Unweaving The Rainbow: Science, Delusion And The Appetite For Wonder

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Unweaving The Rainbow: Science, Delusion And The Appetite For Wonder

by Richard Dawkins (Goodreads Author)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 3,220 ratings · 120 reviews

Did Newton "unweave the rainbow" by reducing it to its prismatic colors, as Keats contended? Did he, in other words, diminish beauty? Far from it, says acclaimed scientist Richard Dawkins; Newton's unweaving is the key to much of modern astronomy and to the breathtaking poetry of modern cosmology. Mysteries don't lose their poetry because they are solved: the solution ofte...more

Published (first published 1998)

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Jul 14, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a person unlearned--well, okay, let's be honest, frankly ignorant--in science, I enjoyed this wide-ranging book. Dawkins largely achieves his aim: to show that an understanding of the science of phenomena can create a sense of wonder equal to mythic or poetic metaphor, with a concomitant gain in understanding and an increased desire to know still more and to look askance at delusions that are unsupportable in light of what we know and continue to learn. Not every chapter is strong. The part o...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Steffi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dawkins appelliert an das Bestaunenswerte der Naturwissenschaften und dass Künstler diesem Aspekt mehr Aufmerksamkeit zollen sollten als einer irrealen Phantastik. Das ist an vielen Stellen richtig, aber oft liegt Dawkins auch ein wenig daneben. So greift er die These der Kulturwissenschaftler an, dass es keine Objektivität/Wahrheit geben könne. Natürlich sollte diese Auffasung nicht dazu führen, naturwissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse zu verneinen, aber die damit verbundene Kritikfähigkeit halte ic...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Chris by: Richard Dawkins

Shelves: atheism, science

Dawkins has done it again with _Unweaving_the_Rainbow_. After reading _The_God_Delusion_ I was left with a sense of wonder about science, reason, and a need for clarity of the meaning of life. A popular criticism of atheism is that it the power to turn anyone into a narcissist, and I can see the reasoning. It takes a strong-willed person to accept that once they die there is nothing waiting on the other side; there is no other side. Nevertheless _Unweaving_the_Rainbow_ has elegantly shown that t...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Bethany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a strange one. I am a Chemistry student at University currently, and this book grabbed me not only because of the sciency content but also Richard Dawkins is considered to be a bit of a science know-it-all in non-scientific circles and the general public.
The man is smart, no doubt about it.

I think he should stick to what he knows though. There were some good snippets and at first I followed his thought process. Yes, we as a species are dumb. We can be fooled. This does not take away from...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Kirsty Darbyshire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fascinating ramblings on various bits of science (physical science as well as Dawkins usual biological science) that basically come down to how the wonders of science aren't appreciated as much as they ought to be. I found myself nodding my head and agreeing with Dawkins at about just about every turn. Questions like why people find astrology fascinating when astronomy is so much more amazing bemuse me too. The title refers to Keats claiming that Newton has destroyed the poetry of the rainbow by...more

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Feb 12, 2011 MG rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dawkins is one of those Oxford profs who wags his finger at anyone who doesn't completely embrace empiricism and common sense. Actually, I don't mind that--he's part of that old intellectual tradition after all. I remember reading Hobbes' Leviathan in college where he says "Metaphors, and senseless and ambiguous words are like ignes fatui" or "foolish light". Dawkins quotes Hobbes but doesn't go quite that far (thank God). His thesis is that science can be as full of beauty and wonder as poetry,...more

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Nov 15, 2009 Abi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, england

Hmmm, I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand I agree with him wholeheartedly that science and a scientific understanding of natural phenomena is a source of wonder. BUT, I think Dawkins throws the baby out with the bath water to a certain extent. To think of the rainbow in terms of water drops and light waves evokes one sort of beauty. But to think of the rainbow in terms of mythology, as something mysteriously wonderful, evokes quite another, one that is infinitely more suited to...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone.

The first half or so was amazing, and the rest was still really interesting (especially the end), if not quite as exhilarating. At the same time, you have to remember that even that powerhouse of scientific poetry, Carl Sagan, had some dry chapters every now and then. Some dryness definitely doesn't make it any less worth the read, and its mild anyway. Overall, this book was extremely enjoyable, and a breeze to get through. 4.5 stars, will probably be 5 on the reread.

