Galileo in Context

This survey of recent attempts to dispel the myth of Galileo as isolated pioneer explores the intellectual, cultural and social contexts that substantially shaped Galilean science. Particular attention is paid to the influence of contemporary engineer-scientists on Galilean experimental physics, the influence of artists on the visual representation techniques used in Galilean astronomy, and the influence of the power structures of Galileo's day on the way in which scientific information was organized and communicated.