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

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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

by Richard Dawkins (Goodreads Author), Dave McKean (Illustrator)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 4,251 ratings · 440 reviews

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...more

Hardcover, 271 pages

Published October 4th 2011 by Free Press (first published January 1st 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris

Notable Atheist Books

32nd out of 235 books — 540 voters

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Freethinkers/Skeptics/Agnostic YA Fiction

2nd out of 21 books — 21 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 03, 2012 Bettie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, published-2011, winter-20112012, fraudio, kiddlewinks, philosophy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

mp3

(GRAD-grynd)

MEANING:
noun: Someone who is solely interested in cold, hard facts.

ETYMOLOGY:
After Thomas Gradgrind, the utilitarian mill-owner in Charles Dickens's novel Hard Times. Gradgrind runs a school with the idea that hard facts and rules are more important than love, emotions, and feelings. Earliest documented use: 1855.

USAGE:
"In truth, Colleen McCullough is very much a Gradgrind when it comes to facts: They are all that is needful, presented, it must be said, without color or anima...more

like 6 likes · see review

Jun 14, 2012 Cheryl in CC NV rated it 5 of 5 stars

Five stars means, to me, everyone should read it. And yes, this book is clearly written enough for a bright 8 year-old & interesting enough to be shared by a family. It's full of enough information and very nifty pictures that I, as one who has read & studied a lot of science, am reading it word-for-word. I'm also buying it for my husband - he doesn't read much non-fiction because the genre still means 'textbook' to him, but he's always wondered 'so how do scientists know what they claim...more

like 9 likes · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Mohammad Tanviruzzaman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Science's explanation can be more beautiful and amazing than any myth, miracle, or magic: Dawkins makes this point by picking up a series of questions (like: what is real? what is a rainbow? why do we have night and day, summer and winter? who is the first person? why are there so many kinds of life-forms? etc.), which haunt many of us time and again, and then he presents what the myths have to offer as the answer to each of those questions and what science has to offer; and through this journey...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 11, 2011 Toni rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Great book: clear and accessible (not sure of the best age group, though). Kids are naturally curious and fascinated by how the world works. They're also susceptible to all kinds of nonsense, of course. This much-needed book fill s a gap between simplistic kids' books and adult science books. Also, we need books that help kids understand, not just the facts of the world, but how we know them and, more generally, how do we know whether something's true or not? And I should think this book would b...more Great book: clear and accessible (not sure of the best age group, though). Kids are naturally curious and fascinated by how the world works. They're also susceptible to all kinds of nonsense, of course. This much-needed book fill s a gap between simplistic kids' books and adult science books. Also, we need books that help kids understand, not just the facts of the world, but how we know them and, more generally, how do we know whether something's true or not? And I should think this book would be invaluable to parents, a good many of whom could probably not explain natural selection, DNA, plate tectonics, or probability.

Where else could one find so much in one book? And the illustrations by Dave McKean are astonishing —though somewhat overwhelming. Sometimes too large and distracting. I don't like the weirdly formatted titles with mixed, funky fonts in different colors and sizes (within the same title, that is). But that's me.

I couldn't tell what age group he's addressing. I read somewhere that he's said about age 12 and up. But sometimes he sounds he's talking to six-year-olds. At other times, he uses terms like "the scientific method." Huh, what? The tone bugged me all the way through. The best children's books are those that don't talk down, that adults can enjoy just as much as a 12-year-old. I didn't (always) find that to be true of this one.

I had some mixed feelings about the content, though — not the scientific content, but the way he makes fun of myths, etc. Okay, they're not literally true, but. . . . There's a difference between fairytales and mythology. As another Goodreads reviewer (Noah) has said: "When the old stories about the "gods" and nature of reality were written, they were neither meant to be "just so stories" nor were all of them intended to take the place of science.." The tone bothered me a bit, too. I didn't care for the authorial intrusion.

Noah also quotes Dawkins here: "We don't have to invent wildly implausible stories: we have the joy and excitement of real scientific investigation and discovery to keep our imaginations in line. And in the end that is more exciting than fantasy." Noah then asks, "Why do we need to keep our imaginations in line?" Good point.