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Dec 23, 2007 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science_anthropology_history

Not Dawkins' best, IMO. He fails to see the magic of storytelling ... yes, knowing how the refracted light results in rainsbows is interesting, but it's not nearly as fun as the stories that spring up to explain them. I'm a scientist at heart, but Dawkins is just a bit too cold for my taste in this book. I prefer when he sticks to explaining science; when he tries to explain why the beauty of science is superior to alternatives, he strikes a sour note with me.

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Feb 10, 2013 Martin Pribble rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This month, while in a Twitter hiatus, I managed to get around to reading a book. Yes, a real book, with paper and pages and a cardboard cover! The book I chose to read is by Dr Richard Dawkins, and this is one that is overlooked in terms of its importance and place in society, having been overshadowed by his more groundbreaking and most famous publications such as “The Blind Watchmaker”, “The Selfish Gene” and of course “The God Delusion.”

“Unweaving the Rainbow” was originally published in 1998...more This month, while in a Twitter hiatus, I managed to get around to reading a book. Yes, a real book, with paper and pages and a cardboard cover! The book I chose to read is by Dr Richard Dawkins, and this is one that is overlooked in terms of its importance and place in society, having been overshadowed by his more groundbreaking and most famous publications such as “The Blind Watchmaker”, “The Selfish Gene” and of course “The God Delusion.”

“Unweaving the Rainbow” was originally published in 1998, and apart from some unforeseen advances in science and technology, is as relevant today’s it was when written over ten years ago. The premise of the book, and the origin of the title, stem from a claim by the 19th century poet John Keats, in apparent dismay at Sir Isaac Newton for his discovery and documentation the separation of white light into the visible spectrum, or the rainbow as it is commonly known. Keats claims that Newton destroyed the wonder and poetry of the rainbow by “reducing it to prismatic colours.” Keats’ claim, and claims like it, are often employed as a last ditch attempt in refuting the importance or relevance of science, saying that the deep study of the beautiful can only reduce a wonderful thing, a thing of reverence and astonishment, to a mundane and dull object once fully understood. The extrapolation of this claim seems to be the mystery of the unknown in the form of god, souls, magic and spirituality will be destroyed by the understanding of the underlying principles that create these phenomena within humanity. Of course, this claim stems from a fear that science is, in fact, often correct, and may eventually rid the world of superstition and dogma.

Dawkins goes to great lengths to “unweave the rainbow” in it’s many guises; From the specific story of Keats and Newton to the charlitanism of new age mysticism, from pseudoscience to bad poetic communication, Dawkins has successfully constructed a case for the wonder and majesty of the natural world, the way things really are. He intersperses the book with pieces of prose and quotes from the arts and science, and shows that superstition and bad judgement do not lie solely within the confines of religion. Of course we knew this to be the case, but to analyse it in this manner really puts a perspective on who we are as a species, and why we believe the unbelievable.

Much like Michael Shermer’s book “Why People Believe Weird Things”, “Rainbow” gives numerous examples of how the human brain sees the world around it, and how our development as a species is sometimes hindered by our evolution, the very thing that brought us here. Biologically we are riddled with age old hangovers from times past, and socially we are told that science is devoid of wonder. The combination of these two aspects of modern society is that science is seen as a cold and soulless reduction of the universe to just a bunch of numbers on paper. While science can (and I believe will) explain away many of the aspects of life that we see as indescribable or mysterious, as Dawkins argues, this can only enhance our wonder at nature’s intricacies.

Dawkins, I feel, is always at his strongest when he talks of topics of which he is an expert; biology. When he speaks of religion, he all too often gets caught upon a personal battle of will and wits, and can come across as a less than savoury character. In “Rainbow” however, he successfully walks a thin line between scientific facts and the criticism of the human condition, without entering the territory of ad-hominem insults or personal attacks on individuals. He is neither too critical nor soft on the idiosyncrasies and quirks of human nature. He balances the rightful claim that science can only enhance our understanding of the universe and all it contains with the need for the poetic and the beautiful. This is a point that is all too often overlooked, and this message can only help to move forward any attempts by science to regain its place in the minds of modern humanity, without being seen as a threat to the beauty and appreciation we have for the natural world.(less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Henry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some writers are just born to write. Dawkins writes as easily as breathing, and his style is exemplified by this book. Unweaving The Rainbow was a direct riposte to critics of his earlier works such as The Selfish Gene.

