On Febraury 16, 1600, this former monk was burned at the stake on charges of heresy. He died in the name of free thought. Yes, at first he offered to retract all of his heretical statements, but in the end, he decided that there was more honour in the penal fires than in a life like Galilei's. This book begins with an Explanatory Epistle. This letter alone is worth reading. The dialogues that comprise the body of the work were a trifle trying for me, as i have very little knowledge of the constellations, but please don't let this deter any possible readers from this work. As with any philosophical text, every reader should bring with him or her a willingness to concentrate on the book and the understanding that numerous re-readings will be necessary to appreciate the full depth of it. The bit where the messenger of the gods is telling Sophia all of the events Zeus has ordered to take place on Earth that day is very funny, so don't think this is all esoteric gobble-dee-gook that only some Ph.d. could enjoy. Shoot, I am only a high school graduate and I was glued to this thing the first time I read it.