Title: Galileo Goes to Jail
Editor: Ronald J. Numbers
Rating: ☆☆☆☆(☆)
4/5 stars
After being away from my blog for far too long, I am back with three reviews to write. Darn my procrastinating tendencies.
Galileo Goes to Jail is the first non-fiction book I've read in a long time, and boy am I glad I did. This book was so insightful and interesting! The book begins with a forward by editor Ronald J. Numbers in which he explains the purpose of the book. He and the other academics who contributed to the book have been studying the history of tension between the church and science. What they've found is that many of the stories used to incriminate the church are myths!
The book is broken down by myth, each written by a credible expert on the matter. I found the book very accessible because I could read the myths out of order and they still made sense. I didn't feel the need to read the entire book at once, which is always refreshing in terms of non-fiction.
Religion vs. science is a very hot topic at the moment, and I think that's why I was drawn to this book. It brings to light the truth behind many of these stories that get circulated in the world of fiction. I was very happy to learn that perhaps the church wasn't so malicious in its approach to scientific discovery.
You can also read my extended review of this book in the Fall 2009 issue of The Common Review, published by The Great Books Foundation, where I interned this summer.
ISBN: 978-0674033276
Price: $18.45, hardcover
Pages: 320
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