The Magic of Reality
How We Know What's Really True
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4.3 • 74 Ratings
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
Magic takes many forms. The ancient Egyptians explained the night by suggesting that the goddess Nut swallowed the sun. The Vikings believed a rainbow was the gods' bridge to earth. These are magical, extraordinary tales. But there is another kind of magic, and it lies in the exhilaration of discovering the real answers to these questions. It is the magic of reality - science.
Packed with inspiring explanations of space, time and evolution, laced with humour and clever thought experiments, The Magic of Reality explores a stunningly wide range of natural phenomena. What is stuff made of? How old is the universe? What causes tsunamis? Who was the first man, or woman? This is a page-turning, inspirational detective story that not only mines all the sciences for its clues but primes the reader to think like a scientist too.
Richard Dawkins elucidates the wonders of the natural world to all ages with his inimitable clarity and exuberance in a text that will enlighten and inform for generations to come.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this outstanding "graphic science book," evolutionary biologist Dawkins (The Selfish Gene) teams up with illustrator Dave McKean (The Graveyard Book) to examine questions in everyday science, such as: why seasons occur; what things are made of; and whether there's life on other planets. They explain the answers from mythological and cultural points of view before diving into the chemistry, biology, and physics all in language that advanced middle school, or most high school, students can absorb. Rather than oversimplifying things, Dawkins's explanations demonstrate that life on earth is magical enough without tricks of the eye or supernatural theories. Appearing on every page, McKean's illustrations cover the gamut from prehistoric creatures along the evolutionary chain to a sequence showing how the immune system defends the body from a flu virus. This book may be exactly what's needed to increase science literacy for readers of all ages.
Customer Reviews
Great Pictures
This a great book that I got for free when I went to his lecture. The language, be it slightly simplistic, makes a really good read that, if you have forgotten your school chemistry lessons will reignite that spark. The illustrations are very good and have a dreamy quality to them. Really good read.
Fantastic
I'm 42, reasonably intelligent and I learned a lot by reading this book. Perhaps "learned" is the wrong word ... I knew much of the content before, but now I understand it. Excellent.
Clear, incisive but definitely for younger readers
It wasn’t clear on the online blurb that this is a book aimed at younger readers, so I found the tone a tad condescending. I’m not sure quite what age group is the target audience: the tone felt about right for 10-year olds but some of the arguments felt more easily accessible to 13-year olds.
Despite that, I enjoyed the read very much. Arguments were well-planned and clearly laid out, supported by imaginative examples. Complicated and overlapping subjects were carefully separated, and any loose threads that had to be left aside while the author took us down one path were picked up later and dealt with. I’ll definitely be reading some of the author’s more grown-up books.