Includes bibliographical references (pages 145-214) and index.
Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. The Allure of the Stars: Vita nuova, Convivio, Commedia -- 2. The Date of the Journey -- 3. The Harvest of Reading: Inferno 20, 24, 26 -- 4. Orientation: Purgatorio 9 -- 5. Losing the Meridian: From Purgatorio to Paradiso -- 6. The Shadows of Ideas: Paradiso 13 -- 7. The Sufficient Example: Paradiso 28 -- 8. Planets and Angels: Paradiso 29 -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Index