The story of a great and colorful priest/scientist/genius/crackpot

[John]

Greetings. My publisher is giving away five finished hardback copies of my upcoming biography of a 17th century intellectual celebrity. Thanks for your interest and for letting me post this info here.

Giveaway:
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/ent...

Here's the jacket copy and all the stuff about it:

This is the vivid, unconventional story of Athanasius Kircher, the legendary seventeenth-century priest-scientist who was either a great genius or a colossal crackpot . . . or a bit of both.

Kircher’s interests knew no bounds. From optics to music to magnetism to medicine, he offered up inventions and theories for everything, and they made him famous across Europe. His celebrated museum in Rome featured magic lanterns, speaking statues, the tail of a mermaid, and a brick from the Tower of Babel. Holy Roman Emperors were his patrons, popes were his friends, and in his spare time he collaborated with the Baroque master Bernini.

But Kircher lived during an era of radical transformation, in which the old approach to knowledge—what he called the “art of knowing”—was giving way to the scientific method and modern thought. A Man of Misconceptions traces the rise, success, and eventual fall of this fascinating character as he attempted to come to terms with a changing world.

With humor and insight, John Glassie returns Kircher to his rightful place as one of history’s most unforgettable figures.

—

“What a brilliant and revealing book about a fascinating character, one I had no previous knowledge about. Glassie’s genius is to make Kircher and his era come alive for us centuries later in such a way that I can hear and touch him.”
— Abraham Verghese, bestselling author of Cutting for Stone

"This book is a gripping biography — it reads like a novel — of the adventurous life of Athanasius Kircher, a Renaissance man of many talents — priest, scientist, linguist, musician, geologist and other skills too numerous to list."
— Amazon Vine reviewer

“Like his subject, Athanasius Kircher, writer John Glassie has the rare gift of authentic quirkiness. A Man of Misconceptions leaves you contemplating the big questions, delightedly scratching your head, and laughing—all at the same time.”
—Mark Kurlansky, author of Cod and Salt

"In the course of his life, Kircher opined, almost invariably incorrectly, about the nature of light, magnetism, and the geography of the earth... . Glassie has a genuine affection for Kircher despite the latter's laughably bizarre theories and self-aggrandizing egotism. In fact, the author's affection humanizes Kircher, making him oddly credible."
— STARRED Publishers Weekly review

“Glassie brings the ultimate mad professor Athanasius Kircher vividly to life, revealing him to be a kind of cross between Leonardo da Vinci and Mr. Bean. A most entertaining foray into the history of science.”
—Ross King, bestselling author of Brunelleschi’s Dome and Leonardo and the Last Supper

[John]

FYI, the hardback giveaway ends tomorrow.

[Betty]

John, I would love to read your book now but I'm mired in Japanese literature and Tolstoy. Our reading and discussion of "A Man of Misconceptions" will likely be in the future :)

[John]

I totally understand! Thank you. You're very kind.

[Betty]

I notice that today is your book's debut on Kindle. (I haven't checked other venues.) Congratulations.

[John]

Belated thanks, Asma. I really appreciate it. Honestly, it's an honor for me that people are starting to read it after five years of work on it. There are links to various venues here:

http://www.johnglassie.com/



Best wishes,

John