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"When the Earth Was Flat" by Dirk L. Couprie

book review by Riley Burnham 4/13/2024

well... this was the most i've paid for a book [perhaps excluding college textbooks], & was super excited to delve in

strewn w/ pictures & clear presentations of ideas, we're walked through first ancient Greek perspectives on cosmology, followed by ancient Chinese counterparts

the author uses references from known authors of their times, such as Anaximander, Aristotle, & likewise for the Chinese systems

it's obvious to me that the author doubts the flatness model, altho one can ponder, noting his stated delight at discovering the United Nations emblem to be such an image

a lot of the book is scrutinizing math, which, sure, it's fair to do -- basing calculations off gnomon shadows could be considered truly ballpark

i tended to agree w/ the Chinese model(s), which correlate more accurately w/ what we actually witness [central pole, orbiting heavens, movement between tropics & correlative speed/height adjustments depending on N/S position]

i LOVED that he included Rowbotham's "Zetetic Astronomy," which i read early in my plight here -- i first found it captivating & have since moved on to other resources

i keep coming back to the strongest argument for geocentrism: Polaris, the N. Star, remains essentially fixed in the heavens, w/ all else circling it like an axis -- this is kind of a big deal, & seemingly overlooked by the author

other than a glorious & commendable presentation of these old works, it was quickly evident that i'm still on my own journey to figure this sh out