Customer Reviews

The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True

5 star:		(85)
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3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

In 1984's film "Ghostbusters," there's a comical scene in which a man is being interviewed for the role of the newest member of the "ghost busting" team, and his interviewer asks him the question, "Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?" He answers, humorously, "If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say." If you'd asked me the same question at the age of 12 or 13, I would have said "yes" without any hesitation. In fact, I probably would have added some things.

Like most children, I was very curious about how the universe worked and how things had come to be the way they were, and, also like most children, by the time I was in middle school I had outgrown the cute educational kids' shows and picture books about dinosaurs and space. School texts were heavier on bare bones facts than on explaining how scientists knew what they did, and books for adults were dry and simply too difficult to keep up with. (I tried, and abandoned, "The Origin of Species" and "Cosmos" around this time.) Worse yet, I still had the childish tendency to believe most of what adults told me - and to believe virtually all of what I read. In this perfect storm of inquiry and innocence, I was ripe for the plucking for charlatans and pseudo-scientists. And pluck they did! I wasted much of my time during these formative years reading (and believing) that an alien spacecraft crashed in New Mexico in 1947, that populations of plesiosaurs survived in a few scattered lakes around the world (including, of course, Loch Ness), that it was possible to communicate telepathically, that aliens built the pyramids, and so on, and so on... If only there existed some book that could not only explain science at my level, but give me the mental tools to have some sense of what was really science, and what wasn't.

Fortunately for inquiring young minds of today, Richard Dawkins has written that book. "The Magic of Reality" has been written in such a clear, simple manner as to be both understood and enjoyed by boys and girls of middle school age, "caught in the middle" as I was, but it's not at all written in a manner as simple as to "talk down to" them. Dawkins explains lucidly and eloquently (and often humorously) such concepts as evolution, the rotation of the planets, prisms, rainbows, the light spectrum, and a few other things that tend to confuse. A typical chapter begins by posing a question (such as "Why are there so many types of animals?"), summarizing a couple of ancient myths about the subject (a deity vomited them up for some reason), and then explaining what science actually says about it (variation and natural selection cause life forms to diverge over time). And not only does Dawkins "set the record straight," so to speak, but he also explains both the nature and importance of skeptical inquiry and how to use critical thinking to interpret a strange event. He gives a few examples along the lines of "X [an extraordinary event] happened. There are three possible explanations for X: 1.) It was a miracle; 2.) It was a coincidence; and 3.) It was a hoax. 3 is more likely than 2, and 2 is more likely than 1. So it probably wasn't a miracle."

As I imagine you are fully aware, Dawkins is not one to shy away from controversy. This book is bound to be controversial, for Dawkins doesn't just debunk those silly old myths of every religion that isn't yours. Adam and Eve and the Tree of Knowledge are in there, as is the story of Noah's Ark (though in its original "Epic of Gilgamesh" form), and one of the extraordinary events broken down into possibilities is the story of Jesus allegedly turning water into wine. But while Dawkins may refute claims of the supernatural, he's actually a proponent of magic - that is, the "magic" of what is real and what can be studied using real science. This is perhaps the most important thing about the book; it instills (even in myself, a "grown up" studying science at the university level) a renewed appreciation for science and a sense of wonder about nature. The universe is fascinating and beautiful all by itself, without any help from fairy tales. In this sense, reality truly is magical. And so is "The Magic of Reality."

The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins

"The Magic of Reality" is the latest contribution by evolutionary-biologist icon Richard Dawkins. Professor Dawkins is on a mission of education and in this enlightening book he reaches a younger audience by introducing science like only he can. In one of the most beautifully illustrated science books, he takes the reader on a ride on a wide-range of topics of interest that masterfully navigates between myth and what is real. This mesmerizing 272-page book is composed of the following twelve chapters: 1. What is reality? What is magic? , 2. Who was the first person? , 3. Why are there so many different kinds of animals? , 4. What are things made of? , 5. Why do we have night and day, winter and summer? , 6. What is the sun? , 7. What is a rainbow? , 8. When and how did everything begin? , 9. Are we alone? , 10. What is an earthquake? , 11. Why do bad things happen? ,and 12. What is a miracle?

