Galileo, Courtier : The Practice of Science in the Culture of Absolutism

Informed by currents in sociology, cultural anthropology, and literary theory,Galileo, Courtieris neither a biography nor a conventional history of science. In the court of the Medicis and the Vatican, Galileo fashioned both his career and his science to the demands of patronage and its complex systems of wealth, power, and prestige. Biagioli argues that Galileo's courtly role was integral to his sciencethe questions he chose to examine, his methods, even his conclusions.Galileo, Courtieris a fascinating cultural and social history of science highlighting the workings of power, patronage, and credibility in the development of science.

Mario Biagioli is associate professor of the history of science at the University of California, Los Angeles.