"Science . . . will never help us with "How ought I act?" or "What meaning can I find in my life?" . . . "How can I find happiness?" But perhaps the ancient knowledge, allied with philosophy, can be of some use with these problems. . . . "

I have no sense at all of how kids would respond to this (don't have any). I would love to see this book reviewed by some 12-year-olds.

Apparently, there's a very cool iPad version, which I haven't seen.
(less)

like 3 likes · see review

Mar 18, 2013 Alastair rated it 2 of 5 stars

Whilst I would not dare to fault Dawkins' science, to describe his grasp of the role of myth and story in social evolution as 'limited' would, yet again, be generous.

Philip Pullman is quoted in the cover: 'The clearest and most beautifully written introduction to science I've ever read.' Perhaps Mr Pullman read a pre-publication edition in which the writing wasn't dominated by a 1950's avuncular style, peppered with complex concepts and language, the understanding of which is assumed. Also to c...more

like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 Bruce Caithness rated it 3 of 5 stars

The critical underpinning of science is brought to attention in "The Magic of Reality" as well as the wonderful list of findings that have been put forward by science. One cannot fault the book for lacking enthusiasm.

Joe Barnhart in Karl Popper: Philosopher of Critical Realism made some nice comments that temper Richard Dawkins sometimes overly enthusiastic positivism.

Myths graduate to science when they are open to being tested, science rests on a bedrock of mythology.

Creationists who insist on...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-and-reasoning, atheism

I enjoyed this book very much for its simplicity and yet vast complexity. It's Dawkins' gift to share science and evolution with the world by using easy to understand analogies and stories and this is exactly what he did in "The Magic of Reality". I have read a lot of reviews that say they are disappointed because the book seems to be written for children. I am not sure I agree, but I do think it is a highly accessible book, making it one that could be understood by adults and children alike.

If...more

like · see review

Nov 30, 2012 Latasha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: instructional-how-to, library-audiobooks, nonfiction, popular-non-fiction

This book was not what I was expecting. I was expecting something more like an introduction to why people believe in magic and the supernatural. However, what I got was a basic overture in microbiology, physics, and astronomy. It was interesting, and Dawkins made points I hadn't thought of before. I think if you have never taken a biology or physics or any sort of science class, this is a really good read. It breaks things down in such a way that it gets complex without being confusing. However,...more

like · see review

Sep 15, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more

like 3 likes · see review

Jul 14, 2012 Gavin Drury rated it 4 of 5 stars

This science book is a little different to most, in that it's aimed at children primarily and each chapter is set out by starting with a collection of myths from around the world to explain things from the movement of the sun, the creation of the world, and why bad things happen. It then explains the beauty of the scientific explanations of the myths, all accompanied by helpful drawings. Unlike Dawkins' previous books, this is purely a scientific book and not an attack at religion at any point.

B...more This science book is a little different to most, in that it's aimed at children primarily and each chapter is set out by starting with a collection of myths from around the world to explain things from the movement of the sun, the creation of the world, and why bad things happen. It then explains the beauty of the scientific explanations of the myths, all accompanied by helpful drawings. Unlike Dawkins' previous books, this is purely a scientific book and not an attack at religion at any point.

Before I start, the version of the book I listened to (there's a clue) was the audiobook as opposed to the illustrated book. Now, for the most part this wasn't a hindrance in any way. The scientific processes were described with enough clarity that the illustrations weren't necessary. However, there were a couple of times where I thought that a child would benefit from the visual representations if not familiar with many scientific principles.

This is billed as a science book for children, and he does a good job of making the science pretty accessible, but it's not too simplified and there's plenty for all ages who are interested in science. People who are particularly adept may not actually learn anything new about science, but there's still other information of interest here besides science, including many myths and superstitions from the past, and the most important bit, common misconceptions about statistics which pervade to most adults even today. Ultimately, this is a great introductory book to science for anyone interested in the subject and a good read if you already are conversant.

