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Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution
Richard Dawkins on how nature and humans have learned to overcome the pull of gravity and take to the skies. 'A masterly investigation of all aspects of flight, human and animal... A beautifully produced book that will appeal across age groups' Alexander McCall Smith 'Dawkins has always been an extraordinarily muscular, persuasive thinker. What feels new here is that he writes with such charm and warmth' The TimesHave you ever dreamt you could fly? Or imagined what it would be like to glide and swoop through the sky like a bird? Do you let your mind soar to unknown, magical spaces? Richard Dawkins explores the wonder of from the mythical Icarus, to the sadly extinct but spectacular bird Argentavis magnificens, from the Wright flyer and the 747, to the Tinkerbella fairyfly and the Peregrine falcon. But he also explores flights of the mind and escaping the everyday – through science, ideas and imagination. Fascinating and beautifully illustrated, this is a unique collaboration between one of the world's leading scientists and a talented artist.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
May 17, 2024
“There is no such thing as a small miracle in aviation.” -Mark Twain
Richard Dawkins expounds on the biomechanics of flight from plant seeds to insects to birds to mammals to reptiles (see: the flying snakes of Southeast Asia). He also includes a fairly intense overview of aerodynamics and the increasing sophistication of human aviation.
True to form, Dawkins concludes by meticulously laying out the specific differences between “evolved flight” and “intelligently designed flight.” Yes, it was Dr. Dawkins putting yet another nail in the coffin of creationist thought—and yes, it was my favorite part of the book.
Richard Dawkins expounds on the biomechanics of flight from plant seeds to insects to birds to mammals to reptiles (see: the flying snakes of Southeast Asia). He also includes a fairly intense overview of aerodynamics and the increasing sophistication of human aviation.
True to form, Dawkins concludes by meticulously laying out the specific differences between “evolved flight” and “intelligently designed flight.” Yes, it was Dr. Dawkins putting yet another nail in the coffin of creationist thought—and yes, it was my favorite part of the book.
February 13, 2022
What did I read? A bunch of random facts about birds, planes and insects? That was pretty much it. Didn't have any seriousness to it and I feel like he wrote the book just because he had a contractual obligation. No flow at all. Jumping from one subject to another.
April 10, 2023
Off to a great start! Dawkins in his seniority (he's 82!) can write about whatever interests him. His fame guarantees sales. His new publisher, Head of Zeus, went all out to make this a beautiful book: lovely binding, generous margins, and a first-class illustrator, Jana Lenzova, whose computer-aided art adds a lot to the book. So I'm having fun.
Dawkins hasn't actually gotten to the maxim "Evolution is smarter than you are" -- but I expect he will. I'm taking notes. Here's one: in the late 18th century, pioneering French aeronaut De Rozier, an alleged scientist, flew a balloon of his own design, with an open fire under a hydrogen balloon! He didn't survive.
So many cool tit-bits to choose from. OK, termite queens. They lay something like 100 million eggs in their long career! Worker termites may look like ants, but they are more closely related to cockroaches. Ants are related to wasps, as is obvious to those who are familiar with the Velvet Ant of the SW US.
Elephant-birds of Madagascar! They inspired the giant Roc in the Arabian Nights, which could carry off an adult elephant! The real birds couldn't fly, of course, but stood up to 3 m (10 ft) tall. They survived up to the 14th century, but went extinct from over-hunting. A familiar sad story.
The young David Attenborough, in Madagascar to do a documentary, paid locals to prospect for surviving pieces of their eggs, and eventually reassembled one. About the size of a large watermelon, but, well, egg-shaped. They had very thick shells! "One of the things I cherish," he said, in his wonderfully distinctive speaking voice.
Enough teasers. Just go read the book! If you don't like it, I'll eat my socks. Easy 5 stars!
From Dana Stabenow's review, https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog..., which is the one that led me to read the book.
"Richard Dawkins writes with a sense of delighted discovery, using the tiniest details to illuminate his narrative. Literally.
…the smallest flying insect is the Fairyfly (it’s actually a wasp but never mind) and the Latin name of one species of fairyfly is Tinkerbella nana (‘nana’ comes from the sheepdog nanny of the Darling children in Peter Pan). ...."
Dawkins hasn't actually gotten to the maxim "Evolution is smarter than you are" -- but I expect he will. I'm taking notes. Here's one: in the late 18th century, pioneering French aeronaut De Rozier, an alleged scientist, flew a balloon of his own design, with an open fire under a hydrogen balloon! He didn't survive.
