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- SPIRAL downward in my estimation, as well as voiced by other readers.
- Would you like to swing on a star? Carry a moonbeam home in a jar?
- Beautiful and Innaccurate
- Over simplified
- Nice Artwork, Misleading History
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Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei
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ASIN: 0374470278 |
Amazon.com
The story of Galileo is at once inspiring and troubling. The brilliant astronomer was a celebrated scientist who was showered with honors and patronage until his greatest discovery--that the earth circled the sun rather than the other way around--proved to be too much of a threat to prevailing orthodoxy. Peter Sis, author of the wonderful children's book Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus, tells Galileo's tale for children ages 8 and older. A brilliant and sophisticated illustrator and a sensitive storyteller, he traces Galileo's life from childhood to his final days as a prisoner of the church. (Click to see a sample spread. © 1996 by Peter Sis. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.) (Ages 8 and older)
Book Description
"If they had seen what we see, they would have judged as we judge." -- Galileo Galilei
In every age there are courageous people who break with tradition to explore new ideas and challenge accepted truths. Galileo Galilei was just such a man--a genius--and the first to turn the telescope to the skies to map the heavens. In doing so, he offered objective evidence that the earth was not the fixed center of the universe but that it and all the other planets revolved around the sun. Galileo kept careful notes and made beautiful drawings of all that he observed. Through his telescope he brought the starts down to earth for everyone to see.
By changing the way people saw the galaxy, Galileo was also changing the way they saw themselves and their place in the universe. This was very exciting, but to some to some it was deeply disturbing. Galileo has upset the harmonious view of heaven and earth that had been accepted since ancient times. He had turned the world upside down.
In this amazing new book, Peter Sís employs the artist's lens to give us an extraordinary view of the life of Galileo Galilei. Sís tells his story in language as simple as a fairy tale, in pictures as rich and tightly woven as a tapestry, and in Galileo's own words, written more than 350 years ago and still resonant with truth.
Customer Reviews:
SPIRAL downward in my estimation, as well as voiced by other readers........2007-03-24
I love history.
I love Biblical history.
It seemed as if the illustrator had a "proverbial gun to their head" to get all the text into "X" amount of pages --
thereby printing it every "which way" in order to accomplish this feat.
It wasn't "cute" nor CLEAVER having to read spirals -- in a book that has so much GOOD INFORMATION --
that NOVELTY need not be included!!!
Due to this need for attention -- my score for this book which had been a five star rating did a nose-dive down to one star.
I went to a librarian's meet, where this was a "must read" and in the discussion attended by 30+ librarians, they indicated the "same thought!"
(If there is ever a) next edition -- think twice!
Would you like to swing on a star? Carry a moonbeam home in a jar?.......2005-11-15
I've reviewed a fair amount of Peter Sis books in my day on Amazon.com, but this is the first book by Sis that I've come across that has so many negative/tepid reviews. Now, before I review a book I give its Amazon.com page a once-over to get a feel for what the public at large thinks about the story. Peter Sis is one of those authors who can write extraordinarily simple books for little children (like "Komodo", "Madlenka", or "Fire Truck") then turn around and do mind-bendingly complex picture books in the same breath (like, "Tibet: Through the Red Box", and "Tree of Life"). "Starry Messenger" was one of Sis' first forays into this combination of complex and simplistic together. As you can see, it wasn't wholly successful. Though still a visually eye-popping wonder and a tale that makes equal concessions to both young and old readers, the story sacrifices fact for simplification in ways that not everyone will enjoy. I believe that while this book is a necessary addition to any Galileo collection, it should certainly not be the ONLY book on that starry-eyed scientist available to your children.
Right from the get-go we are told that the whole notion of the earth moving around the sun is a bit new. People (and here we are shown a lovely Ptolemaic System of the universe) thought the planets, the moon, and the sun moved around the earth. There's a sudden and brief glimpse on the next page of The Copernican System, but the text tells us that Copernicus never published this idea and that, "it would take someone else to do that...". Enter, someone else. Someone else by the name of Galileo Galilei. Born on February 15, 1564 when Italy was just a quilt of city-states, little Galileo grew up with a healthy scientific curiosity. He invented things, became a young professor, and heard about a remarkable new instrument that would allow the viewer to see far away things near. Being a bright young man, he made his own instrument and pointed it upwards. He sketched the moon, made maps of the heavens, and was the toast of the town. Then The Church took note of his ideas, disliked them heartily, convicted him of heresy, and kept him under house arrest for the rest of his life. Three hundred years later the Church pardoned him. Happy ending for all. The end.
