Crivelli was a priest member of the Order of Clerics Regular of Somasca in the Cloister of the Health, before becoming provincial Father of the order and rector of the Seminar of Murano.
It is a popular teaching book whose first volume contains material still used today in High School science classes (with the exception of electro-magnetic phenomena, considered at that time as little more than a novelty phenomenon).
The book notes the full reception of the physics of Galileo and of Newton with Galileo called "the prince of the scientists",[clarification needed] and a full recognition of the importance of the Arabic Muslim civilisation in the creation of the scientific method.
The writing style is innovative and still relevant for its use of the Italian language, for the detailed and precise descriptions of many experiments, including those carried out outside Europe, and for demonstrating the varied hypotheses of scientists related to arguments under discussion in those years.
After his death, he was soon forgotten and his work was only recently re-discovered.