If one deconstructs the world to its scientific elements, critics complained, would you not strip it of all beauty, reducing everything to a state of boring utility that would demand no respect, awe or wonder? In other words, critics were taking the place of Keats who criticized...more

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Sep 13, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very enjoyable in parts, and a little tedious in others.

There are a few points in the last chapter where I, as a phonologist (someone who studies the sound patterns of languages, including for instance the discrete combinatorial system that can take a finite set of sounds and create an in principle infinite number of distinct words), was a little annoyed to see Dawkins confuse phonology with semantics (the study of how meaning is associated with linguistic form). But I could look past it. His s...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Connie Kuntz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Homeschoolers

Hal J Daniel III wrote an excellent collection of poetry entitled Animal Behavior. In Daniel's collection, he references Richard Dawkins. That is why I decided to read up on Dawkins; so I could further understand and enjoy Daniel's dynamic poetry. I do love the poetry that ignites my inner dramaturg.

Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, among other things, is revered by some, loathed by others, respected by moi. After reading this book, I now know I have no choice but to read at least one science...more

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May 30, 2011 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science, philosophy-religion-and-opinion

Not Dawkins' best book. It is a transition, when Dawkins was first awarded the professorship for the public understanding of science. Not yet a rabid atheist (very entertaining) and not quite the neodarwinist. Dawkins strays into areas he is not fully conversant with, while trying to balance the justification of the scientific method and the poetry of symbolism. I think this results in some awkwardness in the narrative and at times he gets stuck in a subject, straying into refuting the symbolism...more

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Jan 13, 2013 pausetowonder rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The actual science bits in here are great. Learned heaps about the workings of light and colour, sound and hearing... was even reminded that the idea of "superstitious behavior" in animals is attributed to Skinner (and not, sadly, my own idea). Much geeky excitement experienced all round by yours truly. Dawkins does a fine job of explaining complex ideas clearly and well.

That's what was good about Unweaving the Rainbow.

Sadly, what feels like way more than half of the book was spent painstakingly...more The actual science bits in here are great. Learned heaps about the workings of light and colour, sound and hearing... was even reminded that the idea of "superstitious behavior" in animals is attributed to Skinner (and not, sadly, my own idea). Much geeky excitement experienced all round by yours truly. Dawkins does a fine job of explaining complex ideas clearly and well.

That's what was good about Unweaving the Rainbow.

Sadly, what feels like way more than half of the book was spent painstakingly trying to argue people out of believing in astrology, ghosts, remote viewing, etc. using logic and scientific fact. Its starts about one third the way in. My problem with this is threefold:

1) Dawkins is assuming that logic and scientific fact would have persuasive power for anyone believing in what he calls "superstition" or "ad hoc magic". (And really, why would it? I think believers would be the first to point out that this sort of thing is beyond the purview of science.)

2) Dawkins assumes that these "deluded" people are reading his book. I can't say for sure, but personally, I would be surprised if a diehard believer in ESP or astrology would be interested in reading Dawkins' explanation of Fraunhofer lines, the electromagnetic spectrum and other fairly hardcore sciencey topics that fill the first third of this book. Seems like a different sort of audience. So he ends up "preaching to the choir" -- and there is something rather uncomfortably self-righteous about this. Not to mention dull.

3) Dawkins (I don't mean to be unkind, but I can't think of any other to state the fact) embarrasses himself when he wanders out of the world of science and into literature and the humanities. Critiques of the scientific accuracy of Wordsworth poems or a fantasy story by Mark Twain are cringe-making.

What Dawkins doesn't understand about human psychology is a lot. I think his whole crusade against religion has been a waste of a good scientific mind and has done a lot of damage to the discussion. His aggressive, dismissive and disrespectful approach has only put people on the defensive and set an unfortunate example.

I was hoping for a lot more "wonder of science". Instead, I felt like I was getting lectured at length for something I didn't even do. What do I care about astrology??

Anyhow, I was hoping for more wonders-of-science and less railing. Disappointing.

Better books on science and wonder that I'd recommend:

The Age of Wonder How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

In Defence of Wonder and Other Philosophical Reflections

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Feb 11, 2012 Bas Kreuger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Inspiring book, but not an easy read. The first few chapters and specifically the last two are intriguing (at least for me) where Dawkings describes the way we have developed our human brain and how we view the world.
In the first chapters he describes the beauty of science in such a way that you want to be a poet and write poems about particles, atoms, neurons, gravity and all other wonderful natural phenomena that are the basic building blocks of pure science.
More in line with the God Delusion...more

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Apr 25, 2008 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science, non-fiction

Not as consistently good as his other books, but some real gems in here around how we interpret light and sound.