Now, you cannot say that this is one of Sis' more straightforward books, because it isn't. Though certainly his later works contain just as much sheer factual knowledge, "Starry Messenger" doesn't organize its information particularly well. In an attempt to bring the older information together with the younger, Sis will put info for little children at the bottom of a page in large letters and leave the older info at top or mid-page in a kind of squiggly cursive writing. The illustrations, for their part, sometimes apply to both the older and the younger text, and then sometimes have absolutely nothing to do with what has already been written. For example, on the pages that describe Galileo's desire for a newfangled telescope, the older text includes a translation of Galileo's words, the younger text speaks of how the man made his own, and the pictures are an odd hodgepodge of maps, the travels of telescopes, some odd visions of Flanders, and a kind of historical amalgamation of faces, figures, and historical references. It's beautiful to look at. It's hell to understand.
The main objection to "Starry Messenger", as I see it, comes from the book's shaky discussion of why exactly The Church was so upset with the man's ideas. The book says, "he has gone against the Bible", which isn't really true. That was just an interpretation. Still, it leaves the reader a bit confused over whether or not Galileo's conviction was justified or not. Also, factual references, bibliographies, and timelines are non-existent here. Kids doing reports would have to shift through a myriad of oddly hidden dates tucked away on every other page to get the info they need. The book also never makes it clear when it was that Galileo decided to publish the idea that the earth moves around the sun. Suddenly he's been dragged in front of the Pope, and we have no idea why (though the text offers clues). Tis odd.
There is much to like here, of course. The art is just gorgeous. When Galileo stands before the Pope's court, a sea of astrological figures (Pisces, Taurus, Capricorn, etc.) swim about him, like a whirlpool threatening to suck him down. Most people will not notice this, but one of the nicest elements of the hardback version of this book are the endpapers. The first two endpapers show a city that we may take to be 17th century Italy with a tiny Galileo staring through his telescope at the stars. Along the edges of the paper are small scenes in which countless civilizations (from Eskimos to Easter Island) stare up at the flickering sky. The back endpapers initially look the same as the front, but closer inspection reveals that we are suddenly looking at a modern city. Another little figure stares up at the night sky, but this time from a high-rise. Along the edges of the paper are far more contemporary scenes of submarines, airplanes, and high-speed trains. The implication seems to state that any child today can be a modern-day Galileo if they so choose. The choice is theirs.
So this isn't the best Galileo book out there, no. But is it without merit? Not at all! Different books have different functions. If you want a story to read to your child that gives them some basic info on Galileo (and you're willing to fill in the missing pieces yourself) then by all means hand them "Starry Messenger". If, on the other hand, your fourth-grader has just announced that they have a ten-page paper on Galileo due tomorrow and they needs some information immediately.... this book is not for you. It's flawed, sure, but also a visual stunner. A lovely work that shows the scope of Peter Sis if not his storytelling at its best.
Beautiful and Innaccurate.......2005-06-19
This absolutely stunning book is simple, difficult and innaccurate. Sounds contradictory? It is.
If one were to read the large text, this book is highly oversimplified. Cursive writing weaves through the illustrations that is more complex, too difficult to read by the intended audience of a child's picture book. In the main text, Galileo is purported to have beliefs that were against the BIBLE. Galileo's beliefs were not against the teachings of the Bible, rather the viewpoint of the church at that time, which was significantly misguided and following a carnal path during that period.
As an artist, I am sad to have to give thumbs down to this artistically beautiful book.
Over simplified.......2004-12-15
The story of Galileo is much more complicated than just being a "heretic". In order to understand the full complications of the story, one would have to understand that the problem was not Galileo against the Bible, but Galileo against Hellenized Christianity-- Aristotle and Plato; the creeds of the church fathers, i.e. the Apologists, etc.; in other words orthodox Christianity which had come under the domination of Greek Philosophy. What Galileo was arguing against was NOT in the Bible, it was Catholic Church doctrine mixed with Greek Philosophy (the metaphysics of Aristotle and Plato) which is still prevalent in some fundamentalist Protestant sects.