Where this book does fall down is on it's main aim - highlighting the beauty of reality as told scientifically, opposed to the vague explanations of myths and religion. There is only one section - about light and rainbows - where he really does seem to get across just how beautiful it is in the eyes of science. The other chapters just read like an explanation of the science and you're to infer how beautiful it is. It doesn't seem to be told with the same enthusiasm which is a shame.

The best thing about this though, is being taught science by the President of Gallifrey.(less)

like · see review

Jun 11, 2012 Colleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dawkins, Richard. The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True. Illustrated by Dave McKean. Free Press, 2011. Ages 12 & up.

For young people wishing for an effortless introduction to a scientific worldview, Richard Dawkins’ book, The Magic of Reality: How We Really Know What’s True is a no-brainer. For others, this book may not hold much appeal. The book explores questions related to physics, chemistry, biology, and cosmology which a young person might ask. Whereas the questions are p...more Dawkins, Richard. The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True. Illustrated by Dave McKean. Free Press, 2011. Ages 12 & up.

For young people wishing for an effortless introduction to a scientific worldview, Richard Dawkins’ book, The Magic of Reality: How We Really Know What’s True is a no-brainer. For others, this book may not hold much appeal. The book explores questions related to physics, chemistry, biology, and cosmology which a young person might ask. Whereas the questions are presented as deceptively simple, or directly from the younger mind, the answers unfold with an intricate, yet oddly beautiful complexity. Part of Dawkins’ impetus for writing this book was to inform readers that in order to answer questions using current scientific thinking, they must know what the answers cannot be: in short, supernatural magic. Giving equal weight to Greek, Egyptian, and Judeo-Christian myths, Dawkins boldly rejects such explanations as the type of magical thinking that is so pernicious to modern science because it stops further investigation. Each chapter mirrors this overall structure; jargon free scientific elucidations preceded by amusing discussions of what diverse myths have (or, as Dawkins suggests, have not) told about a particular question. Although the writing style is unhampered by jargon and open to high school readers, Dawkins, erstwhile University of Oxford Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, confesses throughout that he himself does not have all the answers. Nonetheless, he does quite well by providing explanations based on empirical evidence and where that’s not possible, using his erudite authority to infer what’s very likely to be really going on. Insofar as what really happens in, say, an earthquake, Dawkins assures young readers that seismic waves are not the result of an enraged deity unleashing its wrath upon the defenseless as a result of Original Sin. Rather, he points out, it is because shifting tectonic plates tend to collide at fault lines, or fragile places on the earth’s crust causing tremors as they crash. The final chapter, “What is a Miracle” applies philosopher David Hume’s skepticism to a modern case of a Virgin Mary apparition. The relaxed pace of the book allows readers to slowly immerse themselves into the depths of Dawkin’s clever arguments against a creator, while acclaimed artist Dave McKean’s excellent illustrations will continue to keep them absorbed.
(less)

like · see review

Karl I just reserved this on SWAN based on your recommendation. However, when I heard him in a science and faith symposium, he kind of come off as a dogmat...more
updated Jun 11, 2012 01:57pm

Colleen I appreciate your feedback. As a theologian, you bring such an interesting perspective to the table, thinking hard about just what Dawkins was saying...more
Jun 11, 2012 03:01pm

May 29, 2012 Erika RS rated it 3 of 5 stars

The audio version of this book is read by Richard Dawkins and some other Lalla Ward. This is mainly relevant because it meant that I got to spend 5 hours listening to British accents. =)

The book itself was good. Each chapter poses a question, gives some answers provided by traditional myths, and then talks about the real scientific answer. I'll lay out up front, that yes, Dawkins does use the Bible for some of his examples of myths, but except to the biblical literalists (especially of the Creat...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 17, 2012 Matt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