Positives:
1. A wonderful book on science that is accessible to a younger audience without compromising the science lovers in all of us. Bravo!
2. It's a book written by the great Richard Dawkins, so you know the quality goes in before the product goes out.
3. A true labor of love. The educator in Professor Dawkins comes out and now even our children will benefit from his prodigious knowledge.
4. One of the most beautifully illustrated books you will ever find. Great quality binding only matched by its substance.
5. Science knowledge conveyed in a brilliant, lucid manner.
6. Great format. In each chapter, Professor Dawkins illustrates clearly the difference between the wishful and what is "really" real.
7. What a wonderful way to learn about science. Great practical examples throughout this beautiful book. A ride of knowledge, hop on! Readers of all ages will enjoy this great book.
8. Even-handed and pleasant tone throughout.
9. A wide range of fascinating science topics in the hands of the master.
10. Great wisdom throughout, "We should always be open-minded, but the only good reason to believe that something exists is if there is real evidence that it does".
11. The book cleverly goes from myth to reality.
12. The concept of magic in three tiers: supernatural, stage and poetic.
13. Evolution in the hands of the master. Awesome.
14. Was there ever a first person? Insightful indeed. The best illustrated example I've ever read.
15. Great explanation on DNA.
16. Clever examples throughout, one of the many strengths of this book.
17. A wide range of fascinating science topic in the hands of a master.
18. The three common phases of matter.
19. The importance of the scientific method.
20. The concept of empty space...I finally get it.
21. The importance of carbons, organic chemistry.
22. Telling that there are no myths to describe atoms...
23. So what causes the difference between winter and summer...find out.
24. The illusion of relative movement.
25. The great Isaac Newton. Gravity, lights...we are not worthy.
26. The difference between mass and weight.
27. A great illustration of how far stars are from us.
28. How coal is created.
29. Differences between stars and planets.
30. Energy and the sun.
31. What determines the size of a star? Find out.
32. The epic of Gilgamesh. Interesting.
33. Rainbow as an illusion and how they are formed.
34. Lights as vibrations...I see.
35. Steady state versus the Big Bang theory.
36. How we determine the distance between anything in the universe.
37. How we determine age.
38. Spectral barcoders...neat.
39. Methods for detecting planets.
40. The keys for life on other planets.
41. Plate tectonics illustrated, wonderful.
42. The speed of continents, sea-floor spreading...
43. Myths debunked.
44. Practical explanation for probability.
45. Great examples of evolution...parasites.
46. How the immune system works. Fascinating.
47. Miracles what they are.
48. David Hume's irrefutable logic regarding miracles and many great examples.
49. Absolutely kindles the fire of learning.
50. An excellent gift for all occasions.

Negatives:
1. The book is intended for a younger audience and covers briefly a lot of topics. If you are expecting an in-depth analysis, this is not the book for you.
2. No bibliography.

In summary, a fabulous book for all to enjoy. I usually limit my purchases to Kindle books because of the convenience but I'm glad I was "forced" to buy this book in hardcover binding. It's a beautiful book inside and out. Substance finally matches style and it's a science book for all to enjoy and for years to come. There is a sense of awe, a poetic magic for reality. For all his knowledge, Professor Dawkins is humbled by what little we do know and how much more we need to find out about the world. It's precisely this drive to know more and that hunger for knowledge that I always wanted to convey to my children. Finally, I have a book that expresses my sentiments and I have Richard Dawkins to thank!

This book is excellent and the iPad version is flat out COOL. I've read many remarks in the comments regarding the book being written for older children and being limited; let's please not forget that 40-60 percent of the United States not only rejects evolution, but doesn't possess the faintest idea of how evolution works. If you have a religious friend that might be curious about science, secular thinking, and even basic reality, or a religious friend that simply can't comprehend how you accept evolution or reject gods and reject myths; then this book might just be the perfect introduction for them.

