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The cover of The Sleepwalkers: A History of Man’s Changing Vision of the Universe

The Sleepwalkers: A History of Man’s Changing Vision of the Universe

Arthur Koestler

How did humans come to see the universe as it is, and why was the path from Greek astronomers to Newton so uneven?

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26 parts, about 44 minutes to read.

At a glance

Author
Arthur Koestler
Parts
26 parts
Reading time
about 44 minutes

Why read it

  • You will see that science advances through detours, blind alleys and lucky accidents, not in a straight line
  • You will learn that big discoveries sometimes come as byproducts of chasing something else
  • You will understand the thinking and the personalities behind Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo, not only their results

Who it is for

  • A scientist or engineer curious how ideas really develop
  • A reader who likes the history of science told with character
  • Someone who thinks science marches steadily forward

What the summary covers

  1. Preface1 min
  2. Dawn1 min
  3. The Harmony of the Spheres2 min
  4. The Earth Adrift1 min
  5. The Failure of Nerve1 min
  6. The Divorce from Reality2 min
  7. The Rectangular Universe1 min
  8. The Walled In Universe1 min
  9. The Universe of the Schoolmen1 min
  10. The Life of Copernicus3 min
  11. The System of Copernicus2 min
  12. The Young Kepler2 min
  13. The "Cosmic Mystery"2 min
  14. Growing Pains1 min
  15. Tycho de Brahe1 min
  16. Tycho and Kepler1 min
  17. The Giving of the Laws3 min
  18. Kepler Depressed1 min
  19. Kepler and Galileo2 min
  20. Chaos and Harmony2 min
  21. Computing a Bride1 min
  22. The Last Years2 min
  23. The Burden of Proof3 min
  24. The Trial of Galileo3 min
  25. The Newtonian Synthesis2 min
  26. Epilogue2 min

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