This book is aimed at teens, I guess, but while the science seems to be at the appropriate level, its discursive and rhetorical style are probably going to go over their heads. Dawkins' approach is to present mythical explanations for natural phenomena, followed by our current scientific understanding of what's really going on—the reality which is, in his terms, even more "magical" and wonderful than the myth. I'm dismayed that our supposedly advanced civilizations, particularly the US, are stil...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Linda Rawlinson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is an excellent explanation of science, what it's for, and why it's important. I don't really see it as a book for children, I see it as a book for anyone who wants to think about the beauty of science and everything. It's a book that just consolidates what we already know - I didn't really learn anything knew from it, but I didn't expect to; I did find that the book helped me to pin down my thoughts on reality though, which is just what I hoped it would do. Of course, it's aimed at a...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 15, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: male-author

The Magic of Reality is a science book for children. In this book, Richard Dawkins claims that the scientific world is full of what he calls ‘poetic magic'. He defines this as something “deeply moving, exhilarating: something that gives us goose bumps, something that makes us feel more fully alive.” Each chapter of the book focuses on a different area of science and begins with a question such as, “What are things made of?” or “Who was the first person?” or “When and how did everything begin?” D...more

like · see review

Oct 20, 2011 Chazzle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book about general science, and how we know what we know. Although written at a middle school level, interesting observations abound. For example, suppose you look through a telescope at a star that's 100 million light years away. That means you're looking at something that happened 100 million years ago. As such, if you happened to be observing intelligent life looking at us, they would be seeing dinosaurs, not you, in the present moment! Wild! This is an example of the po...more

like 1 like · see review

Oct 12, 2011 Noah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I live in the United States in the 21st century. There is no greater danger to our species and our civilization right now than religious crazies. How can we ask our businesses to change the way they do business so as to prevent climate change if half of the country doesn't believe in scientific evidence? Or worse yet, if they expect a big bearded man to come down and bail us out if things get too bad?

What about the people who believe that the world will end, in the next few years, with a war in...more I live in the United States in the 21st century. There is no greater danger to our species and our civilization right now than religious crazies. How can we ask our businesses to change the way they do business so as to prevent climate change if half of the country doesn't believe in scientific evidence? Or worse yet, if they expect a big bearded man to come down and bail us out if things get too bad?

What about the people who believe that the world will end, in the next few years, with a war in the Middle East? What if their faith leads them to believe we should go to war to make this come about?

Yes, these are scary people and there are a lot of them.

I'd like to think that Mr. Dawkins had these people in mind when he wrote this book. It may be too late for the current generation who have turned their minds off and handed over their rational thought in exchange for "faith." But perhaps the next generation can be saved in time, and with their help we CAN actually do the work necessary to make the world a better place?

From that perspective, this is an important and incredible book. It is a blow struck for logic over foolishness.

But all the way through, I did find myself having mixed feelings. I don't think Mr. Dawkins really understands the purpose of the old myths and legends. The distinction between fairy tales and mythology seems to be missing from his understanding. When the old stories about the "gods" and nature of reality were written, they were neither meant to be "just so stories" nor were all of them intended to take the place of science. While he chooses to use the myths throughout his book to make his own book more entertaining, he clearly looks down on them and shows no consciousness that there is a deeper level of meaning to be found in mythology: the realm of the psychological. I would suggest he sit down and re-read his Joseph Campbell. The mythological creation of the world, the end of the world, the nature of mythological reality was never meant to be science. It was often meant to represent the internal journey of mankind.

On page 202 he writes, "We don't have to invent wildly implausible stories: we have the joy and excitement of real scientific investigation and discovery to keep our imaginations in line. And in the end that is more exciting than fantasy." Why do we need to keep our imaginations in line? Can't we mature to the point at which we are able to partake in scientific investigation on Mondays and mythological investigation on Wednesdays? Can't we be trusted to learn the difference and keep them apart?

Science cannot help us with questions of existence. It will never help us with "How ought I act?" or "What meaning can I find in my life?" "What happens after we die?" "How can I find happiness?" But perhaps the ancient knowledge, allied with philosophy, can be of some use with these (more important) problems?

There are snide remarks here and there aimed at Astrology, aliens, and such. He may be right about many of them, but the attacks lack any logical depth.

Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to any and all children of the right reading level, but I would also want to talk to that child as they were reading it. Maybe take them for a walk in the woods and teach them about talking to the trees. There certainly is more in the world we actually experience than is dreamnt of in Mr. Dawkins' science.

Dave McKean, as always, is a master. His artwork is well worth the price of the book all by itself. He gets 16 stars. (less)

like 5 likes · see review

Oct 07, 2011 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science

THE MAGIC OF REALITY: How We Know What’s Really True. (2011). Richard Dawkins. ****.
When I got this copy from the library, I learned that this was a YA-sized coffee table book about selected subjects in science. Nothing wrong with that, especially from an excellent writer like Dawkins. To top it off, the book is profusely illustrated by Dave McKean, an artist with a long list of awards in his pocket. Dawkins takes a somewhat different approach to his topics. His contention was that our ancestor...more

like 2 likes · see review

Aug 31, 2012 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't think I can put it any better than the quote from Ricky Gervais on the back of this book:

"I wanted to write this book, but I wasn't smart enough. Now that I've read it, I am."

This is an excellent book even for those who like me, were generally familiar with most of the concepts tackled within it already. The trick to knowing whether you really understand something or not is whether or not you can explain it to someone else and have them understand it too. Before reading this book I'm not...more

like 1 like · see review

Jun 24, 2012 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, science-fact, children-s-and-ya

I'm not entirely sure why I still read Dawkins' work. I think he's an extremely intelligent person, of course, and I've enjoyed reading books that focus on science by him -- I love The Ancestor's Tale, for example. But I hate the way that he cannot stop poking at religion, and I expected to hate it even more in a book called The Magic of Reality.

Actually, he's more respectful than usual. It all seems rather toned down, since it's aimed at a younger audience than his other books (which is somewha...more

like 3 likes · see review

Oct 14, 2011 David H. added it

Magic Reality is a very good children's book on general science. It is based strictly on evolution and cosmology. It is Richard Dawkins way of fighting what he called The God Delusion in an earlier book. Once this delusion takes hold of the mind, it cannot be removed. So it must not be allowed in at all. Children must never be taught about God or any supernatural creatures except as myths. A child's view of reality must be the child's first view of reality. Because it is new, it will seem magic....more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 13, 2011 Brian Clegg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A surprising number of scientists feel that Richard Dawkins does the public understanding of science real harm through his belligerent attacks on religion, which turn off a good half of his potential audience, but no one can doubt that he has a talent for getting science, particularly biology, across to a general readership. This is his first attempt at a children's book (or rather a 'family' book as it is aimed at a wider readership) and it has much to praise.

The Magic of Reality is a solid fee...more A surprising number of scientists feel that Richard Dawkins does the public understanding of science real harm through his belligerent attacks on religion, which turn off a good half of his potential audience, but no one can doubt that he has a talent for getting science, particularly biology, across to a general readership. This is his first attempt at a children's book (or rather a 'family' book as it is aimed at a wider readership) and it has much to praise.

The Magic of Reality is a solid feeling hardback, half way between an ordinary non-fiction book and a coffee table book in format. Every page is illustrated by Dave McKean, with a mix of full colour photographs and diagrams, and heavily stylised line drawings - these last were perhaps a little angular and abstract for the younger audience, but overall the illustration is a good balance of supporting the text without overwhelming the page.

The approach that Dawkins takes is an excellent one, picking up on ten key questions of science - 'What is reality? Who was the first person? Why are there so many different kinds of animals? What are things made of? Why do we have night and day, winter and summer? What is the sun? What is a rainbow? When and how did everything begin? Are we alone? and What is an Earthquake?' Each of these starts with ancient mythical explanations (where there are any) then goes on to detail the way that science answers the questions, using the starting point of the basic question to explore many different aspects of science that can be sensibly linked to it.

