This book explains the history of the theories of the universe. Miller provides a short segment on Egyptian and Babylonian cosmology before exploring the Greek theories that eventually formed the basis for Christian thinking on the geocentric view of the universe. These views became so fixed in church doctrine that anyone questioning the theories was deemed a radical and an enemy of the church.

Miller does an excellent job explaining the theories of the scientists who have considered the nature of the universe over time: Anaximander, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, Galileo, and Newton among others. The information is accessible even for those who are not well-versed in science. His emphasis, however, is on the courage the scientists of the Renaissance and later displayed in the face of condemnation by the church for their pursuit of knowledge. While many people are aware of Galileo’s trial, not as many know Copernicus, who died in 1543, was buried in an unmarked grave and the Catholic Church banned his book. His remains were not discovered until 2005 and he was finally given an honorable burial in 2010. Photographs, sidebars, a glossary and a list of additional resources provide even more information on the topic. This book was surprisingly interesting and would make a excellent addition to a school library’s nonfiction section.