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

An exceptional explanation of the world around us. Dawkins has a style of writing while explaining one of the most challenging ideas ever, that science (which is generally somehow considered to be anti-poetic) can inspire poets much deeper than the unknown they are inspired by.

Coincidentally, I'm a fan of Richard Dawkins and having read three more books of him, it's true to say he always finds a different way to catch your attention. A great opportunity to understand some of the miracles of lif...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Joe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Richard Dawkins explores science and its social implications. He compares and contrasts science to art and poetry: how they're similar, how they can each grow larger by having a better understanding of the other. Dawkins goes on to explore a number of pseudosciences, attacks on science, and misinterpretations of science.

Unfortunately, the book is somewhat flat. Some of the discussions are interesting, but none of them seemed especially fresh to me. Dawkins clearly loves this material, but someti...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science, favorites

Written a few years prior to The God Delusion, this book serves as a useful bridge for anyone familiar with Dawkins's atheist output but unfamiliar with his more scientific titles. His critics often like to portray him as arrogant, hectoring (or that other old chestnut: 'shrill') and overly absorbed with the cold clinical application of the scientific method. Well he may not be cuddly, and I may not agree with his approach to everything, but for the most part I find him genial, honorable and goo...more

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May 31, 2009 Allisonperkel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, science

I agree with most of the points he tries to make (though I think he doesn't give the flight from reality enough respect and I see nothing wrong with "dumbing down" science in order to get young children interested). however I found this book a chore to read. The writing was condescending at times and far too simplistic at others. This book really needed a better editor and about 150 pages lopped off.

I appreciate all he's done in fighting the quacks and crazies out there, but that doesn't stop m...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Gabe Hawkins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was beautifully written and the closest thing to a modern-day poetic masterpiece I have ever read. Reminiscent in many ways of Thoreau if he were a secular humanist scholar, one could consider this "the softer side of Dawkins," and while his disdain for organized religion and anything remotely questioning of science still shines through in several parts, the poetic ways in which he explains his genuine wonder at the beauty of the Earth, the universe, and life makes one wish religions follow...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Benjamin Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good read over all. Some very insightful things about evolution. The first part of the book was a bit slow, but it is written (I assume) for someone without a degree in physics or a real understanding of light and sound waves. The only thing I really had an issue with was Dawkins' bitter views on religion. It always surprises me to find really good scientists who believe that it is religion vs science and the two cannot coexist. I guess he has written an entire book dedicated to religion (or ant...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Andy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, science

Like all of Dawkins, this is good, although this is the fifth book of his that I've read, and having moved roughly from greatest to least renown (The Selfish Gene, The Extended Phenotype, The Blind Watchmaker, The God Delusion, and now this), I may be at the point where I'd gain more by re-reading what I've already read than tackling his other writing. This is a decent book for people new to Dawkins, and it's gentler on scientific detail than usual, for those worried about getting lost in the ma...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Jack rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first heard about this book while initially reading The Selfish Gene. Advertisements easily accessed (http://www.amazon.com/Unweaving-Rainb...) will state that this book was written by Dawkins to respond to readers who asked him why he bothered to wake up in the morning, referring to the 'dehumanizing' theory of biology explained in The Selfish Gene. It follows that Unweaving The Rainbow was created to show people that there is beauty in science, perhaps more beauty than a scientifically-illit...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sachbuecher, religionskritik

Obwohl Richard Dawkins zweifelsfrei zu den genialeren (Evolutions-) Biologen zählt, möchte ich dieses Buch nur einem eingeschränkten Publikum empfehlen. Zwar hat sich der eloquente Engländer inzwischen einen Namen in Sachen Religionskritik gemacht (vermutlich ist er DER Paradeatheist); dieser Umstand alleine macht ihn aber, trotz aller Kontroversen, noch nicht interessant genug um sich als Laie durch dieses Buch zu quälen.

Nicht falsch verstehen - an und für sich ist es sicherlich interessant. Le...more Obwohl Richard Dawkins zweifelsfrei zu den genialeren (Evolutions-) Biologen zählt, möchte ich dieses Buch nur einem eingeschränkten Publikum empfehlen. Zwar hat sich der eloquente Engländer inzwischen einen Namen in Sachen Religionskritik gemacht (vermutlich ist er DER Paradeatheist); dieser Umstand alleine macht ihn aber, trotz aller Kontroversen, noch nicht interessant genug um sich als Laie durch dieses Buch zu quälen.

