Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo (Paperback)

~ (Author), Stillman Drake (Translator) "Revealing great, unusual, and remarkable spectacles, opening these to the consideration of every man, and especially of philosophers and astronomers;..." (more)
Key Phrases: solar globe, discoveries and opinions, solar spots, Grand Duke, Starry Messenger, Holy Ghost (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Directing his polemics against the pedantry of his time, Galileo, as his own popularizer, addressed his writings to contemporary laymen. His support of Copernican cosmology, against the Church's strong opposition, his development of a telescope, and his unorthodox opinions as a philosopher of science were the central concerns of his career and the subjects of four of his most important writings. Drake's introductory essay place them in their biographical and historical context.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; 2nd edition (April 1, 1957)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385092393
• ISBN-13: 978-0385092395
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #186,555 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Galileo's Ideas and Their Defense, May 18, 2002

By	John Vickery (Memphis, TN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo consists of four works by Galileo Galilei: The Starry Messenger, Letters on Sunspots, Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina, and The Assayer. They are each wonderfully translated by Stillman Drake. He omits unnecessary parts of the texts, to prevent verbosity or boredom, while still giving the reader the full sense of each work. Drake is a professor of the History of Science at the University of Toronto. Before each of Galileo's works, Drake gives an introduction which details the circumstances and events prompting Galileo to take up the pen. Drake presents an excellent history of the times and atmosphere along with the political forces that permeated the setting of early seventeenth century Italian academia. One gets a real feel for what Galileo was up against in presenting his ideas in the face of ecclesiastical and philosophical opposition.

The Starry Messenger is Galileo's account of his first uses of his homemade telescope. He details his observations of the four newly discovered moons of Jupiter and several stars that can now be seen with the telescope. His Letters on Sunspots are a retort to another astronomer's theories on the nature of the phenomenon. In the Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina, Galileo puts up a staunch defense to the church in his adopting the Copernican heliocentric model of the universe. After being banned from teaching this opinion, Galileo makes a suave effort to communicate his ideas in a defense on the nature of comets in The Assayer.

This is the story of Galileo verses old dogma. One cannot help but sympathize with Galileo in his frustration in communicating what he believed to be true. In light of our current knowledge of the solar system and the logical arguments Galileo puts forth it is hard not to feel a bit of the same frustration. This book is a great treatise on Galileo's ideas and his tenacity in defending them. Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems would be an excellent companion to this book. Drake has published a translation of this work also. Galileo's thoughts and observations mark a milestone in the history of astronomy, and Drake's book venerates the man and his teachings.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, May 11, 2000

By A Customer

Although the introductory sections are a bit dated, this book contains some of the best translations available of Galileo's works in English. It includes a broad range of his theories (both those we recognize as "correct" and those in which he was "in error"). Both types indicate his creativity. The reproductions of his sketches of the moons of Jupiter (in "The Starry Messenger") are accurate enough to match to modern computer programs which show the positions of the moons for any date in history. The appendix with a chronological summary of Galileo's life is very useful in placing the readings in context.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars well worth the read., April 1, 2005

By	Christine (Virginia) - See all my reviews

The Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo is an excellent summary and translation, by Stillman Drake, of Galileo's 4 greatest works, including The Starry Messanger, The Assayer, Letters on Sunspots, and the Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina. Drake presents the words of Galileo as well as his own translations and insights into his life. He not only focuses on just the opinions of Galileo, but also gives the reader information about the viewpoints of Galileo's opponents.
I assume that Drake wanted to tell the story of Galileo in words that an everyday person can understand. By simply reading works written by Galileo, it is not always easy to comprehend the scientific and mathematical language that he uses. By omitting parts of Galileo's texts and adding his own details, Drake makes understanding Galileo's discoveries painless.
Personally, I believe that The Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo is well worth the read because it is educational yet interesting. Although the discoveries of Galileo may seem quite obvious to us today, it's entertaining reading how he came upon such discoveries, which were considered phenomenal at the time. The conflicts between Galileo and the Inquisition adds entertainment to what may seem like just observations and reports of Galileo. Overall, I think most people will be educated and entertained by reading this book.