Galileo's Daughter : A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love

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Summary: More Gallileo than his daughter
Review: Before I picked up this book I had the naive idea that it must solely about Gallileo's daughter - and that got me thinking she would be something along the lines of a scientific Artemisia Gentillischi (sp) or Christine de Pisan - in other words, she would be an intellectual force in her own right. I imagined her conducting novel scientific experiements in her little cloistered cell - independent of Gallileo, but that her discoveries would have been overshadowed by him as history progresses - you know, one of those lost female heroine types. This is not at all what this book is about and perhaps it was these false expectations that left me rather disappointed me in the end of what is really rather a good book.

Sobel does a stunning job, as usual, on a great biography of Gallileo, and part of that is using the small store of letters which were sent byhis daughter Sister Maria Celeste. Usually these letters are very domestic, sending him candied fruits, and asking for the return of pillowcases - but they are set against his life, work and discoveries. Somehow it lacks that suspenseful urgency that I found so compelling in Sobel's other recent work, Longitude. Still the work of Gallileo and its historical meaning as well as the force of philosophy and scientific research on matters to that date make interesting reading and Sobel is meticulous as ever in setting out her story.

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Summary: The punchline makes it work!
Review: Yes, this is a biography of Galileo, not his daughter, as many people have pointed out. And yet . . .

Because it is a biography of the human being, and not just the scientist, the insights into his life that we get by reading his daughter's letters to him make him vastly more real (and more vulnerable) than he would otherwise be to us.

His daughter was an integral, if sometimes distant, part of his life. That's why the surprise ending is both wonderfully appropriate and moving. [And, no, I'm not going to give it away.] Trust me on this: the book is well worth reading.

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Summary: Wonderful sense of place, time & life
Review: This is a lovely, interesting book. While I've read other books about Galileo, his science, & his heresy trial, this book describes some of the fabric of his daily life through the letters written to him by his daughter. Her letters are filled with details of her life as a cloistered nun, of her managing her father's affairs during his absences, and of her unconditional love for her him. His letters to her are believed to have been destroyed by her convent after her death.

Life in the 1600s was much slower than what we experience, but similar, too, and it's hard for us to imagine life completely dominated by the Church as it was then. I suppose that Galileo derived much support and comfort, especially during his trial and imprisonment, from the very regularity and predictability of life described by his daughter in the convent. While her letters may sound sugary to modern ears, her sincerity and devotion shine through. It was great to read about a mutually loving relationship between father and daughter.

Sobel's Longitude is worth reading, also.

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Summary: Galileo's Head Was On the Block........
Review: (A terrific song by the Indigo Girls, but that is an entirely different story.)

This fine biography of a fascinating historical figure is written from a unique perspective, not only a traditional historical context but from the point of view of his cloistered daughter. As a result, the historical information is refined with a texture of personal devotion. The grand and the mundane intertwine to provide a unique view of a man as both intellectual giant and everyday father.

Dava Sobel's prose is concise, yet wonderfully descriptive. I gained an appreciation not only of the man, but also the times in which he lived. As one who has studied Christianity and Catholicism, the book highlighted the ongoing struggle between those who strive for scientific truth (seeking to reconcile science and faith) and those who are threatened by those truths.

Yet, in my opinion, the beauty of the book is that the historical characters are presented as full formed individuals rather than superficial characterizations. This is no small task, especially in a volume that is relatively short. The only minor criticism of the trade paperback is that the illustrations are not as clear and crisp as I would like. However, that is a small thing and does not really detract from the book as a whole.

For anyone seeking to better understand Galileo the scientist, the Christian and the man, this is, by far, one of the clearest books on his life. It is entertaining, informative and well worth the time.

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Summary: A Real Feel for Time and Place
Review: Some authors are very good telling you about history. Others are very good at putting you into history. Both have their place. But an author who can do the latter is special and Dava Sobel is one of the latter.

Her book, Longitude, was her first and is excellent, bringing to light a crucial and little known part of scientific history. The story of Galileo is better known but often misunderstood by even science teachers like myself. However, by framing the Galileo's story around his daughter's letters (Galileo's replies are lost) we get the feeling of being there in the early 17th century and a real taste of Galileo's successes and setbacks.

I suppose that many people might be put off by this style of history-telling. It is often difficult for a 21st century person to understand the interests and cares of people 25 years ago let alone 400 years ago. I think it's fascinating, however, to see the differences: a time when science was new, creating an awe that is lost on modern people, and religion permeated peoples lives, God's world being as present as the physical one.

As a Catholic, I was particularly interested in Galileo's struggles with the Church. I have often felt this period to be in many ways a low point in Church history. Interestingly, it turns out to be what these things often are: a struggle between both high- and low-minded Church officials, where political issues end up winning out over theological and philosophical ones. Galileo's conviction by the Inquisition (on what appears to be a vote of 7-3) was caused by many factors and his continued support by many highly placed Catholics even after his conviction shows the lack of unanimity in opinion. If I have one disappointment in the Church, it is that Galileo's book, Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems, was reviewed and given an imprimatur by Church officials who then backtracked and put the book on the Index and Galileo to trial.

In any case, despite these negatives in Galileo's life, it was nice to see the important role that his daughter, Suor Mary Celeste, played in his life. I have stood before Galileo's tomb in Florence and yet I never realized that his daughter is buried there with him--certainly a sign of her importance to him. And certainly a sign that Sobel has made a wise choice is how to tell Galileo's story.

