From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-This 17th-century German mathematician and astronomer discovered three laws of planetary motion and was a key to further discoveries of natural law. Kepler, a Protestant, was persecuted during the counter-Reformation, lost a wife and several children to disease, saw his mother tried as a witch, and had constant financial difficulties, yet persevered in his quest for mathematical truths. In this detailed biography, both his academic work and his personal travails are carefully documented. Period portraits and images reproduced in full color and black and white as well as diagrams and maps enhance the presentation and help to hold readers' interest. Those not fully versed in the fundamentals of physics and mathematics will still be able to grasp the material presented. Boerst's theory that Kepler was looking for harmony in the universe as an antidote to the religious disharmony of his time is apocryphal but interesting. With a time line and bibliography consisting of both primary and secondary sources, this is a worthwhile source for information on both the life and works of this Renaissance genius.
Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. Similar in format and approach to Boerst's Tycho Brahe: Mapping the Heavens (2003), also from the Renaissance Scientists series, this biography looks at the life, times, and accomplishments of German astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630). Kepler, using Copernicus' heliocentric model and Brahe's data, made an enormous number of mathematical calculations and took some imaginative leaps to come up with his laws of planetary motion. Boerst not only offers a good portrait of the astronomer and his work but also shows the effects of the contentious political and religious forces that created upheaval in his society and made scholarship anything but a safe haven. The well-designed pages feature excellent color illustrations, such as maps, diagrams, and many period paintings and prints. Back matter includes a time line, source notes for quotations, a bibliography, and a list of recommended Web sites. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