Nicht falsch verstehen - an und für sich ist es sicherlich interessant. Leider gibt es aber ein paar Kritikpunkte, die das Lesevergnügen unglaublich trüben.

Da wäre zum Einen, dass man ihm - bei allem Respekt für seine Leistungen! - schon einen gewissen Chauvinismus anmerkt. Wo es um Musik geht wird stets in den höchsten Tönen von "Klassik" gesprochen. In Sachen Poesie spielt er sich als Kenner auf und putzt jede andere Meinung so konsequent herunter, dass man selbst dann skeptisch wird, wenn man eigentlich seiner Meinung war / ist. Mit anderen Worten: Er lässt in diesem Buch so sehr den Gebildeten raushängen, dass es einem schon zum Halse heraushängt.

Und dann wäre da allgemein seine Neigung nur die Phantasielosigkeit als phantastisch darzustellen. Er hat seinen Standpunkt gegen blinde Religiosität oft genug dargelegt und mit Argumenten untermauert. Dass er es hier aber auf so ziemlich alles ausdehnt, das nicht zu 100% der Realität entspricht, zeugt von beschränkter Geistesgröße, denn ohne Fantasy- und Science-Fiction-Romane wären wohl viele Erfindungen der Menschheitsgeschichte niemals gemacht worden.

Man denke hierbei an die vielen Erfindungen aus dem Star-Trek-Universum, die Ingenieure in aller Welt so sehr begeisterten, dass wir ihm heute automatische Türen, Handys und vieles mehr zumindest zu einem großen Teil verdanken.

Nein, wenn Dawkins in diesem Buch über Star Trek, Akte X und alles herzieht, was ein wenig über den nüchternen Realismus hinausgeht, macht er sich - meiner Meinung nach - einer Arroganz schuldig, die ihm seine Gegner in den meisten anderen Punkten zu Unrecht ankreiden.

Der Ton macht die Musik. Und wenn man in einem Buch nicht nur darauf eingeht wie die Evolution das Wunder des 'Hörens', 'Abstrahierens' und 'Verstehens' ermöglichte, sollte man dabei nicht vergessen, dass man selbst aufpassen sollte, was man sagt und wie man es tut. Vor Allem, wenn man in seinem Werk versucht eine 'Poesie der Wissenschaft' zu beschwören.

Laien, die sich noch nie mit der Evolutionstheorie beschäftigt haben, können mit diesem Buch bestimmt etwas anfangen. Solche die, wie ich, gewisse Vorkenntnisse haben (Schulbildung ist dazu völlig ausreichend), werden sich streckenweise vermutlich ziemlich langweilen.(less)

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Feb 09, 2012 Cory rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I believe that Animal Farm's best paragraph is its last, and the opposite can be said of Unweaving the Rainbow; the best writing is found on the first page. Not to say that the rest of the book isn't worth reading, just that it begins brilliantly.

"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born"

Dawkins has said that he plans on having Unweaving the Rainbow's first paragraph read at his funeral, and I hope he doesn...more I believe that Animal Farm's best paragraph is its last, and the opposite can be said of Unweaving the Rainbow; the best writing is found on the first page. Not to say that the rest of the book isn't worth reading, just that it begins brilliantly.

"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born"

Dawkins has said that he plans on having Unweaving the Rainbow's first paragraph read at his funeral, and I hope he doesn't mind that I do the same. Arguable the beginning of the book can't be topped, but every few pages or so there will be another line that strikes the same emotional chords. It's science writing that makes your spine tingle.

In part, Dawkins is sharing his love and fascination with the "poetry" of science. The truth about how rainbows form doesn't at all diminish their beauty, if anything, it adds to it. How wonderful is it that the right combination of sunlight and rainfall can cast a whole spectrum of colors upon the sky? But Dawkins is also making a small plea to the other science writers of modern times; he is asking them not to forget their feelings of wonder and amazement when they go to write their books and papers. If metaphor or simile can be used to enhance the readers understanding, it is wise to use them and contribute to the poetry of science.

