"This fascinating biography of the Renaissance polymath Athanasius Kircher explores the birth of modern science through the life of one of the last pre-modern geniuses."
— The New Yorker
"Brisk ... stirring ... [told] with impressive verve."
— The New York Times
“You will come away from Glassie's book ... feeling inspired by the incredible inventive spirit of the man behind such creations as the ‘cat piano’ and ‘the speaking trumpet’ — and at the same time a bit sad that such characters as Kircher have been left mostly forgotten in the winds of time. You'll feel more knowledgeable about everything because of this book.”
— The Atlantic Wire, “Books We Loved in 2012”
“Hooh boy! ... Why do I love Kircher so much? Chalk it up to the man’s passion for scientific inquiry, and his boundless curiosity about how the world works.”
— Scientific American, “Sampling the Best Science Books of 2012”
"Fun and magisterial ... A simply fascinating book about a fascinating figure."
— Baltimore City Paper
"John Glassie may not have deliberately written a work of such destabilizing profundity, but given the impact of this short book on my thinking, I can’t help but to compare its effect to some sort of alchemical cure."
— Goodreads.com reviewer
"In his quirky biography … Mr. Glassie uses Kircher as something of a comic foil to show how erroneous ideas about investigating nature helped lead to modern science... [A] spirited telling."
— The Wall Street Journal
"I've been waiting my entire adult life for someone to write a popular biography of the loopy, ingenious scholar-priest Athanasius Kircher, and John Glassie has delivered marvelously. A man of insatiable curiosity and staggeringly diverse intellectual passions, Kircher may have been the greatest polymath of all time—or at least the most eccentric."
— Joshua Foer, bestselling author of Moonwalking with Einstein
"I loved this book; it's made me think of "eccentric" as a compliment! Kircher may not have had all the answers, but his curiosity and intellect shine through his misconceptions. We should all be as engaged in the world around us and as eager to learn."
— Amazon Vine reviewer
"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
"Why hasn't Hollywood filmed this yet?.... A delight to read ... and funny as all get out as well.... Just be prepared to learn something."
— Amazon Vine reviewer
"His sharp eye for the absurd helps Glassie make Kircher's story interesting and superbly human.... Glassie tells Kircher's complex story with humor and genuine passion, using fascinating details to bring us into Kircher's world."
— Bookslut
“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
“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, bestselling author of Cod and Salt
“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
"Excellent ... an entertaining and enlightening biography."
— Booklist
“A marvelous insight into the mind of one of the world’s most eccentric thinkers. Glassie brings Kircher to life—and what a life it is!”
—Adrian Tinniswood, author of The Verneys and Pirates of Barbary
"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