So many cool tit-bits to choose from. OK, termite queens. They lay something like 100 million eggs in their long career! Worker termites may look like ants, but they are more closely related to cockroaches. Ants are related to wasps, as is obvious to those who are familiar with the Velvet Ant of the SW US.
Elephant-birds of Madagascar! They inspired the giant Roc in the Arabian Nights, which could carry off an adult elephant! The real birds couldn't fly, of course, but stood up to 3 m (10 ft) tall. They survived up to the 14th century, but went extinct from over-hunting. A familiar sad story.
The young David Attenborough, in Madagascar to do a documentary, paid locals to prospect for surviving pieces of their eggs, and eventually reassembled one. About the size of a large watermelon, but, well, egg-shaped. They had very thick shells! "One of the things I cherish," he said, in his wonderfully distinctive speaking voice.
Enough teasers. Just go read the book! If you don't like it, I'll eat my socks. Easy 5 stars!
From Dana Stabenow's review, https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog..., which is the one that led me to read the book.
"Richard Dawkins writes with a sense of delighted discovery, using the tiniest details to illuminate his narrative. Literally.
…the smallest flying insect is the Fairyfly (it’s actually a wasp but never mind) and the Latin name of one species of fairyfly is Tinkerbella nana (‘nana’ comes from the sheepdog nanny of the Darling children in Peter Pan). ...."
June 28, 2023
Flights of Fancy by Richard Dawkins
.
Got to see this legend in May 2022 promoting his new book. Author of The God Delusion, The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution, The Extended Phenotype, The Selfish Gene and many more
.
This book was so much fun to read. It explores the beauty of flight and how humans have overcome the pull of gravity. The illustrations are extraordinary by Jana Lenzova. Really recommend this one 👌
.
Got to see this legend in May 2022 promoting his new book. Author of The God Delusion, The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution, The Extended Phenotype, The Selfish Gene and many more
.
This book was so much fun to read. It explores the beauty of flight and how humans have overcome the pull of gravity. The illustrations are extraordinary by Jana Lenzova. Really recommend this one 👌
August 29, 2025
This book is non-fiction that provides just about everything a reader may want to know about flying, floating, and gliding. Dawkins examines the various ways animals fly (or have flown), covering insects, birds, bats, pterosaurs, fish (launching and gliding), and even plants (not true flight but ways of spreading seeds). Dawkins explores the evolutionary development of animal flight capabilities and discusses how natural selection has fine-tuned aerodynamics and navigation methods over millions of years. The book also highlights human fascination with flight throughout history, from mythological figures to the Wright Brothers. It covers scientific explanations of how flight is achieved and maintained as well as historical accounts of human flight attempts.
The book is structured thematically, with chapters alternating between animal and human flight endeavors. Dawkins is obviously enthusiastic about his material. The prose is clear and accessible. He frequently uses analogies and thought experiments to illustrate his points. I enjoyed the combination of natural history and human achievement. It takes a while to ramp up and parts of it seem only tangentially related to the topic at hand, but overall, I learned quite a bit.
3.5
The book is structured thematically, with chapters alternating between animal and human flight endeavors. Dawkins is obviously enthusiastic about his material. The prose is clear and accessible. He frequently uses analogies and thought experiments to illustrate his points. I enjoyed the combination of natural history and human achievement. It takes a while to ramp up and parts of it seem only tangentially related to the topic at hand, but overall, I learned quite a bit.
3.5
December 3, 2023
¡Que delicia de librito! Bien escrito, entretenido, informativo y muy bien ilustrado.
Tenía mis reservas para comenzar a leer este libro. Richard Dawkins, su autor, es un reconocido biólogo evolutivo, divulgador de la biología, polemista y autor de libros, programas y conferencias contra las religiones y todas las formas de superstición. Ya había leído previamente dos libros de Dawkins y, si bien es un autor original responsable de algunas ideas fuera del molde en su disciplina, además de un crítico y polemista brillante, su prosa nunca termino de atraparme y al contrario es pesada y difícil de seguir. Como decimos en Colombia, enreda un saludo.
Pero en este libro me tope con un Richard Dawkins muy diferente. Uno capaz de transmitir de manera clara y amena conceptos complejos de biología, física y tecnología, mientras narra algunas anécdotas o se permite uno que otro chistecito.
Aunque no es necesario profundizar -para eso está la descripción del libro en la contraportada- "La fantasía de volar" es un libro sobre todas las formas posibles que ha encontrado la vida y la tecnología de Homo sapiens para despegarse del suelo. No solamente el vuelo, que es una de las modalidades descubiertas varias veces por la evolución de la vida en la Tierra, en insectos, reptiles, mamíferos, por supuesto aves, pero también por las plantas -¡así como lo oyen!. Dawkins nos lleva por un viaje de descubrimiento de animales saltadores, corredores, brincadores, escaladores y hasta "flotadores".