All this works superbly well. Although it seems slightly odd that biology comes before the more fundamental physics and cosmology chapters, the absolute gem of the book (as you might expect) is the way that Dawkins handles 'Who was the first person?' His use of a stack of photographs, stretching back into the past, one of each generation, is masterful, inventive and wonderfully eye-opening. I love the way he really pushes the paradox that every creature in every generation is the same species as the previous generation's photograph - yet over the millions of years we can see a progression from fish-like creature to modern human. If ever there was a single bit of writing that could totally wipe out anyone's objections to evolution it's this chapter. I loved it. It will really challenge the readers to think and will open their eyes.

However, it's important not to let the brilliance of much of the book hide a couple of significant flaws. In terms of science content, the huge disappointment is that Dawkins doesn't mention much modern physics. Both quantum theory and relativity really don't get any coverage. Particle physics only gets a passing reference with a wimp-out about the author not really understanding quarks. This isn't good enough. Omitting quantum theory and relativity from physics is like missing evolution out of biology - it's that significant an omission.

The other problem I have is with the final two chapters. Because there aren't 10 questions, there are 12. The remaining two are 'Why do bad things happen?' and 'What is a miracle.' The first of these isn't too bad as it handles chance, but both are primarily Dawkins returning to his bugbear of attacking religion. I don't think this has a place in a science book, and it certainly shouldn't be given two chapters. I think this will confuse and quite probably bore younger readers, as after all the other wonders, these two chapters are, frankly, lacking in scientific joy. There is also one very dubious part. Dawkins suggests that readers use a method of assessing miracles that boils down to 'How do they stand up to common sense?' The trouble with this approach is much of modern physics doesn't fit with what common sense predicts. For that matter, most probability runs counter to common sense. As Dawkins himself points out, common sense expects that after a row of throwing heads, a coin is more likely to throw tails - but common sense gets it wrong. It seems highly spurious to use common sense as a scientific tool, when you've just shown it fails magnificently.

I still think this is a great book, and I suspect many young readers will simply not bother with the last couple of chapters. Covering all of science is tricky, but despite the failings in physics, the rest of the book is good enough to make this, without doubt, one of the best children's science books of 2011.

(Review originally posted on www.popularscience.co.uk - reproduced with permission)(less)

like 15 likes · see review

Jul 26, 2012 Kimi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-english, non-fiction, punya

You must have raised your eyebrows when you find out that a man named Richard Dawkins writes about magic. Please, you don't need to be confused. Dawkins doesn't believe in magic. In fact, he doesn't believe in God. What he meant by magic here in his book title was poetic magic.

... In this sense, 'magical' simply means deeply moving, exhilarating: something that gives us goose bumps, something that makes us feel more fully alive. What I hope to show you in this book is that reality--the facts of

...more You must have raised your eyebrows when you find out that a man named Richard Dawkins writes about magic. Please, you don't need to be confused. Dawkins doesn't believe in magic. In fact, he doesn't believe in God. What he meant by magic here in his book title was poetic magic.

... In this sense, 'magical' simply means deeply moving, exhilarating: something that gives us goose bumps, something that makes us feel more fully alive. What I hope to show you in this book is that reality--the facts of the real world as understood through the methods of science--is magical in this third sense, the poetic sense, the good to be alive sense. (p. 21)

According to Dawkins, all people around the world basically believe in myth, magic, supernatural thing, that kind of stuffs, to explain every thing that happen. The Inca tribe believed that the sun and the moon were their ancestors. The Aztec believed that they had to sacrifice human beings to please the sun god, otherwise he wouldn't rise the next morning. The Sumerians believed that rainbow was created by Ishtar, a god, as a token of the gods' promise that gods wouldn't send another terrible floods. And some (nowadays) people believe that volcanoes eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and diseases happen as a punishment for mankind from angry God.

