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Average rating: 5/5

Based on 9 ratings

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

by Richard Dawkins
Illustrator: Dave McKean

Free Press | October 4, 2011 | Hardcover

Magic takes many forms. Supernatural magic is what our ancestors used in order to explain the world before they developed the scientific method. The ancient Egyptians explained the night by suggesting the goddess Nut swallowed the sun. The Vikings believed a rainbow was the gods' bridge to earth. The Japanese used to explain earthquakes by conjuring a gigantic catfish that carried the world on its back-earthquakes occurred each time it flipped its tail. 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 clever thought experiments, dazzling illustrations and jaw-dropping facts, The Magic of Reality explains a stunningly wide range of natural phenomena. What is stuff made of? How old is the universe? Why do the continents look like disconnected pieces of a puzzle? What causes tsunamis? Why are there so many kinds of plants and animals? Who was the first man, or woman? This is a page-turning, graphic detective story that not only mines all the sciences for its clues but primes the reader to think like a scientist as well.

Richard Dawkins, the world's most famous evolutionary biologist and one of science education's most passionate advocates, has spent his career elucidating the wonders of science for adult readers. But now, in a dramatic departure, he has teamed up with acclaimed artist Dave McKean and used his unrivaled explanatory powers to share the magic of science with readers of all ages. This is a treasure trove for anyone who has ever wondered how the world works. Dawkins and McKean have created an illustrated guide to the secrets of our world-and the universe beyond-that will entertain and inform for years to come.

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This item is found in: Science and Nature

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  • Community Reviews
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    Rating: 5/5

    A True Beauty...

    Sunny

    5 months ago

    "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
    - Arthur C. Clark

    When I was watching Richard Dawkins' BBC interview on YouTube regarding his new book, "The Magic of Reality," Richard Dawkins told Jeremy Paxman that his book was for teenagers, or for those who have recently found their interest in Science. After reading this phenomenal peace of work, let me clearly state that his book is for people of all ages. I am nineteen years old and yet I learnt so much about vast array for different topics. When I was reading this book, I could not help but thinking that I should've paid for attention in my Science class in the high-school. However, I didn't had a teacher like Dawkins. I cannot claim to be an expert on science; my main interests remain in history and politics. Although as a secular-humanist, I am a mild connoisseur of all things scientific.

    In "The Magic of Reality," we are introduced - just introduced, this is not such a detailed work for obvious reasons - to the theory of evolution and fossils. We learn about the nature of the Sun and Rainbows; the magical world of galaxies, Supernovas and stardust etc.

    This is a supremely important book with breathtaking illustrations. Very highly recommended!

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      helpful to you?

    I am in love with this book, the illustrations are interestingly stylized and visually drive home the points that Dr. Dawkins raises. The style of writing is interesting as well, each chapter raises a question, many mythological answers are given, then the real, scientific answers are given to the reader. It shows that while the mythological answers may be interesting and beautiful in their own way, the reality is much more beautiful when fully understood through the lens of science. One interesting moment in the book is when Dr. Dawkins is talking outside his field and makes it known that he is at the end of his understanding and that he can no longer continue on with that subject, it's not that no one knows about it, just that he himself doesn't, so it's better, more intellectually honest to be upfront about it. I have seen and heard many people tell him he needs to be more humble about himself, or his topics, I think this shows his level of humility and that those that accuse him of being arrogant are merely projecting onto him. All in all, a great read, I would recommend this book to anyone, of any age, maybe a great book to bring a family together in reading about "The Magic of Reality".

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