I fully understand that this is a children's book, and even some adults would disagree with my review. This is due to ignorance of Church history and doctrine, not to mention bias and prejudice. Therefore, I am only writing this to encourage older readers to look more deeply into the situation between Galileo and the Church. Although I am not a Catholic, and definitely not a Catholic apologist, the Church is usually portrayed in a worse case scenario than they deserve. Always remember that the Church at that time was also the secular judge and jury, and that they tried very hard to work with Galileo, who, at times, was kind of a behavior problem.
Before you have a knee-jerk reaction and say this review did not help you, remember that educated people will read this, and you could end up looking very ignorant. Do your homework first. All is not like you've always heard about Galileo. Atheists and agnostics love to put their own spin on things. Just ask the Boy Scouts of America.
Nice Artwork, Misleading History.......2003-10-18
This children's book about Galileo has very beautiful illustrations, but the history leaves much to be desired. It's a perfect example though of how myths about the past take on a life of their own independent of historical evidence or historical context. Sis offers another variation on the "warfare" of science versus religion with Galileo representing the modern rational scientist (which he was not) and his opponents in the Church representing ignorant, dogmatic tradition. Of course the reality was much more complex, especially considering that Galileo did not have proof that the earth moved. This book shows why children are so often misinformed from an early age for the sake of telling a good story.
Book Description
Publication of Galileo's Starry Messenger in 1610, detailing startling observations with the newly invented telescope, sparked immediate furor among the astronomers and philosophers of the day. The discovery of the "Medicean stars" (the satellites of Jupiter) was pronounced a hoax, an optical illusion, a logical and theological impossibility. Stillman Drake, one of the world's foremost Galileo scholars, recreates in Telescopes, Tides, and Tactics the fascinating aftermath of the publication of the Starry Messenger. Drawing on Galileo's scientific working papers and the letters and notebooks of his colleagues, Drake presents an imaginative Galilean dialogue using the text of the Starry Messenger as a departure point for discussions of appropriate scientific method, new discoveries, and the emergence of a new world view at this early stage of the Scientific Revolution.
Drake has revised his earlier abridged translation of the Starry Messenger, and for the first time the entire work is presented here in modern English. No other edition or translation of this famous work has analyzed Galileo's recorded observations in detail, compared them with modern calculations, or explained the later use he made of them. In the accompanying fictional dialogue, Salviati, Sagredo, and Sarpi reread the Starry Messenger in 1613 and discuss events and issues raised in the three years since its publication. Much of the dialogue is based on archival materials not previously cited in English. Drake has unearthed a wealth of information that will interest the lay reader as well as the historian and the scientist—descriptions of the various and occasionally bizarre critics of Galileo, a reconstruction of Galileo's promised book on the system of the world, his tables of observations and calculations of satellite motions, and evidence for an early tide theory. It was this theory explaining tides by motions of the earth, rather than the influence of Platonic metaphysics, Drake argues that played a major role in Galileo's acceptance of Copernican astronomy.
Telescopes, Tides, and Tactics is a thorough portrait of Galileo as a working astronomer. Offering much more than a commentary on the Starry Messenger, Drake has written a novel and absorbing contribution to the history of physics and astronomy and the study of the Scientific Revolution.
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Starry Messenger
Manufacturer: St. Martin's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000DILKVM |
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Starry Messenger
Peter Sis
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: 1402586248 |
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Starry Messenger (Unabridged audiocassette)
Peter Sis
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
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Binding: Audio Cassette
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ASIN: B000OTP4VW |
Product Description
The story of Galileo is at once inspiring and troubling. The brilliant astronomer was a celebrated scientist who was showered with honors and patronage until his greatest discovery--that the earth circled the sun rather than the other way around--proved to be too much of a threat to prevailing orthodoxy. Peter Sis, author of the wonderful children's book Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus, tells Galileo's tale for children ages 8 and older. A brilliant and sophisticated storyteller, he traces Galileo's life from childhood to his final days as a prisoner of the church.
