AND THERE WAS LIGHT

Subtitled The Discovery of the Universe. Mr. Thiel's biography of astronomical developments from the days of Babylon to present day astrophysics is a fascinating document. He discusses the evolution of the calendar, the problems connected with it and the various types, notably the Mayan. The origin of the horoscope, the first observatory, the first telescope, opposite theories of the universe -- these are recounted in terms of the scientists and the intellectual milieu of the day. The figures of Ptolemy, Hipparchus, Brahe, Huygen, Kepler, Galileo and Newton come alive in their struggle to classify, gain perspectives, discover laws and expand the science of cosmology. Intelligently written the book is not dry, though its thoroughness might discourage the average layman.