Of course Dawkins doesn't believe such thing. He is a man of science. He wrote:

... Science thrives on its inability--so far--to explain everything, and uses that as the spur to go on asking questions, creating possible models and testing them, so that we make our way, inch by inch, closer to the truth. If something were to happen that went against our current understanding of reality, scientists would see that as a challenge to our present model, requiring us to abandon or at least change it. It is through such adjustments and subsequent testing that we approach closer and closer to what is true. (p. 22)

There are twelve chapters in this book and all starts with a question. Questions are "Who was the first person?", "Why do we have night and day, winter, and summer?", "What is the sun?", "What is the rainbow?", etc. Dawkins first answered those questions with mystical anwers that are believed by some people. Next he would explain with scientific anwers. For those who are supernatural, myth, or whatever believers may quite difficult to accept those scientific answers. But for those who are open-minded, I bet there is no problem to accept the answers that have been provided by Dawkins.

This book is easy to read. It's a light reading book, although it's talking about general science. I can finish reading this book in mere one day. Imagine! A non-fiction book I can finish reading in only one day! HAH! *snob* This kind of book is a perfect book for people like me whose background are soooo far away from science. If you want to take the first step getting to know about science in general, then this one is good for you. This book also aims for teenagers. With witty and easy words to chew, it's perfect for teenagers. But, I have to warn you that this book is a little bit bias. If you're looking for a book that can give you scientific arguments from the first page until the last page, you won't find it here.

Why did I say that? It's because throughout this book, in here and there, you can find Dawkins teased religion, gods, and stuff. I think Dawkins was trying to teach us to be skeptic, to be critical, to question everything. It's a good thing. So, we don't end up as a person who just easily believes what other people have said. But, well you know, it's Richard Dawkins. He's kind of atheist Pope. His views are clearly seen in The Magic of Reality. But, look at the bright side. He's trying to make us fall in love with and believe in science. :D That's what I've concluded from what he wrote in the last page:

... I hope that, in every chapter, you enjoyed the science that came after the myths. I hope you agree that the truth has a magic of its own. The truth is more magical--in the best and most exciting sense of the word--than any myth or made-up mystery or miracle. Science has its own magic: the magic of reality. (p. 257)

Even though I don't learn anything new from this book, I still love it. Well, maybe that's because I like Richard Dawkins. Okay, that sounds bias. But, who cares anyway? :D By the way, I just feel it's a good thing reading Richard Dawkins' book outside evolution and atheism theme. Well, evolution is still discussed in this book, but it's only a glimpse. (less)

like · see review

Mar 22, 2012 Kate Lawrence rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science

When I was a student, I thought science was boring, so I took as little as possible and didn't pay close attention in classes I was required to take. After some years passed, I came to realize my mistake: science can be fascinating! I've since tried to catch up. This book is the most approachable review of the basics I've seen, and not only painless but actually enjoyable. Its profuse illustrations reveal it is aimed at young adults; Dawkins himself says he wrote it for anyone age 12 and over. Y...more

like · see review

Oct 05, 2011 Jorge rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science, evolution

A note for all my goodreads friends, if you like my review please go to Amazon and click the like button. It would help my "reviewer cred". Thanks and enjoy this wonderful book.

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...more

like 5 likes · see review

Jan 03, 2013 David Powell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Having read some of the other reviews, I think that some people have the wrong perception of this excellent book. I am not sure that some of the reviewers even got the point of the book. It is not an introduction to science for children no matter how it was advertised. While is is true that the book seems somewhat condescending at times to anyone with some knowledge of science, it is a delineation between what is mythology and what is science (or fact). If one thinks about it, religion happens t...more

like · see review

Apr 07, 2012 Joan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ALL 12-14 year olds!

Shelves: 2012-favorites, science-nonfiction, ya-books, nonfiction

This is one of the few books that I would consider comparing to Asimov's writing, particularly for youth. He explains clearly many things about science. This is NOT a book to read if you are religious or believe in astrology, etc! He completely dismisses religion's ability to actually explain things today. I especially liked one of the final chapters dealing with luck. He explains what the law of averages really mean, and why it is silly to assume someone is a lucky or unlucky person or due to h...more

like · see review

Oct 01, 2011 Jason Mills rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Dawkins fans, inquisitive young folks

Shelves: non-fiction, pre-adult, science

Dawkins here seeks to enthuse young minds about science: not only with its discoveries but as an approach to the world that is far more thrilling and fascinating - not to say productive - than the idle stories and easy answers of myth and religion. Indeed, it is inherently an encouragement to learn and to challenge one's intellect, rather than to remain ignorant.

