It is a pity that the Amazon rating system is limited to only 5-stars. This book is, in my opinion, worth many more. I must admit that I hesitated getting this book for many years as I was misled by the sub-title "Planetary Astronomy in the Development of Western Thought". I believed this to be a thick and imponderable philosophical tome - it is not. The book is clearly written, and does not require that the reader have a mathematical, philosophical or astronomical background. The book describes the paradigm shift from an earth-centered universe to a sun-centered one. It thus begins with the astronomical beliefs of the ancient Greeks and shows the evolution of astronomy from this to that of Copernicus and then to Newton's explanation using his equations of gravity.
I learned a lot from this book. For instance,
1. I learned a bit about solar and celestial navigation.
2. I never even realized that the seasons are of unequal length, now I do and I understand why.
3. I now have a reasonable idea of the complexity of the Ptolemaic (earth-center) view of the cosmos and why it was believed for 2000 years. Kuhn does a great job of explaining and describing the essence of this very complex system.
4. I now understand some of the influences that led Copernicus to believe that the Ptolemaic paradigm needed to be replaced. The reasons for this shift were many and complex, but are clearly stated.
5. I always thought that the system developed by Copernicus was what we believe today, but now I realize that it was much more complex, but that while it was as complex as that of Ptolemy it was not more accurate in its predictions. I also see why some of the incorrect assumptions made by Copernicus led to this complexity and lack of accuracy.
6. I clearly see why in spite of its complexity and lack of increased accuracy the Copernican paradigm gradually replaced the Ptolemaic paradigm, but not without overcoming a considerable amount of resistance.
7. I understand the importance of the contributions of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler to the ultimate dominance of the Copernican system.
8. I learned how Johannes Kepler, Rene Descartes and Robert Hooke influenced the work of Isaac Newton and that Newton's laws of gravity were not a unique creation of his alone, although its complete mathematical formulation certainly was.
These ideas in this book are presented in a very clear and very accessible manner. I now have to add this book to my short list of those that I think anyone who considers himself/herself well educated should be acquainted with.
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