After The God Delusion (life changing, by the way), this was the second book by Richard Dawkins that I read. I must admit, it gets pretty dry at times, but don't give up on it! There is some of the best science writing out there in between those covers, and it very well could change how you look at the world. Every time I look at the night sky I feel as if it's the first time I've seen it, and that is the kind of feeling this book is trying to pass on: sheer amazement at the workings of the cosmos.

Read Unweaving the Rainbow with the curiosity of a child and an adult's appreciation for literature and you will not be disappointed.

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Aug 25, 2012 Alexander rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dawkins hat eine wunderbare Art Wissenschaft zu beschreiben. Über das ganze Buch hinweg spürt man seinen Enthusiasmus und seine Liebe für sein Fachgebiet. Er zitiert gern und oft seine Kollegen, allen voran Carl Sagan und Richard Feynman. Dabei bleibt das Buch im Gegensatz zu Der Drache in meiner Garage auch für Laien gut verständlich und speziell die ersten zwei Drittel würde ich jedem ans Herz legen, der verstehen will, wie Wissenschaft funktioniert, was die große Leistung Newtons, Darwins ode...more

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Mar 20, 2010 Krista rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the Goodreads reviews on this book relates, simply, that the writer of the review had been on a cruise ship with the author prior to reading the book. When she DID read the book, she regretted that she didn't "do some kind of small violence to his person" while on the cruise with him.

In many ways, that sums up my take beautifully. This was the most interesting book I've ever despised. Certainly, I have a brain not suited to the exigencies of science. But when he wasn't losing me in a web...more One of the Goodreads reviews on this book relates, simply, that the writer of the review had been on a cruise ship with the author prior to reading the book. When she DID read the book, she regretted that she didn't "do some kind of small violence to his person" while on the cruise with him.

In many ways, that sums up my take beautifully. This was the most interesting book I've ever despised. Certainly, I have a brain not suited to the exigencies of science. But when he wasn't losing me in a web of convoluted explanation, he was was looking down his nose at me like a curmudgeonly professor who is inordinately piqued that an average undergraduate had the audacity to drop by during office hours and ask a stupid question.

That said, I learned a lot and, while I did not become a convert to his thesis that science can be as beautiful as poetry, I will admit that, were my brain more suited to the beauty of, say, probability, I would have been in ecstasy while perusing the pages of this tome. In discussing how we discover our world; "... we arrived by being born, and we didn't burst conscious into the world but accumulated awareness gradually through babyhood. The fact that we slowly apprehend our world, rather than suddenly discover it, should not subtract from its wonder." And maybe that's where he lost me. I haven't accumulated enough awareness to see what he sees. And to believe what he believes. But condescension does not encourage me to become more aware. It encourages me to shrug and go back to my music, or my poetry, or my philosophy.

All of that said, there were several "aha" moments; some "I-never-knew-that-before!" aha, some "I-never-thought-about-it-that-way-before!" aha and some "I-had-totally-forgotten-about-that!" aha.

Like his analogy about how expansive the earth's past is; "Fling your arms wide in an expansive gesture to span all of evolution from its origin at your left fingertip to today at your right fingertip. All the way across your midline to well past your right shoulder, life consists of nothing but bacteria. Many-celled, invertebrate life flowers somewhere around your right elbow. The dinosaurs originate in the middle of your right palm, and go extinct around your last finger joint. The whole story of Homo sapiens and our predecessor Homo erectus is contained in the thickness of one nail-clipping. As for recorded history; as for the Sumerians, the Babylonians, the Jewish patriarchs, the dynasties of Pharohs, the legions of Rome, the Christian Fathers, the Laws of the Medes and Persians which never change; as for Troy and the Greeks, Helen and Achilles and Agamemnon dead; as for Napolean and Hitler, the Beatles and Bill Clinton, they and everyone that knew them are blown away in the dust from one light stroke of a nail file."

In my opinion, that qualifies as scientific poetry. But that's because it takes an idea and sketches it with metaphor and examples that are accessible and understandable to my way of thinking. And Dawkins, too often, refuses to "stoop" to "that level."

For example, consider this quote from astrophysicist Chandrasekhar; "... beauty is that to which the human mind responds at its deepest and most profound." Indeed. Of course, I left out the beginning of the quote which talks about math and how it relates to nature. That's not beautiful to me. I understand why it's beautiful to those whose brains process math differently. But my brain does not work that way. My mind responds to a different beauty. Does that make my idea of beauty any less valid? Dawkins would undoubtedly say, "Yes." Then he'd kick me out of his office and grumble discontentedly as he adjusted his suspenders and wandered back to his desk.

