Biography of the African-American man who, as a self-taught mathematician and astronomer, helped survey the site of the Nation's Capitol and published several popular almanacs.

"Despite the prejudice of his time, Benjamin Banneker was unwilling to let his race or his age stop his thirst for knowledge. Benjamin studied astronomy and predicted solar and lunar eclipses. He use this information to produce six almanacs. He also helped to survey the land for our nation's capitol. Benjamin's work in mathematics and surveying make him the first great African American scientist"--Back cover.

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was one of the most admired astronomers who ever lived and a key figure in the scientific revolution. A defender of Copernicus's sun-centered universe, he famously discovered that planets move in ellipses, and defined the three laws of planetary motion. Perhaps less well known is that in 1615, when Kepler was at the height of his career, his widowed mother Katharina was accused of witchcraft. The proceedings led to a criminal...