Lattis' biography of Christoph Clavius tells the story of a man once well-known and influential in science, although virtually unknown today. It tells about the birth of modern mathematics and astronomy. And it tells about how medieval and modern attitutes collided in around the time of the birth of the scientific revolution.

The book appears well-researched, it has numerous footnotes, and I felt that it gave a good description of an interesting period, an attitude and an environment. I recommend it for those who what to know more about the period of the birth of modern science, and in particular to those who want to know more about the views of those that opposed Copericus, Kepler and Galileo.