But when Dawkins DOES lower himself to my level and speak my language, he pulls me right in; his discussion on coincidence and how, in our multi-media age, we are more likely to see a pattern where there is none, was eye-opening. And his fascinating riff on the fact that science is an affront to common sense made me smile in satisfaction; "For example, every time you drink a glass of water you are imbibing at least one molecule that passed through the bladder of Oliver Cromwell ... there are many more molecules in a glass of water than there are glasses of water in the sea ... solid matter, even a hard diamond, consists almost entirely of empty space."

Another riff that gave me pause was Dawkins' take on God's covenant with Abraham; "He didn't promise Abraham eternal life as an individual ... But he did promise something else. 'And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly ... and thou shalt be a father of many nations ... And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.' Abraham was left in no doubt that the future lay with his seed, not his individuality. God knew his Darwinism."

That is what I was looking for in this book. Someone with the title " Professor of the Public Understanding of Science" should really like average, thoughtful humans a bit more than Dawkins seems to. And if one is going to celebrate the diversity of life, one should also celebrate the diversity of ways of looking at life. We can't all think like Dawkins. It is hubris of Dawkins to expect all of us to try. And to belittle us when we fail.

Rather, he could have made his case for why his way of thinking is a valid and valuable addition to the layers of awareness that allow us to continually find beauty in our universe. But to discount and belittle the other ways of finding beauty was a mistake. He should have calculated that in some sort of equation before he published.

(less)

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Sep 14, 2009 Ethernight rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-nonfiction

I would love to praise Unweaving the Rainbow Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder as a layman's introduction to the wonders of science. The premise of the book is that the scientific view is not the bleak and cold perspective that it has a reputation for. In support of this, the book is chock full of little tidbits that demonstrate the beauty, the elegance, the chaos and the awe-inspiring complexity of the world around us. Dawkins endeavors to make science real to us, to seduce us with...more I would love to praise Unweaving the Rainbow Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder as a layman's introduction to the wonders of science. The premise of the book is that the scientific view is not the bleak and cold perspective that it has a reputation for. In support of this, the book is chock full of little tidbits that demonstrate the beauty, the elegance, the chaos and the awe-inspiring complexity of the world around us. Dawkins endeavors to make science real to us, to seduce us with its simplicity, to floor us by making the massive tangible, and to tantalize us with the beautiful intricacy that can be seen if you just have the understanding.

Sadly I can also describe this book as a long and rambling rant about the bountiful and varied thorns in Richard Dawkins' side. Sure, I share the pain of many of those thorns. But even to me, his litany of complaints eventually started to feel like the mean-spirited nit-picking of a cantankerous old man.

It is tricky to strike a balance between providing harsh criticism of bad ideas while still being respectful to the people who believe them. And yet this is a challenge that skeptics should be uniquely well suited for. I never cease to be amazed when a skeptic work explains the natural human fallacies that tend to lead to a particular faulty conclusion and the mechanism in our brains that make the belief appealing and intuitive... then in the next paragraph, have the audacity to call people who have made these entirely reasonable mistakes idiots or charlatans!

Excepting perhaps the small choir of skeptics that Dawkins is preaching to, we all know someone who holds a scientifically unsound belief. Even most generally pro-science people hold one or two personal superstitions. Nobody appreciates their friends and family members mocked or accused of malicious intent, and they take it even less kindly when the name-calling is pointed their way. It is a tragic irony that this is what leaves people with a bad taste in their mouth, leading to the very anti-science sentiments that Dawkins is trying to prevent.

I wish I could recommend this book to friends. I would love to be able to say, "Read this, and maybe you will begin to see why being an atheist is not depressing as you are imagining, but in fact wondrous and hopeful." But I would be ashamed for a friend to read this book, and be subjected to witnessing the cruel ridicule dished out by Dawkins.(less)

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“We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Arabia. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively exceeds the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here.We privileged few, who won the lottery of birth against all odds, how dare we whine at our inevitable return to that prior state from which the vast majority have never stirred?” — 384 people liked it

“The feeling of awed wonder that science can give us is one of the highest experiences of which the human psyche is capable. It is a deep aesthetic passion to rank with the finest that music and poetry can deliver. It is truly one of the things that make life worth living and it does so, if anything, more effectively if it convinces us that the time we have for living is quite finite.” — 85 people liked it

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