The Memory of the Sweetnesses
Posted by blacklin on September 23, 2008
Title: Galileo’s Daughter, A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love
Author: Dava Sobel
Genre: history, science
Note: This review originally posted on an old blog of mine on July 31, 2007
Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel is an excellent book. As I read this book, I learned about Galileo’s many additional scientific discoveries: the four moons of Jupiter, his discovery of sunspots, and his discovery that the sun (as well as the earth) rotates on its axis. Read this book to find out why Einstein considered Galileo the father of modern physics and of modern science in general.
This book is no dry read. Galileo comes alive on the page. We see him puttering around in his garden. We see him rely on his daughter for emotional support as Galileo goes through his trial at the Holy Office courtesy of the Inquisition. Through his daughter’s letters we learn about his favorite foods and his love of wine. But most importantly, we learn about his close relationship with his eldest daughter Virginia who later took the name Suor Maria Celeste after taking vows at the San Matteo convent.
The 1600’s saw the continuation of the Protestant vs. Catholic conflict/reformation which in Germany gave birth to the Thirty Year’s War, the result of which drew in every major power of time including the Vatican. We learn how these politics affect a pope whose reaction affects a well respected Tuscan scientist, mathematician and teacher who only seeks to explore the universe and share his discoveries with students, friends, family, and the world at large.
In Galileo’s Daughter, Galileo himself becomes a multi-dimensional person placed in context with his times. He is fully human–not just a dry cardboard fact in a text book. He rejoices, suffers, worries, and networks with Italian aristocracy. He watches over and cares for his children, in particular Suor Maria Celeste who lived a life of cloistered poverty in the convent of San Matteo. She was Galileo’s confidante who prepared medicines for his various illnesses, who prayed for him during his trial and who rejoiced in his successes and who provided compassion and hope during difficult times. Father and daughter were each other’s intellectual equal relying on each other for getting through the nitty gritty details of everyday life in 17th century Italy.
May they rest in peace.
