, this book is highly oversimplified. Cursive writing weaves through the illustrations that is more complex, too difficult to read by the intended audience of a child's picture book. In the main text, Galileo is purported to have beliefs that were against the BIBLE. Galileo's beliefs were not against the teachings of the Bible, rather the viewpoint of the church at that time, which was significantly misguided and following a carnal path during that period.
As an artist, I am sad to have to give thumbs down to this artistically beautiful book.
Over simplified.......2004-12-15
The story of Galileo is much more complicated than just being a "heretic". In order to understand the full complications of the story, one would have to understand that the problem was not Galileo against the Bible, but Galileo against Hellenized Christianity-- Aristotle and Plato; the creeds of the church fathers, i.e. the Apologists, etc.; in other words orthodox Christianity which had come under the domination of Greek Philosophy. What Galileo was arguing against was NOT in the Bible, it was Catholic Church doctrine mixed with Greek Philosophy (the metaphysics of Aristotle and Plato) which is still prevalent in some fundamentalist Protestant sects.
I fully understand that this is a children's book, and even some adults would disagree with my review. This is due to ignorance of Church history and doctrine, not to mention bias and prejudice. Therefore, I am only writing this to encourage older readers to look more deeply into the situation between Galileo and the Church. Although I am not a Catholic, and definitely not a Catholic apologist, the Church is usually portrayed in a worse case scenario than they deserve. Always remember that the Church at that time was also the secular judge and jury, and that they tried very hard to work with Galileo, who, at times, was kind of a behavior problem.
Before you have a knee-jerk reaction and say this review did not help you, remember that educated people will read this, and you could end up looking very ignorant. Do your homework first. All is not like you've always heard about Galileo. Atheists and agnostics love to put their own spin on things. Just ask the Boy Scouts of America.
Nice Artwork, Misleading History.......2003-10-18
This children's book about Galileo has very beautiful illustrations, but the history leaves much to be desired. It's a perfect example though of how myths about the past take on a life of their own independent of historical evidence or historical context. Sis offers another variation on the "warfare" of science versus religion with Galileo representing the modern rational scientist (which he was not) and his opponents in the Church representing ignorant, dogmatic tradition. Of course the reality was much more complex, especially considering that Galileo did not have proof that the earth moved. This book shows why children are so often misinformed from an early age for the sake of telling a good story.
Customer Reviews:
Galileo's Story.......2006-01-26
Galileo Galilei was fascinated with Pythagorean squares and triangles when he was a young child. Galileo was an avid musician learning the lute, organ, and viola in his childhood and his teens. He went to the University of Pisa for 2 years until his parents could no longer afford for him to go, so he achieved a free scholarship to go and finish his studies at the university, where he was nicknamed "Wrangler" for asking questions about if anyone had actually proved Aristotle's law of gravity. Galileo made his first invention at the University of Pisa, a thing that he called the Pulsiloga, which could be used to detect sickness. Galileo became a professor in Math at that university, only to get cast out by the Aristotle believers. Galileo moved to Venice, where he became professor of mathematics on a large salary. After he modernized the compass, Galileo became rich enough to own a fairly large house with a cook and servants who he overpaid out of generosity. Galileo became even more popular when he invented a stronger telescope and wrote three books on the sun and his discoveries about space. Later in life, Galileo was imprisoned for believing the sun was the center of the universe and teaching that it was and was accused by the Pope. He was found guilty of charge and was forced to spend the rest of his life at his friend's house, who offered for him to serve his punishment there. This book is denser reading in parts and can be read by older children and teens.
The author included conversations between the Galilei family and their friends to make the book seem less like a timeline. The father and the mother of Galileo had arguments over Galileo's education, Galileo lectured about the position of the Earth going around the sun, and Michalangelo, Galileo's younger brother, promised to repay him multiple times.
This book showed how smart Galileo was. His first invention he figured out when he was bored and swinging a pendulum back and forth and deciding to time it using his pulse as a timer. Gallileo's teachers even admittred that sometimes he would tell them that they were wrong or that they did thier math wrong. Galileo went to Venice and they gave him a salary of three times the amount that he recieved at the Univeresity of Pisa just to hear his opinions on certain things.
