Four hundred years ago, Galileo Galilei first used the telescope to gaze at the heavens. In honor of that anniversary, as well as the international year of astronomy, this lavishly illustrated volume celebrates Galileo�s life and work. Written by internationally renowned BBC science correspondent Dr. David Whitehouse�the world�s most cited science journalist�Renaissance Genius paints a fascinating portrait of the astronomer. Beautifully written, gorgeously packaged, and eminently knowledgeable, it offers a smart alternative to dry, academic studies of the subject. Dr. Whitehouse invites the reader to journey into the world of the Italian Renaissance at a crucial time of change�when science clashed with a church still mired in a medieval mindset. He helps us fully appreciate Galileo�s revolutionary discoveries�and his role in opening up the cosmos to all mankind.