De caelo vs The Fabric of the Cosmos: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Cosmology, Astronomy, Science
De caelo
“THE science which has to do with nature clearly concerns itself for the most part with bodies and magnitudes and their properties and movements, but also with the principles of this sort of substance, as many as they may be.”
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Page one of Aristotle's ''On the Heavens'', from an edition published in 1837
The Fabric of the Cosmos
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A magnificent challenge to conventional ideas' Financial Times'I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It manages to be both challenging and entertaining: it is highly recommended' the Independent'(Greene) send(s) the reader's…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Fabric of the Cosmos highest: The Fabric of the Cosmos 4.2 · De caelo 3.9.
- De caelo is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 10 for The Fabric of the Cosmos.
- De caelo has the widest readership — 392 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| De caelo | The Fabric of the Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (392) | — |
| Hardcover | — | 4.1 (97) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (99) |
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Reception
| De caelo | The Fabric of the Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 392 | 99 |
| Editions | 25 | 22 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 1125 | — |
| Reading it now | 34 | — |
| Written reviews | 36 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 1271 | 944 |
| Pages | 147 | 582 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: De caelo or The Fabric of the Cosmos?
The Fabric of the Cosmos has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Fabric of the Cosmos 4.2/5, De caelo 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: De caelo or The Fabric of the Cosmos?
De caelo is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: De caelo (147 pages, ≈ 2 h 43 m); The Fabric of the Cosmos (582 pages, ≈ 10 h 47 m).
Which is harder to read: De caelo or The Fabric of the Cosmos?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — De caelo: Demanding; The Fabric of the Cosmos: Moderate.