Galileo's Idol

Gianfrancesco Sagredo and the Politics of Knowledge

By: Nick Wilding

Write A Review

Hardcover | 27 November 2014 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Hardcover
232 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.3 x 1.64 x 0.18

Hardcover

$102.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $25.69 with

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

Galileo's Idol offers a vivid depiction of Galileo's friend, student, and patron, Gianfrancesco Sagredo (1571-1620). Sagredo's life, which has never before been studied in depth, brings to light the inextricable relationship between the production, distribution, and reception of political information and scientific knowledge.

Nick Wilding uses as wide a variety of sources as possible-paintings, ornamental woodcuts, epistolary hoaxes, intercepted letters, murder case files, and others-to challenge the picture of early modern science as pious, serious, and ecumenical. Through his analysis of the figure of Sagredo, Wilding offers a fresh perspective on Galileo as well as new questions and techniques for the study of science. The result is a book that turns our attention from actors as individuals to shifting collective subjects, often operating under false identities; from a world made of sturdy print to one of frail instruments and mistranscribed manuscripts; from a complacent Europe to an emerging system of complex geopolitics and globalizing information systems; and from an epistemology based on the stolid problem of eternal truths to one generated through and in the service of playful, politically engaged, and cunning schemes.

Industry Reviews

"An engaging, original, and important work. Wilding's study will bring attention to issues such as the relationship of natural philosophy to statecraft; the establishment, shaping, and distortion of authorial identity; and the relevance of book and manuscript history to our understanding of how information traveled and was consumed by a vast range of readers." (Eileen Reeves, Princeton University)"

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.