As an ex-religious, quite content atheist parent, this book is an invaluable tool for my children (to understand the world in which we live) and my religious family that struggles with my secular status. As a layperson, I'm not the most qualified candidate to give a dissertation on natural selection, DNA, and breaking down myth versus reality to an audience that is fully entrenched in particular myths. For me, The Magic Of Reality is a true gift.

Thank you once again, Professor Dawkins.

I've been a great admirer of Dawkins' work for a number of years now. As someone who was born and raised into an evangelical fundamentalist Christian family who was taught the Evolution was a Satanic "lie", I rejected this dogmatic theology in my late teens and embarked on a years-long mission of self and intellectual discovery. I embraced the amazing realities of science and reason have been a continuously amazed student of evolutionary biology ever since. I've ready many great books on evolution, and have recently enjoyed Dawkins' "Greatest Show On Earth" as a fantastic addition to his library of work. That being said, The Magic of Reality stands on its own as a magnificent testament to the beauty and majesty of reality - just as it is. Dawkins masterfully transforms an array of complicated scientific concepts into beautiful and approachable material for the average reader. Elegantly simple & understandable, yet profoundly effectual at getting the facts across to the reader - this book is a razor sharp instrument in the arsenal of anyone seeking to shed the light of reality, science and truth into a world shrouded in the darkness of superstition, mysticism and fundamentalist religions. Unlike another masterful work of Dawkins - The God Delusion - this book is far less likely to scare away readers with strong religious convictions. This book will simply amaze the average reader into questioning ANY beliefs they may have that contradict the rock-solid reality presented in this book. Its also great middle/high-school material.. just as accessible to any reasonably educated 13-year-old as it is to your own grandmother. Its written to interest, educate and amaze anyone lucky enough to get their hands on a copy.

Purveyors of myth, peddlers of illusion, preachers of fundamentalist doom... BEWARE. Dawkins just opened another can of reality, and this medicine goes definitely goes down in a most delightful way.

Richard Dawkins' passion for science and reason has never been more evident than in his latest work, an attempt to convey to "readers of all ages" just how wonderful and magical reality is. The other side of that idea is that no matter how enchanting ancient or modern myths might be, they are not based on reality and they are not nearly as interesting or as exciting as the truth. Dawkins brings this double point home in each of twelve chapters presented as questions, with the myths of many peoples contrasted with reality as determined by science. There will be little controversy over how he handles such questions as What is the sun? What is a rainbow? Why do we have night and day, winter and summer? What is an earthquake? or even Are we alone?

Unfortunately, many in America who should read this book probably won't because of their religious beliefs. Those who think Adam was the first person, that the god of Abraham created all animals individually, that the universe was brought into being by the will of some supernatural creator, and that bad things happen because god or the gods are angry with us will reject this or any book that tells the science like it is. Fortunately, the number of people who think the Bible is the word of god and must be taken literally as if it were a science text is not as great in other countries. I imagine the book will do quite well in the UK and other places (in translation) where fundamentalist anti-science is not so great as it is in the U.S.

All but two of the chapters focus exclusively on scientific questions. Most chapters begin with a look at some of the traditional myths that have been produced by various cultures around the world. These are followed up with a look at what the science has to say about the subject. The final two chapters enter the realm of philosophy. Why do bad things (like tsunamis and cancer) happen? They just do. There are causes but nature has no purpose in bringing about harm to anyone. What is a miracle? Here he enlists the help of David Hume to convey the idea that belief in miracles is not reasonable.

Many adults would benefit from reading The Magic of Reality because it will explain to them things that apparently many of them don't understand, such as why we have summer and winter. Many people think it is because the earth is closer or farther away from the sun that we have the seasons. Many people in the U.S. are clearly ignorant of what evolution means. Many seem to think that if evolution were true we should find one species giving birth to a new species from time to time. Every offspring is the same species as its parents. To help the reader who may not understand how species evolve, Dawkins asks us to imagine a pile of 185 million pictures, each picture being the grandparent of the picture after it. Any two or three or five hundred adjacent pictures will look very similar in terms of species characteristics. But if you go from your picture at one end to your 185 millionth grandparent, you'll see a picture of a fish-like creature.

