Hardcover
English language
Published Sept. 7, 2011 by Free Press.
What are things made of? What is the sun? Why is there night and day, winter and summer? Why do bad things happen? Are we alone?
Throughout history people all over the world have invented stories to answer profound questions such as these. Have you heard the tale of how the sun hatched out of an emu's egg? Or what about the great catfish that carries the world on its back? Has anyone ever told you that earthquakes are caused by a sneezing giant? These fantastical myths are fun - but what is the real answer to such questions?
The Magic of Reality, with its explanations of space, time, evolution and more, will inspire and amaze readers of all ages - young adults, adults, children, octogenarians. Teaming up with the renowned illustrator Dave McKean, Richard Dawkins answers all these questions and many more. In stunning words and pictures this book …
What are things made of? What is the sun? Why is there night and day, winter and summer? Why do bad things happen? Are we alone?
Throughout history people all over the world have invented stories to answer profound questions such as these. Have you heard the tale of how the sun hatched out of an emu's egg? Or what about the great catfish that carries the world on its back? Has anyone ever told you that earthquakes are caused by a sneezing giant? These fantastical myths are fun - but what is the real answer to such questions?
The Magic of Reality, with its explanations of space, time, evolution and more, will inspire and amaze readers of all ages - young adults, adults, children, octogenarians. Teaming up with the renowned illustrator Dave McKean, Richard Dawkins answers all these questions and many more. In stunning words and pictures this book presents the real story of the world around us, taking us on an enthralling journey through scientific reality, and showing that it has an awe-inspiring beauty and thrilling magic which far exceed those of the ancient myths.
We encounter rainbows, our genetic ancestors, tsunamis, shooting stars, plants, animals, and an intriguing cast of characters in this extraordinary scientific voyage of discovery. Richard Dawkins and Dave McKean have created a dazzling celebration of our planet that will entertain and inform for years to come.
I enjoyed the science parts, but would have enjoyed it more without all the myths and digs on religion.
This book ought to deserve 5 stars, but it's full of sentences like this:
"The elements are conveniently set out in a table called the periodic table---I won't go into why it's called that, although it's interesting."
It's infuriating that Dawkins can't make science simple without mutilating the details. This is presumably a book for children, and I can't see how this approach is supposed to get them excited to learn more, when Dawkins continuously refuses to complete his explanations.
A great introduction to the wonders of Science and Reality, can be enjoyed by children or adults
I'm a big fan of Dawkins ever since reading The Selfish Gene many many years ago. However, I was very disppointed in this book, which is so basic that it shouldn't contain surprises for anyone who graduated from high school. There were no surprises and nothing really new - the most interesting part for me was how each chapter is introduced with an example of a myth that people have made up to explain some natural phenomenon, which the rest of the chapter then explains. I found the majority of it plodding, basic, and disappointing.
HOWEVER ... on looking over some of the other reviews on Goodreads, I see several people saying this book is intended for younger readers. There was nothing at all in the book's description on Audible that indicated this. However, if that's the case then it's a good, clear, basic introduction for a kid around 8-12 …
I'm a big fan of Dawkins ever since reading The Selfish Gene many many years ago. However, I was very disppointed in this book, which is so basic that it shouldn't contain surprises for anyone who graduated from high school. There were no surprises and nothing really new - the most interesting part for me was how each chapter is introduced with an example of a myth that people have made up to explain some natural phenomenon, which the rest of the chapter then explains. I found the majority of it plodding, basic, and disappointing.
HOWEVER ... on looking over some of the other reviews on Goodreads, I see several people saying this book is intended for younger readers. There was nothing at all in the book's description on Audible that indicated this. However, if that's the case then it's a good, clear, basic introduction for a kid around 8-12 years old. On that basis I'll give it 3 stars. As an adult book, which was my expectation of it, it was very basic stuff and came across rather condescending quite a lot of the time. Marks against the publisher for not making the intended audience extremely clear in the summary.
This is the science book I wish I'd had when I was 12. While written for young readers, this book covers a wide range of scientific fields, answering a lot of questions about the world. Not only does Dawkins cover WHAT we know, he goes into great detail about HOW we know it, emphasizing that observation, experimentation, and critical thinking are much more useful than myths and legends.
While ideal for smart youngsters, the layman-friendly explanations in this book can also be worthwhile for adults. In my case, I was familiar with the evolutionary concepts, while the astronomy-related chapters were all new and easily accessible to this neophyte.
Of course I don't need Mr Dawkins to convince me. This is an elegant addition to his work promoting scientific procedures.
