Description: In this Very Short Introduction, leading historian of science Owen Gingerich offers a fascinating portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), who developed the concept of a heliocentric universe and is a pivotal figure in the birth of modern science. He depicts the "Copernican revolution" as the outcome of a new way of looking at the world in an era when political as well as religious beliefs were rapidly changing.
Review Quotes: "In eight short chapters that carefully combine biographical and conceptual elements, Gingerich gives readers the benefit of his unparalleled knowledge of Copernicus and his work." - Michel-Pierre Lerner, Journal for the History of Astronomy