Dawkins doesn't just tell the reader how old the universe is, he explains how we know the age of the universe. He doesn't just tell us what things are made of, he tells us how we know what they're made of.

Of course the fundamentalist literalist Jews and Christians will have an awful time with this book. Dawkins treats the Judeo-Christian myths in the same way he treats African or Japanese or American Indian myths. He doesn't make fun of the people who created the stories. He simply retells the stories, occasionally expressing his being baffled at certain parts of various stories, and then contrasts them with what science knows about the same reality that the mythmakers tried to explain. He doesn't ridicule religion or gods, but he does reject those who appeal to a god's intervention or a miracle to avoid trying to answer hard questions about reality. He has no tolerance for those who want us to give up trying to understand something because they claim it's miraculous and can't be understood.

If you want your child or you want yourself to know something about the various myths of many different cultures without showing any favorites, Dawkins' book fills that requirement quite well. If you want your child or you want yourself to know something about evolution, cosmology, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and the methods of discovery used in those fields, Dawkins' book fills that requirement as well as anybody could.

What makes the book even more enticing is that Dawkins has teamed with artist Dave McKean, whose illustrations take the book to a level of visual enjoyment that matches the joy of following Dawkins as he attempts to explain some very complicated ideas in terms even those who will never read the book could understand if they dared do so.

Thank you Professor Dawkins for explaining to me the Magic of Reality.... everyone should go out and get this book. If the United States replaced their science textbooks with the Magic of Reality, more people would accept science as factual. The problem with science in America (whether true or not), the science classes are flat out boring and the textbooks are even more boring. This is most likely why Theists in America accept faith over science... it's an easier way to explain the origins of our universe. All I can say is if I had this book back in 2005 - 2007, I probably wouldn't have been a Christian at the time.

In his book, Dawkins goes beyond his evolutionary field and explains to us what a sun is, what a rainbow is, what an earthquake is, where does the sun go at night and why do bad things happen... or better why does anything happen as Dawkins puts it. Each chapter begins with a myth, anywhere from the Greek myth to the Christian myth (and I admit, they are quite fun to read)... but Dawkins ends each chapter explaining the science behind the questions and more importantly, how the science is much more interesting than the myths.

The illustrations are quite beautiful. Dave McKean being my favorite comic book artists, illustrates how weird these myths are and then goes on to illustrate how even more weird the science is. Dawkins couldn't have picked a better illustrator in my opinion for The Magic of Reality. I met Dawkins in a book signing for this book and he was quite nice and autographed my book. I admit, I didn't ask him anything because I was nervous. I only wish Dave McKean was there as well.

Go out and get this book, and make it your goal to explain to children the science behind this world and do so the way this book does it. Science is dropping down in the United States and we need people like Dawkins to stand up and help it so it doesn't crumble.

Another wonderful Dawkins product and one I had not suspected was meant just for the age group I needed a birthday present for. When I saw he was coming out with a new book, I was enthusiastic to add to my collection. But when I read it, I ordered another for my science-enthused grandson. And as other grandchildren come of age, they'll get one too.

As the title indicates, it is a guide to how we know what's true and explains scientific methodology in a clear manner, such that any reasonably intelligent child or adult can grasp it.

*****
"a beautiful, accessible and wide ranging volume that addresses the questions that all of us have about the universe, separating often too-little known facts from too-frequently believed fictions...powerful resource for people of all ages, written with the masterful and eloquently literate style of perhaps the best popular expositor of science, Richard Dawkins, and delightfully illustrated by Dave McKean."--Lawrence Krauss, Director of ASU Origins Project
*

When Indira Gandhi was a little girl of ten, her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was busy in faraway Allahabad. Over the summer, Nehru wrote her a series of letters in which he told her the story of how the earth was made, how animal life began, and how human societies and civilizations evolved all over the world. These letters inspired Indira to think and prepared her to be India's first woman leader. Richard Dawkins takes the same discovery road writing a letter to his ten year old daughter, describing the different ways we come to know things, which may have eventually flowered in a book about the magical knowledge for young people.

