Galileo Galilei - When the World Stood Still [Hardcover]

Atle Naess (Author), J. Anderson (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 2005 | ISBN-10: 3540219617 | ISBN-13: 978-3540219613 | Edition: 1

His biography of Galileo won the Brage Award for best Norwegian non-fiction book in 2001

The Norwegian edition has sold nearly 6000 copies

Biographies as a genre are very popular

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews:

Most scientific biographies are written by scientists. This one isn't. And my goodness doesn't it show. The prose sings, the story flows effortlessly, and the exposition is refreshingly centred on humanitarian aspects. The character, lifestyle, social context, and motivation of the subject spring into life. The book is an absolute joy, not only for its insight into the accomplishments of one of the world's greatest scientists, but also for its historic review of the scientific turmoil caused by relegating planet Earth from its religious and philosophical position at the centre of the cosmos to its present-day role as a rather insignificant member of the Sun's family of eight planets.

The Observatory: a review of astronomy, vol. 126, no. 1190, p. 55 (Feb. 2006) [by David W. Hughes].

[...] Naess weaves an excellent account of the story of Galileo. Addressed to the sophisticated general reader, it is an account that is alive, articulate, and well constructed, and one that provides the important larger context that surrounds the drama itself. This reviewer recommends it highly to anyone interested in a succinct and comprehensive look at the "saga" of Galileo.

MAA Online book review columne, Alexander J. Hahn, October 2005

 The complete review can be found here: http://www.maa.org/reviews/naessgalileo.html

[...] Atle Naess knows how to write a readable book. He wastes no time on padding. He weaves the history, the personalities and the technicalities together expertly, with a sure eye for an interesting detail and an ability to cut through the myths, propaganda and speculation that surround the Galileo case. [...] The aim of the book is a short introduction to introduce the man and whet the appetite for his ideas. It is a resounding success.

by James Franklin, Univ of New South Wales, Sydney                                          Gazette, The Australian Mathematical Society, Volume 32, Number 4, 2005,

"The mathematician and physicist Galileo Galilei is one of the most famous scientists of all time. The story of his life and times … is brought vividly to life in this book. Atle Næss has written a gripping account of one of the great figures in European history." (WWW. firstscience.com, September 12, 2005)

"Not too many biographies of great scientists are as felicitously written as this new one … . a delightful read but … is as historically accurate as one would hope. … very adequately referenced. … The translation into english is excellent. This book brought home to me the full extent … . Anyone with an interest in the life and times of Galileo will adore this new account … . It is beautifully printed, attractively bound … . Highly recommended." (Australian Physics, Vol. 42 (2), May/June, 2005)

"I found this book fascinating. Much of the argument … revolves around the famous trial of Galileo for heresy in 1633. … The background of the build up to the trial with all the necessary detail is handled in a masterly manner … . There are 13 pages of index and references which will allow the assiduous reader to delve further into the scientific life of seventeenth century Italy – a journey well worth making … a book worth buying." (M. L. Perkins, The Mathematical Gazette, Vol. 90 (518), 2006)

"Galileo Galilei was not only one of the most outstanding 16th century scientists, but he also suffered for the last nine years of his life … . This biography deals with both these aspects, making full use of recent historical research. Altogether is presents a rounded picture of his life in a highly readable account." (Mathematika, Vol. 52, 2005)

"Galileo Galilei was not only one of the most outstanding 16th century scientists, but he also suffered for the last nine years of his life … . This biography deals with both these aspects, making full use of recent historical research. Altogether it presents a rounded picture of his life in a highly readable account." (Mathematika, Vol. 52, 2005)

About the Author

The author was born in 1949. He studied language and literature at Oslo University and worked for some years as a teacher at various levels before becoming an independent writer of novels and non-fiction. Among his books is a novel about the Italian painter Caravaggio, translated into English under the title "Doubting Thomas" [in German as "Caravaggio's Flucht"]. His biography of Galileo won the Brage Award for best Norwegian non-fiction book in 2001. Næss' most recent work is a biography of the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 230 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (January 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3540219617
• ISBN-13: 978-3540219613
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,871,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, August 8, 2006

By 

folderol50 (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Galileo Galilei - When the World Stood Still (Hardcover)

Strikes a great balance between detail and readability,

unlike so many biographies whose goal seems to be to

impress the reader with the biographer's mastery of

arcane contemporary details rather than to communicate

knowledge about the principal subject.

Much better than the bio by Reston.

5.0 out of 5 stars "...a man who rejected ancient truths in his quest for new knowledge", February 3, 2012

By 

sdk (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Galileo Galilei - When the World Stood Still (Kindle Edition)

Written with obvious passion for the history, science and the individual who relentlessly sought truth. I knew little about any of these, and found this book a great introduction to both the science and history. Naess writes clearly written and the sections that describe the science,if read slowly, are not too difficult for the literate person with little background. It is a fascinating account of the conflict between emerging science and powerful religious authority and scientific orthodoxy. I gained a greater appreciation of the threat represented by new ideas, freer thinking and, especially, evidence. Highly recommended.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended......., September 7, 2007

By 

Tanis "Tanis Yvonne Somerville" (Seahurst, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Galileo Galilei - When the World Stood Still (Hardcover)

I actually enjoyed reading this text on who I consider, and deserves the title of, "the first scientist," He not only applied what is essentially the modern scientific method to his work, but fully understood what he was doing and laid down the ground rules clearly for others to follow. In addition, the work he did following those ground rules was of immense importance. In the late 16th century, there were others who met some of these critieria-but the ones who devoted their lives to what we now call science were often still stuck with a medieval mindset about the relevance of all or part of their work, philosophical significance of the new way of looking at the world were usually only part-time scientists and had little influence on the way others approached the investigagion of the world. It was Galileo who first wrapped everything up in one package. This text seems to wrap up everything quite nicely too in one package.
Highly recommended.