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Summary: Misled!
Review: I expected this to be a much better book than it is. The narrative of Galileo's life is told rather prosaically - here are the facts, here is what happened - and the letters from his daughter, while full of apparent love, unfortunately are primarily devoted to asking for money or conveying the mundane details of daily living in the abbey. The book's title is misleading: the daughter's letters are primarily devoted to hyperbolic protestations of affection for Galileo and are usually secondary to Sobel's ongoing biographical narrative of facts about what is happening to Galileo or what he is writing. The book lacks drama, insight, perceptiveness - a rather dull biography, occasionally sparked by some interesting details that the average reader (at least myself) may not have known about his life. There is some interest, however, in the contradictions and tensions caused by G's confessions of belief in the Church that lead him to at least publicly renounce the Copernicanism he has obviously come to believe in. One does wonder how he holds the two contrasting beliefs (Church and Copernicus) together - or if, in fact, he doesn't, but is entirely faking it to avoid further persecution. Now this is interesting!!

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Summary: Puts into perspective how truly amazing Galileo was
Review: In some point in time during school, a student learns of Galileo's scientific and mathematical achievement gifts to the world. However, this book shows the reader the loving and giving aspects of Galileo. Galileo's eldest daughter, Suor Maria Celeste (Virginia Galilei), paints a vivid picture on how much unconditional love and happiness Galileo's daughter brought to him. Whether it be a request by Suor Maria Celeste for money, cloth or food, Galileo always came though with his help. Suor Maria Celeste's letters also show that there were no limits to what she would do for her father.

Dava Sobel touches on Galileo's scientific achievements which is fascinating. This book carries the reader into perhaps one of the saddest event of Galileo's life which was to be "suspected of heresy, namely of having held and believed the doctrine which is false and contrary to the Sacred and Diving Scriptures, that the Sun is the center of the world and does not move from east to west and that the Earth moves and is not the center of the world..."

As Suor Maria Celeste was Galileo's constant companion in life, she remains with him in death at Santa Croce. Galileo's Daughter walks the reader through the world of Galileo as a father, scientist, mathematician and philosopher. What a wonderful book to capture all the essence.

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Summary: Galileo's Daughter is his Sun!
Review: Branded by the Church as a heretic and banished from his practices, Galileo certainly, centuries later, is one of history's worst persecuted! In Dava Sobel's "Galileo's Daughter," the author (who also penned the historical "Longitude") presents another insight into the famed scientific genius. This story is told by his elder daughter Suor Marie Celeste through her letters to him, which number over 100 and were translated by Sobel herself. While this may sound as a dull history reading, it is not. Sobel has carefully taken these letters and made them into her biography (which reads much like a historical novel!), one at once rich with historical settings, problems, and accomplishments. She shows the anxiety of the great scientist as he faces the Inquisition of the early 1600s, an Inquisition under the demands of Pope Urban VIII that forced Galilio to recant his observations and findings, as, of course, the Church wasn't about to accept anything so preposterous as his theory on the solar system, for instance.

Thus, he was found him guilty of heresy and, luckily for Galileo, was only banished to Siena (later to Florence). Sobel presents through these letters the famed scientist as being human and filled with more than just anxiety about facing the Inquistion! The letters are also interesting, touching, and quite revealing of the relationship between daughter and father than at once commands the attention of the reader.She also reveals him to be witty, ribald, poetic, in short, quite human. This book is an excellent character study and is never dull for one moment (or one letter!).([e-mail])

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Summary: The human side of a scientific icon
Review: As I read the reviews here of "Galileo's Daughter," the biggest criticisms against it seem to be 1) It's not really about Galileo's daughter and 2) The letters from daughter to father are just too mundane to justify writing an entire book from them. I think these criticisms are missing the point of this wonderful book.

We all know of, or at least should know of, Galileo The Icon who led the forces of Science against the forces of Religion. What "Galileo's Daughter" does, and does quite well, is to show the human side of Galileo. It does this by chronicling his relationship with his daughter, Suor Maria Celeste. In Galileo's entire life, no one was ever as close to him as was his daughter.

Yes, some of the letters talk about mundane things such as laundry, but that is exactly the point. Galileo wasn't always worrying about lofty scientific thories and the Inquisition. Just like the rest of us, he sometimes had to worry about the little things in life.

By writing in this manner, Dava Sobel reveals a man who, at least in his own mind, was no scientific icon. He was a man who loved both his science and his religion, and the uproar his book caused both bewildered and greatly saddened him.

Not only does this book have all that, but it also comes complete with a surprise ending. Quite simply, this is the best book on scientific history you will read this year.

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Summary: A vivid dual biography and the times in which theylived
Review: This is an extraordinary book. Most stores carry it in the science section, but it goes far beyond that narrow genre. While its title refers to Galileo's daughter, it is really a dual biography, vividly depicting the lives of the father and the daughter, their interactions and the tumultuous times in which they lived. Ms. Sobel is a writer of extraordinary clarity and grace, bringing the personalities and struggles of these two intelligent people alive while minimizing the problems inherent in keeping track of the dozens of minor characters in the Church and secular establishments that influenced their fate. You don't have to be knowledgeable or even interested in science to enjoy the drama of the lives depicted here. I highly recommend it.