Richard Dawkins, the internationally renowned evolutionary biologist, and passionate advocates of science education, spent his career explaining science discoveries to curious readers. He takes over an original project, utilizing his elaborating talent to share the mysteries of science with readers of all ages. He has teamed up with an acclaimed artist Dave McKean to portray for everyone the secrets of our world, how the world works in an illustrated guide to the universe and its wonders, a project of discovery for years to come. "The Magic of Reality" takes the reader into a fantastic tour to explore a stunning spectrum of cosmic phenomena.

Inviting to the universe amazing facts, through original mentally bright experiments, packed with dazzling illustrations. These magical journeys create a jaw dropping exhilaration, upon discovering the awesome 'real' answers to these basic questions. How old is the universe? What are its building components? How the human race came to life? Why do the continents look like torn pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that used to fit together? What causes tidal and seismic waves? etc. Here is a display of a science exploration mission in 3D, revealing the clues of the universe integral sciences the reader is invited to participate in.

Dawkins addresses topics that range from his own territory, evolutionary biology and species, to physical phenomena as atomic theory, planetary motion, stellar evolution, spectroscopy, and plate tectonics, as well as speculation on exobiology. Dawkins admits his understanding of quantum mechanics is blurred, declining to search deeply into that topic. Rather than over simplifying subjects, Dawkins's explanations demonstrate that life on earth is magical enough without tricks of the eye or supernatural theories. His argument here takes non traditional form; a book addressed to young readers, and illustrated with great skill by noted artist McKean.

Beautifully designed and wonderfully illustrated the book spans knowledge aspects by exploring myriads of questions that matter. The answers take us from hydrogen to hibernation, DNA to the Doppler effect, from tsunami to tectonic shifts, from parallax to perihelion. Like Daniel Boorstin,'The Discoverers', the struggle of man's search to know his world and himself unfolds. Starting with the myths once existed to explain the mysteries of the universe, the seasons, or the shaking earth, and by the conclusion of the book, the Egyptian, Hopi, Greek, Maori, Hebrew and Christian traditions are placed as equally primitive, with lacking explanations of reality.

The best way of thinking about this books is as an analogy to Hawking's "Universe in a Nutshell" - with a focus on general science

It is a series of well written vignettes illustrating the wonder of our reality as linked with common observations and questions arising from our real world. In most cases it begins with mythical explanations, followed by a clear, nicely written and illustrated explanations of truth - as best we know it and as revealed by science. The chapters are

1) What is reality? what is magic
2) Who was the first person
3) Why are there so many different kinds of animals
4) What are things made of
5) Why do we have night and day, winter and summer ?
6) What is the sun ?
7) What is a rainbow ?
8) When and how did everything begin ?
9) Are we alone ?
10) What is an earthquake
11) Why do bad things happen ?
12) What is a miracle ?

It is written for older children. The unfortunate reality is that most adults don't know the answers to most, and certainly not all, of these questions either. The result is a bit of a disconnect. The writing style is often as if he was verbally explaining something to a younger child of perhaps 10 or 12 - as he discusses a topic or phenomena of which most adults are sadly ignorant. The result is a text from which most all can benefit - but is not perfectly smooth for many readers.

That quibble aside, this text should be purchased by most everyone. I have the copy on ipad also, and have found the combination very pleasant. The ipad version has added vibrancy and has wonderfully interactive games which have taught my children about stable orbits from Newton's cannon and demonstrated how selection results in adaption among frogs, with the differential effects as they relate to predation. These are only a few examples among many, and I wish I had this book when I was younger. This book wonderfully demonstrates and illustrates the magic of reality, and proves that the rainbows beauty is only enhanced with understanding.

Buy it. Buy two copies and gift it to a local library or school. In so doing, you'll make the world a better place.

Simply a beautiful book, entertaining, captivating and Factual! Just finished reading it myself, look forward to the family discussions after my children read it. :D

I have to admit I was a little hesitant to give it to the kids at first, while I'm a fan of Dawkins he is very harsh at times towards religion. And while I'm not raising my kids, in any religion. They are a little to young to understand the reasons behind the harshness.
If that is your hesitation have no fear.