Review of "Starry Messenger," by Peter Sis

Review of

Starry Messenger, by Peter Sis ISBN 9780374470272

Five out of five stars

 For people that know and love science, Galileo Galilei is a hero of several forms. His case also demonstrates that truth eventually wins out over “truth.” He was one of the founders of modern science, yet was prosecuted and sentenced to house arrest for his beliefs regarding the structure of the local section of the universe. While it did take over 300 years to exonerate him, long after his theories were proven correct, it did make him a martyr of the cause of science and truth.

 This book is a brief and effective recapitulation of the life of this man that advanced the cause of science and paid for it with his freedom. It also is another demonstration of the pitfalls of accepting belief over rationally derived science. This is a lesson that is just as important in the modern age of science denial as it was in the sixteenth century.