Each chapter addresses a question about the world: What are things made of? What is a rainbow? Dawkins commences in each case by recoun...more Dawkins here seeks to enthuse young minds about science: not only with its discoveries but as an approach to the world that is far more thrilling and fascinating - not to say productive - than the idle stories and easy answers of myth and religion. Indeed, it is inherently an encouragement to learn and to challenge one's intellect, rather than to remain ignorant.

Each chapter addresses a question about the world: What are things made of? What is a rainbow? Dawkins commences in each case by recounting myths from around the world. He acknowledges that these stories are enjoyable and interesting, but he does not need to work hard to show their inadequacies as explanations. (Dawkins bundles in the myths of current religions with those of ancient or 'minor' ones, which is perfectly legitimate, if a tad mischievous; but he does not hammer the reader over the head with that angle: the word "atheist", for instance, does not appear.)

Then follows the scientific view of the phenomenon in question, carefully and clearly articulated. Although generally well pitched for an audience entering their teenage years, his prose is sometimes a little demanding:

The Chumash people believed that they were created on their island (it obviously wasn't called Santa Cruz then, because that is a Spanish name) from the seeds of a magic plant by the Earth goddess Hutash, who was married to the Sky Snake (what we know as the Milky Way, which you can see on a really dark night in the country, but not if you live in a town where there is too much light pollution).

Somebody should have told him not to squeeze two or three sentences into one! Such lapses are rare, however, and the text is a thoroughly engaging read.

Of course, it's only half the story. It scarcely does justice to Dave McKean's contribution here to say that he "illustrated" The Magic Of Reality: he has designed the book from cover to cover, winding the text in and out of the art, playing visual games, creating pictures in ethnic styles corresponding to the cultures whose myths are under discussion, and eloquently illustrating the scientific ideas. Admirable as the text is, it would form a far less lively book without this consummate, diverse and colourful graphic enrichment.

Putting both together, this is a splendid celebration. It may be an unusually large slab of non-fiction for the average teenager, but those with the appetite for it will be amply rewarded.(less)

like 4 likes · see review

Sep 23, 2012 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science

Enjoyable...I had the audio version of this which included half of it read by Dawkins which is always a delight. (The other half is by some fine sounding british lady...which they take turns reading every section or so). Of course I evidently missed out on some fine illustrations so I will have to check out the book anyway.

Either way, my one thought that occasionally crept into my head was how I thought this book seemed a bit geared towards a younger audience. That much of it was interesting - y...more

like · see review

Feb 02, 2012 N_8_ rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True was very good. It has the best description of natural selection I've ever seen. Each chapter starts with a myth from around the world, which is very interesting seeing how different people from the past and present view explanations for different occurrences in nature. Finally, each chapter starts with a question that has a viable explanation from science and is explained from that standpoint by Dawkins in a very simple manner without overstep...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (27)

More editions...

Genres

Science

332 users

Non Fiction

198 users

Philosophy

33 users

Religion

29 users

Religion > Atheism

27 users

Biology > Evolution

23 users

Science > Biology

16 users

Childrens

15 users

Science > Popular Science

13 users

History

9 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Richard Dawkins

The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution

The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Magic of Real...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Magic of Reality: ...

“bad things, like good things don't happen any more often than they ought to by chance. the universe has no mind, no feelings, and no personality, so it doesn't do things in order to either hurt or please you. bad things happen because things happen.” — 7 people liked it

“The truth is more magical - in the best and most exciting sense of the word - than any myth or made-up mystery or miracle. Science has its own magic: the magic of reality.” — 5 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
avg rating	preview: The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True Goodreads rating: 4.09 (4251 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11256979-the-magic-of-reality?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327883246l/11256979.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11256979-the-magic-of-reality?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins[/url]

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

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website