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Brings 17th Century to Life

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This remarkable book compactly and comprehensively ties together many threads: Galileo's life, Galileo's scientific breakthroughs, Catholic Church theology and superstition, life in Italy, and the relationship of Galileo to his favorite child. The author weaves these together through the device of the 124 surviving letters that Galileo's eldest daughter Virginia sent to him from the convent near Florence where she lived from the age of 15 to her early death. It's a singular story, starting with the man who revolutionized scientific inquiry by emphasizing observable experience to support theory. That this principle was developed by a person who believed unquestioningly in all of the superstitions of the Catholic Church of his time makes it even more remarkable. The author takes the reader into both the church and scientific worlds, showing when they collided, as well as the mental gymnastics that Galileo and others engaged in to try to reconcile irreconcilable views of nature and the physical world. As Galileo's fame peaks and then was shattered by the Church's censure, his relationship with Virginia was a source of comfort and practical support. The letters from Virginia (Galileo's letters were burned at the convent) show her intellect, love for her father, and religious fervor. The letters read almost as parodies of religious belief -- though, apparently, it's how people thought at the time. Example: Virginia lived in an exceedingly strict convent near Florence. She entered the convent as a teenager and literally never left the property ever again. One of the convent's proud principles was that its claustrophic stone walls were the equivalent of Jesus' tomb. The girls entering the convent were told: "You are, therefore, already now in your sepulchre of stone, that is, your vowed enclosure." One can only shake one's head and say, "What might have been..." if people such as Galileo and his daughter were able to pursue their visions more fully.

Amazing way to read about Galileo

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I was totally impressed with the way this book was written. I learned so much about Galileo and his life in this book. It is amazing how the author took actual letters from his daughter and created a fascinating book that tells of his life, all revolving around the letters. What a great way to combine his life and his family, his professional and personal life. I also find it amazing how far we have come from the times of Galileo. He was imprisoned and banned from returning home, by orders of the church, because he published a book on the dialogue regarding the earth moving around the sun vs. the sun moving around the earth (the church's belief). Yet, he was given permission by the church, even given edits for his book, yet, the church changes their mind when people start complaining about Galileo's book. The church, having to 'set an example' use Galileo to show they are superior. Galileo was a fascinating person, a man ahead of his time. I loved this book.

Loved it!	Customer Rating:
If there is one book I would highly recommend from my recent reading list, this would be it. Talk about history coming alive - the story is based on letters his daughter wrote - and though you think you know the ending, there is a delicious twist. The book reads like a thriller and I simply loved it.

An Entertaining, but Ordinary, Story of an Extraordinary Scientist

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Galileo is known both as a scientist and a symbol. As a scientist, he overtuerned almost all of the then-commonplace notions of physics and cosmology: heavy objects DO NOT fall faster than light ones; celestial bodies DO NOT consist of different materials than earth; most importantly, the sun DOES NOT revolve around a stationary earth. Dava Sobel's book focuses the majority of its attention on the controversy surrounding this last discovery of Galileo's, which put him in conflict with the teachings of the Catholic Church and for which Galileo avoided being hanged. To dispel possible misunderstandings up front, this book is not so much about Galileo's daughter, Suour Maria Celeste, as it is about Galileo himself. (Several of the two- and one-star reviewers must have missed the introduction, where Sobel herself states this.) Thus, the book really contains two stories: the first about Galileo's attempts to publish a heliocentric theory of the universe in a censorious Rome, and the second, exploring the loving relationship between father and daughter. For this book, Dava Sobel has amassed an impressive amount of research. For the story focusing on Galileo's scientific journey, Sobel quotes from a large amount of letters from and to Galileo, and from Galileo's published works. For the latter story, dealing with Galileo and his daughter's relationships, Sobel quotes generously from the letters of Sister Maria Celeste to her father (his letters to her do not survive, likely burned by the convent upon Maria Celeste's death). Another thing this book does very well is to put the reader in the mindset of a world where the Earth stands still and the sun revolves around it. We tend to think of Galileo's trial as a comedy/tragedy of errors, and something of a no-brainer. We forget that, at the time, the default position was towards an Earth-centered universe, and the idea of heliocentrism was the controversial opinion. This book accomplishes the very difficult feat of putting us into a landscape where the Copernican Sun-centered world was a radical and still debatable idea. As one fascinated by the history of science, and Galileo's firm place in its beginning, I found much of this book very engrossing. Sobel does a great job making this story accessible and even adventurous. I must confess, though, to having been quite bored by the chapters devoted to the father-daugher relationship and the several-page-long letters of Maria Celeste. Most of the latters say the same things as the ones before and after (exprssing her love for her father, asking about his health, and talking about the day-to-day in the convent). AFter a while, these became repetitive and I found myself several times questioning why this story was included at all. (The story of Galileo is fasciniating enough for a book to have it blunted by a very mundane side story.) All in all, though, this book is a fun read. It is not too difficult but very informative and entertaining.

This is a biography!

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I had expected a fictionalized narrative following the daughter of the famous astronomer. What I got was a detailed biography of Galileo himself. However, I still continued reading to the end. With more warmth and humanity than your average historical account, Sobel's story weaves the life and family of its subject in among the facts of his life. Such things as his recurring illnesses and his struggles with the church authorities are brought to life and made more interesting. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the life of Galileo, or anyone who is interested in the day-to-day activities of Italy in the 17th Century.