THUS SPOKE GALILEO: THE GREAT SCIENTIST'S IDEAS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO THE PRESENT DAY; TRANS. BY JIM MACMANUS

Any reasonably educated person knows what is said about Galileo, but not what Galileo himself actually said. This has allowed a variety of different interpretations to be put upon his stands as a scientist and as a man, in particular from within the Catholic world, where a sense of guilt for his dramatic destiny has never been completely erased. Let him speak, then so that he can bring to everybody's attention, in particular the young, his message of reason, of intellectual honesty, of free thinking. A message that more than ever, is of great relevance in the rampant irrationality of the new millennium. The selection of writings offered here is preferred by a blunt self-portrait, which is of course a forgery - however, one that is based entirely on extracts from Galileo's writings and private letters, though he would never have dared, nor been allowed to write it himself. The anthology touches upon the themes dearest to Galileo and a lively commentary, from both the scientific and the literary-historical viewpoints, should help make the extracts accessible. The reader will be able to appreciate the work and the writing-style of a very great scientist and author and will probably also be surprised to find with the aid of a test with answers provided, just how many of the misconceptions about the workings of the world that were rife prior to Galileo, still survive today among the common beliefs of even well-educated, non scientific people. "You might know what is said about Galileo, but not many people know what Galileo himself actually said! His demanding and often misquoted discourse has resulted, over the years, in slurs against his name and reputation as a scientist. Let him speak then, so that he can bring to everyone's attention his message of reason, of intellectual honesty, and of free thinking. A message that, more than ever, is of great relevance in the rampant irrationality of the new millennium." "The exposition begins with a blunt 'self-portrait'. A 'forgery' of course, based largely on extracts from Galileo's writings and private letters; something he would never have dared, nor been allowed, to write for the public. The selection of writings offered in this book includes many of the subjects that were closest to Galileo's heart and uppermost in his mind, and is accompanied by a lively commentary elucidating literary, scientific, and historical features. For those who want to know the mathematics behind Galileo's theories, each chapter closes with a separate self contained summary." "Thus Spoke Galileo will allow the reader to appreciate the work and the writing-style of a great scientist and author who has had a decisive influence on the modern world."--Jacket. You might know what is said about Galileo, but not many people know what Galileo himself actually said. His elusive and often misquoted discourse has resulted, over the years, in slurs against his name and reputation as a scientist. Let him speak then, so that he can bring to everyone's attention his message of reason, of intellectual honesty, and of free thinking. A message that, more than ever, is of great relevance in the rampant irrationality of the new millennium. The exposition begins with a blunt 'self-portrait'. A 'forgery' of course, based mainly on extracts from Galileo's writings and private letters; something he would never have dared, nor been allowed, to write for the public. The selection of writings offered includes many of the subjects that were closest to Galileo's heart and mind with lively commentary from both the literary, scientific, and historical viewpoints. For those who want to know the mathematics behind Galileo's theories, each chapter closes with a separate self contained summary. Thus Spoke Galileo will allow the reader to appreciate the work and the writing-style of a great scientist and author who had a tremendous influence on the modern world. Presentation of the most important discoveries by Galileo Galilei, endorsed by his own lively writings. Includes simple explanations for the general reader, comparative discussions about state of knowledge in Galileo's time and in today's understanding, as well as major public and private events in Galileo's life. 'Thus Spoke Galileo' is a presentation of the most important discoveries by Galileo Galilei, endorsed by his own lively writings