This book shows the concerns and the little amount known about space around 1600. Galileo was the fist person to realize that the moon was not smooth like a marble, that Jupiter and Saturn had moons, and that the sun had spots that dissapeared after a while.
This book is a great choice for older children and teens who want to learn more about a person who spoke his mind and became a famous scientist.
C. Brady
Pythagorean Magic! Yea!.......2003-04-29
I, for one, thought that this book was an awesome literary accomplishment, and for a historical biography, it was very interesting. What fascinated me the most about Galileo was his excitement for learning new things. As a boy his father, Vincezio Galilei, often told Galileo to think for himself. He told him that even if a person says something popular, it may not always be accurate. Even a person such as Aristotle could be corrected. Although this is true and is the basis of Galileo's life, the title of the book is referring to the Pythagorean Theorem. This was the very first thing taught to Galileo on his first day in a private noble school. What happens is the teacher calls Galileo to sit on the floor with him. He then takes out a multitude of pebbles from his pocket. He lays three pebbles on the floor in the shape of a triangle. He then points out that it is an isosceles triangle, because all of the sides are congruent. It fascinates young Galileo even more to learn that when more pebbles are placed at the base of the triangle, something happens. He sees a pattern happening with the sum of two sides. They seemed to be equal with the hypotenuse of the triangle. This, he learned, is what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem, or as his teacher called it, the Pythagorean Number Magic. It is most popular throughout the book, because it is the first thing that starts the most famous Philosopher in the world, Galileo Galilei, wanting to learn.
Pythagorean Magic! Yea!.......2003-04-29
I, for one, thought that this book was an awesome literary accomplishment, and for a historical biography, it was very interesting. What fascinated me the most about Galileo was his excitement for learning new things. As a boy his father, Vincezio Galilei, often told Galileo to think for himself. He told him that even if a person says something popular, it may not always be accurate. Even a person such as Aristotle could be corrected. Although this is true and is the basis of Galileo's life, the title of the book is referring to the Pythagorean Theorem. This was the very first thing taught to Galileo on his first day in a private noble school. What happens is the teacher calls Galileo to sit on the floor with him. He then takes out a multitude of pebbles from his pocket. He lays three pebbles on the floor in the shape of a triangle. He then points out that it is an isosceles triangle, because all of the sides are congruent. It fascinates young Galileo even more to learn that when more pebbles are placed at the base of the triangle, something happens. He sees a pattern happening with the sum of two sides. They seemed to be equal with the hypotenuse of the triangle. This, he learned, is what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem, or as his teacher called it, the Pythagorean Number Magic. It is most popular throughout the book, because it is the first thing that starts the most famous Philosopher in the world, Galileo Galilei, wanting to learn.
Book Description
This collection of essays is unparalleled in the depth of its coverage of all facets of Galileo's work. A particular feature of the volume is the treatment of Galileo's relationship with the Church. It will be of particular interest to philosophers, historians of science, cultural historians and those in religious studies. New readers and nonspecialists will find this the most convenient, accessible guide to Galileo available. Advanced students and specialists will find a conspectus of recent developments in the interpretation of Galileo.
Customer Reviews:
Galileo the Genius.......2007-07-03
I used this book as a way to understand Galileo's laws of motion. I never ceased to be amazed at how he came up with so much with so little. Our current scientists owe him an insurmountable debt. The scholarship is top-notch.
Books:
- Giggles in the Middle: Caught'ya! Grammar with a Giggle for Middle School (Caught'ya! Grammar with a Giggle) (Caught'ya! Grammar with a Giggle)
- GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali
- Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez
- Hegel's Science of Logic
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Land Development Handbook
- Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
- The Gulf Between Us: Love and Terror in Desert Storm
- The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, The Original Teachings in a Deluxe 30th Anniver
- When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost : My Life as A Hip Hop Feminist
- Conversations of Socrates
- Big Jinny: The Story of a Grizzly Bear
- No Sweat: Fashion, Free Trade, and the Rights of Garment Workers
- Transit Talk : New York's Bus and Subway Workers Tell Their Stories
- With This Ring, I'm Confused
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
The Planets
The Illustrated Longitude
Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling
