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Life of Galileo

            
             Until Galileo's time science was a handmaiden of philosophy which in turn was the handmaiden of theology. Galileo according to Drake wished to free science from this bondage as the historical obstacle to its utility and progress. As Drake explains " the silencing and punishment of Galileo toward the end of a life devoted to scientific inquiry was an event of profound significance for our cultural history" (pg. iii). Drake's biography on Galileo meanders its way from the very beginning of Galileo's life and work right to the bitter end. Drake embodies a simple and pleasing style to portray in a warm and personal way a brilliant man bent on unlocking the secrets of nature through observation and experiments. Drake places in context the evolving events and reasons that led to the silencing of Galileo. He attempts to connect the reader to the times, prevailing issues and misguided steps Galileo made that eventually led to the inquisition and silencing of his work. The reader is introduced to Galileo at the beginning of his career that early on shows promise of brilliance not seen in centuries. Drake throughout the book portrays Galileo as a mechanical genius, a spiritual man with an incessant drive to explain the world through science. Drake in the end makes a convincing biography of Galileo as a man hounded by his Church, its dogma and who alienates many of his colleagues and admirers through his insensitive and admonishing challenges, rebuttals and pursuit of a ideas in the growing oppositions of the Church. Drake places in prominence a character proud and obsessed with separating science and discovery from religion in a world that is not quite ready for his style, the truth that it conveys and the changes that it requires. .
             Introduction.
             In 1572 a new star appeared in the heavens and was proved by Tycho Brahe a Danish astronomer to be a fixed star in the heavens. This contradicted express statements by Aristotle concerning the heavens where no change could ever take place.


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