A Scheme of Heaven: The History of Astrology and the Search for Our Destiny in Data

A Scheme of Heaven – Alexander BoxerThis book on astrology does treat the subject with some respect, which is rare in the genre of skeptical astrology bashing. I would recommend it for several reasons. Its treatment of astrology’s amazing and important history is quite good and well-illustrated. The author’s efforts to explain the subject to non-astrologers, which means leaving out the deeper side of the subject’s symbolic language, makes this book more accessible to an educated general readership. He even offers a stereographic diagram he invented that simulates a horoscope and a way of analyzing the probabilities of signs in a birth by reducing the number of astrological factors in his equation. This means he takes standard astrological methodology apart, selects what he wants to use, and then calculates results – just like any good reductionist would do (I think he threw the baby out with the bathwater). In addition, the author gives us his exact birth data which can be added to an astrological database on skeptics.On the other hand, the author’s actual critique of astrology and his dismissal of it as something that is, in the end, imaginary, follows the well-trodden path of previous skeptics. He argues how impossible astrology is in the context of Newtonian physics and emphasizes how astrology has avoided this by becoming a spiritual science – so it is more like a religion. He doesn’t really interact with the most knowledgeable astrologers, only buying a computer printout of his chart in Sedona, AZ and lightly mocking it. He barely mentions the work of the Gauquelin’s, a scientific study of astrology that towers above most studies in medicine and psychology – though he does cite Gauquelin’s critics who are, for the most part, cheats. But Boxer does introduce a new critique of astrology. He says that it now competes with machine learning algorithms where a known pattern, say a historical cycle of something (itself unexplained), is matched with some data and the correlations found are extrapolated into the future. This apparently makes astrology irrelevant because we now have big data and big computers and we can get results in that way and not have to get dirty with zodiacs and planets, even if their astronomical periods are actually buried in the numbers.

This book is one of my favorite recent reads, and I will certainly be referencing it repeatedly. The author explains at the beginning that he wrote it in part because he could not find a book like it during his own astrological research, despite its obvious need. I believe it, because as a fellow astrology student of more than 30 years, I've never come across it, either - a book that so effectively distills extremely complex conceptual material into understandable language. (For those already familiar with astrology, the fact that the author is a Taurus, with an Aquarius moon, likely has something to do with it. ;) It's also peppered throughout with historical context, humor and quirky observations that help to balance out the denser material and make it easier to digest.The author knew it before we did, but there was obviously a this-book-shaped hole that previously existed in the wealth of astrological material. Thank you, Alexander Boxer, for filling it, and in the process helping me grasp this highly spatially challenging material on a deeper level for the very first time. We're lucky you risked your reputation (hopefully not literally ;) to add to the long line of educated, intelligent, intuitive people who feel compelled to highlight (or, more precisely, defend) the ancient and credible roots of astrology!

Very well written and extremely interesting perspective on astrology. As someone who puts very little stock into signs & horoscopes, I have always been very dismissive of the entire field of astrology. It was astounding to learn & realize how astrology was essentially a "hard science" for thousands of years throughout history, and the author introduces many different core concepts of data analysis, statistics, mathematics, geometry, and astrology in easy to digest & fascinating examples. The author also dives into many different periods in history and he breaks down complex mathematical concept & theorems while using humorous & relevant applications throughout the ages. It's hard to pigeon hole this book as being about one thing only, and this book is perfect for people who's interest range from history to science to data analysis and everything in between. I enjoyed this book so much, I ended up buying one of the author's star maps- the map that charts the alignment of the stars for my wife's birthday as a her birthday gift! She loves it & it was a fantastically unique gift that's hanging in our living room. Looking forward to more works from this talented polymath!

The author seems highly enamored of his scheme of heaven graphics and while these have a certain elegance, I am not dedicated enough to get much out of them, interpretation-wise. Also, the whole topic requires a decent spatial visualization of the "ecliptic" but I'll confess I got tired of trying to visualize it and understand it fully. When he says "the Sun is in Cancer" I always get crossed up - how can you know that if the Sun is up making it impossible to see the stars.I know, I know, the Sun is in Cancer even if I can't see it. I guess the author jumped on his beloved graphics too quickly.The math got me through the claptrap, but the claptrap impedes my grasp of the science.

Boxer is an accomplished scientist, a classicist, a science historian, and most importantly for the reader, a master storyteller. In this engaging and carefully crafted piece, Boxer effortlessly moves from hard science to anecdote, from astrology to history. His open-minded but rigorous approach creates a story full of wonder.

Superb and very interesting! He was going to be at the Tucson Festival of Books that was cancelled! I would have bought it anyway!

This hardback book has amazing graphics but is so complex you nerd a desgree in physics, like the author has, to understand it.

One of my favorite books in a long time.

Full of interest and stories and background. An excellent read. The author points out that astrology does not work, but the maths was advanced, especially for the time in which it was developed.I heard about the book in BBC Radio 3 Arts and Ideas podcast about Asimov's psychohistory (and the author says in that podcast that he does not believe in astrology).

As an astrologer, this book was a joy to read. It has given me more than enough to quote to those open-minded enough to hear astrology out.

Good price, product as described, kept updated about delivery. Will use again

E' un ottimo libro per la Storia dell'Astrologia e la sua relazione con la scienza della Matematica. Consigliatissimo.