Book Description
From the Battle of Flamborough Head during the American Revolution to the naval air wars over Vietnam and Kuwait, this historical atlas charts the course of the U.S. Navy across its entire history. Laid out here are the frigate duels of the War of 1812, the confrontation of ironclads during the Civil War, the World War II carrier battles in the Pacific, and the amphibious landings in Korea. Depicted also are campaigns, operations, and interwar interventions--like the cruise of the Susquehanna, Perry's mission to Japan, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Desert Storm--all helping to make this cartographic portrait of U.S. naval actions understandable at a glance. The maps in this large-format, high quality book are presented in full color and show the deployment of ships, their tracks, and even some shore activity. Each map has facing text that describes the action and its political, economic, and strategic significance. The atlas is organized chronologically into ten eras with each section preceded by a thoughtful essay about that historical period and accompanied by relevant illustrations of ships, battles, and portraits of significant individuals. Winner of the 1996 John Lyman Book Award, this handy and attractive reference will be treasured by everyone who enjoys reading American maritime history. Students, scholars, and old salts alike will appreciate the bird's eye view of how the Navy's fortunes have changed over the years, successfully guarding the nation and securing its interests.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent reference work for the serious or casual reader.......2000-01-02
The "Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy" does for Naval engagements what the "West Point Historical Atlas" series has done for land wars: simplify and illustrate conflicts and put them into their proper historical context. Over 90 maps include all major naval accomplishments, including voyages and battles from the American Revolution to the Civil War to the birth of the nuclear Navy to Desert Storm. This book contains charts and maps of naval battles and voyages accompanied by a narrative text on a facing page that explains clearly what happened and why it was significant. The maps are in color and are easy to read. The text is not overly complicated, but not so simplified that it's useless. The authors strike a good balance here, providing a reference work that will be useful to both military historians or casual readers of military history. Highly recommended.
Amazon.com
Dick Morris is one of America's sharpest political minds. As a professional consultant, he has helped candidates from both parties understand public opinion and win elections--most notably President Clinton in 1996 (an experience Morris described in the bestselling book Behind the Oval Office). He is also a founding father of "triangulation," a strategy Clinton employed to great effect; according to Morris, George W. Bush also uses it quite well. "The identification of certain problems with certain parties or factions opens up a magnificent strategic opportunity: the chance to solve the other side's problems," writes Morris in Power Plays. In other words, if public concerns about welfare dependency drive voters toward the GOP, then Democrats ought to confront this issue head-on. "Solve the problems that keep the other side in business, and it will go broke. Give them what they want and they will go away." Power Plays, however, is not simply a primer on triangulation; it is an analysis of how various political strategies have helped and hindered candidates. Morris writes at length about determining when standing for principle works and when it doesn't, as well as a number of other approaches, including "divide and conquer" and "reform your own party." This is a first-rate book for readers who enjoy the gamesmanship of politics.
Book Description
Dick Morris is the frankest and most outspoken political analyst in America today. His commentary on the Clinton White House, the 2000 election, and the rise of George W. Bush has been marked by the sharpeyed political savvy only an insider can bring to bear.Now, in Power Plays, Morris provides a revealing context for the machinations of contemporary politics. Casting an eye across the annals of history, Morris investigates 20 of the most dramatic political moves of all time -- from the wildly effective to the disastrous. From Abraham Lincoln splitting the opposition over slavery, to Winston Churchill's emergence from obscurity to lead Britain through WWII; from Ronald Reagan and his conservative doctrine taking over the country, to George W. Bush co-opting Democratic issues under the banner of "compassionate conservatism" -- Morris illuminates these and many other gambits through his uniquely insightful perspective. Equally compelling on successes and failures of the past-including the real reason A] Gore lost in 2000.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting, even if it is a bit simplified (a history teacher's review).......2007-07-03
Dick Morris, Washington insider turned political analyst, knows all about political strategy. He was once an advisor to Bill Clinton and is credited with coming up with Clinton's famed "triangulation" strategy. In this book, Morris identfies six political strategies that can lead to political success. Interestingly, he provides 20 splendid examples of how these strategies have been misplayed and have led to failure.
The six strategies are:
1. "Stand on Principle"
2. "Triangulate"
3. "Divide and Conquer"
4. "Reform your own Party"
5. "Use a new technology"
6. "Mobilizing the Nation in Times of Crisis"
Sometimes, Morris oversells his explanations. For example, he places Lincoln in the "Divide and Conquer" category, since the Democrats split themselves into three parties in the election of 1860 and allowed Lincoln to win the Presidential election. That makes sense, since the Democrats divided and the Republicans conquered. However, Morris makes it sound like Lincoln maneuvered the Democrats into their crisis as part of his master plan that began with comments and questions raised during the Lincoln/Douglas debates in 1858, rather then simply taking advantage of the split. Lincoln was a political genius, but Morris oversimplifies here.
