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Books : Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and LoveIn association with Amazon.comby: Dava Sobel  List Price: $16.00 Amazon.com's Price: $10.88 You Save: $5.12 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 520.92 EAN: 9780140280555 ISBN: 0140280553 Label: Penguin (Non-Classics) Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics) Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 432 Publication Date: November 01, 2000 Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) Release Date: October 31, 2000 Studio: Penguin (Non-Classics) Sales Rank: 22700 Related Items:
Editorial Review: Product 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 Amazon.com Review: 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 Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Brings 17th Century to LifeThis 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, ... Read More Rating: - Amazing way to read about GalileoI 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 ... Read More Rating: - Loved it!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. Rating:  - An Entertaining, but Ordinary, Story of an Extraordinary ScientistGalileo 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 ... Read More Rating: - This is a biography!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 ... Read More Browse for similar items by category:
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