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Things do pick up, however, once Grayling finally gets around to the topic at hand. Perhaps the most interesting part of the book deals with magic and the occult, and the struggles of science to disentangle itself from these murky practices (celebrated scientists such as Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle both dabbled in alchemy). Science also faced the perils of upsetting the religious authorities, who forced Galileo to recant his view that the earth revolves around the sun, to avoid being burnt at the stake. Crucial in the establishment of science was the development of the scientific method by philosophers such as René Descartes and Francis Bacon. Also critical was the shift towards science as a communal activity based on the sharing of knowledge, leading to the founding of London's Royal Society in 1660. Rationalism also blossomed in the fields of politics and society, through the writings of John Locke and others. By the end of the book, one is left in no doubt as to the significance of 17th -century ideas in shaping modern thought.

For more on the seventeenth century , we can recommend [[Vermeer's Hat: The seventeenth century and the dawn of the global world by Timothy Brook]] or [[Willoughbyland: England's Lost Colony by Matthew Parker]].