I mentioned at the top that I am a history teacher. I am also a Spanish teacher and Morris quotes George W. Bush speaking Spanish in a campaign speech: "Muchos espanos viver en ese estado". That's not Spanish. That's not even Spanglish. I've heard Bush speak Spanish. It is nothing to brag about, but it is definitely serviceable. It threw the rest of Morris' research into doubt since he had obviously not even bothered to talk to any Spanish speaker to see if his attempt to write down Bush's Spanish words were even correct. Double checking research is always important. By the way, it should have been "Muchos hispanos viven en ese estado."
So, I give this one a B+. The grade was not really reduced because of the Spanish thing, although it left some nagging doubts and was a major pet peeve.
Political Strategies.......2007-04-17
Dick Morris Fox television network political analyst and former Clinton advisor identifies six strategies used by politicians throughout history. Morris presents twenty case studies--from Lincoln's Civil War tactics to Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign--assessing successes and failures in each. Includes commentary on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the U.S. government's response. A must read book for all aspiring politicians.
Insight into Morris's Ability as Political Strategist.......2006-04-30
Morris is a political strategist and pollster of the first order, with the curriculum vitae and results to prove it. For this book he has distilled and collected from great leaders of the past and present some insights into political leadership. They are observations and illuminations brought out for the readers perusal.
I think the book highlights strong, courageous, decisive leadership, something of a rarity these days. By juxtapositioning those pearls against the mundane and self-seeking politicians, Morris is able to drive home the value of the former.
It should be a primer for those who want to lead. Study the best traits of the best leaders. Many, like Lincoln and Churchill faced immense obstacles and were arguably the man for the hour. Morris also plays out those who attempted great things but didn't have greatness in them.
Brilliant............2006-01-31
As George Stephanopolous said of Bill Clinton, "When things are in the dumps and getting worse, Morris is the first person he calls." Morris is a genius. Do people really know just how much of Bill Clinton's political life has been shaped and constructed by Dick Morris?? He is the mastermind. Like Karl Rove is now to George Bush, Morris was Clinton's #1 advisor. This book is a must read.
A political masterpiece.......2005-09-30
No one understands politics like Dick Morris -- he helped start, then rescue, the one President who knew politics was an art -- Bill Clinton. Whatever one may think about Clinton's policies, he was a man who knew how to play the game and play politics, and he got it all from Dick Morris. Morris is the greatest political strategist of the last 50 years (Karl Rove could learn a thing or two from Morris). Morris' principles on how to get ahead in politics can help anyone in any field where competition exists -- business, sports, politics, anywhere in the real world. People should heed Mr. Morris' words if they really want to know what it takes to get ahead at all costs.
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Juegos de poder/ Power Plays: Win or Lose - How history's great political leaders play the game
Dick Morris
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One Planet: A Celebration of Biodiversity
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Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
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Book Description
Our planet, with all its spectacular diversity, is a source of endless fascination-the stunning success of books like Earth from Above is proof of that. Now comes this spellbinding volume, filled with glorious images from the world's greatest nature photographers. This breathtaking work celebrates the amazing variety of species and ecosystems and how various forces affect them positively and negatively. In his absorbing, informative text, journalist Nicolas Hulot presents a lucid portrait of eight ecosystems (forests, oceans, deserts, poles, mountains, wetlands, grasslands, and cities), the species that inhabit them, and the role humans play in each. One Planet, just in time for Earth Day, is a loving photographic tribute to the beauty of the earth-it will remind us all how important it is to preserve this exquisite planet.
Customer Reviews:
Highly recommended top pick........2006-11-06
Eight biological ecosystems of the Earth are described in full here, but with a difference: an oversized presentation and vivid full-page color photos are as much the emphasis as natural history text, lending to a format which will please coffee table collectors of fine art and photography as much as natural history readers. OUR PLANET: A CELEBRATION OF BIODIVERSITY gathers a striking abundance of close-up images of flora and fauna alike, presenting gorgeous shots which are extraordinarily artistic and well detailed. While the natural history explanations are very well done, it's the vivid color photos which makes for a unique, highly recommended top pick.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
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