Frontispiece of a book by the Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) called "Dialogo...sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo (Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems), published in Florence by Giovannie Batista Landini, 1632. The book is in the form of a dialogue between two people who present their views before an intelligent layman. The views are those of Ptolemy and Copernicus. Galileo allows the Copernican the best of the argument, and as a result was brought before the Inquisition on charges of heresy. He was tried, found guilty and was forced to recant his views.