¡Que viaje!
Como era de esperarse, los comentarios de Dawkins sobre la evolución del vuelo son maravillosos, tremendamente ilustrativos de los mecanismos de la evolución y están llenos de datos curiosos. ¿Sabían por ejemplo que algunas personas en biología especulan que las alas de los insectos podrían haber surgido primero como "paneles solares"? ¿O que el vuelo en las aves pudo surgir como una adaptación para subir por pendientes cada vez más empinadas huyendo quizás de depredadores? ¿O que nuestro cuerpo conserva una memoria genética para la creación de membranas interdigitales -las que usan por ejemplo los patos para nadar, pero que se han desarrollado en murciélagos hasta constituir sus alas- que aparecen durante el desarrollo del embrión humano, pero son eliminados -en la inmensa mayoría de los casos durante el desarrollo del feto-?
Y esta es la punta del Iceberg de buena ciencia que hay en este libro.
El texto es fácil de leer, es relativamente corto porque, al menos la edición de Ariel que tuve el placer de leer, esta profusa y bellamente ilustrada, y las ilustraciones están en algunos casos entre los párrafos, lo que hace que un libro que tiene 290 páginas en realidad se lea como uno de 200. el nivel del texto y de las explicaciones es bastante general como para que pueda ser leído por personas que trabajamos en ciencias, así como por personas sin un conocimiento o interés particular por ellas. Esto lo hace un excelente regalo.
Me impresiono -gratamente- que el texto no tuviera una sección de referencias bibliográficas. Imagino que cuando eres un autor de la talla de Richard Dawkins una bibliografía final se hace superflua -las personas puristas dirán que eso es un "pecado" mortal en ciencias-. Yo personalmente disfruto cuando los libros carecen de esa pesada carga que a decir verdad casi nadie lee o consulta.
En suma: me quito el sombrero delante de Dawkins. Revisaré mis prejuicios sobre sus textos e intentare leer con otros ojos el puñado de libros suyos que tengo en mi biblioteca sin leer.
Tenía mis reservas para comenzar a leer este libro. Richard Dawkins, su autor, es un reconocido biólogo evolutivo, divulgador de la biología, polemista y autor de libros, programas y conferencias contra las religiones y todas las formas de superstición. Ya había leído previamente dos libros de Dawkins y, si bien es un autor original responsable de algunas ideas fuera del molde en su disciplina, además de un crítico y polemista brillante, su prosa nunca termino de atraparme y al contrario es pesada y difícil de seguir. Como decimos en Colombia, enreda un saludo.
Pero en este libro me tope con un Richard Dawkins muy diferente. Uno capaz de transmitir de manera clara y amena conceptos complejos de biología, física y tecnología, mientras narra algunas anécdotas o se permite uno que otro chistecito.
Aunque no es necesario profundizar -para eso está la descripción del libro en la contraportada- "La fantasía de volar" es un libro sobre todas las formas posibles que ha encontrado la vida y la tecnología de Homo sapiens para despegarse del suelo. No solamente el vuelo, que es una de las modalidades descubiertas varias veces por la evolución de la vida en la Tierra, en insectos, reptiles, mamíferos, por supuesto aves, pero también por las plantas -¡así como lo oyen!. Dawkins nos lleva por un viaje de descubrimiento de animales saltadores, corredores, brincadores, escaladores y hasta "flotadores".
¡Que viaje!
Como era de esperarse, los comentarios de Dawkins sobre la evolución del vuelo son maravillosos, tremendamente ilustrativos de los mecanismos de la evolución y están llenos de datos curiosos. ¿Sabían por ejemplo que algunas personas en biología especulan que las alas de los insectos podrían haber surgido primero como "paneles solares"? ¿O que el vuelo en las aves pudo surgir como una adaptación para subir por pendientes cada vez más empinadas huyendo quizás de depredadores? ¿O que nuestro cuerpo conserva una memoria genética para la creación de membranas interdigitales -las que usan por ejemplo los patos para nadar, pero que se han desarrollado en murciélagos hasta constituir sus alas- que aparecen durante el desarrollo del embrión humano, pero son eliminados -en la inmensa mayoría de los casos durante el desarrollo del feto-?
Y esta es la punta del Iceberg de buena ciencia que hay en este libro.
El texto es fácil de leer, es relativamente corto porque, al menos la edición de Ariel que tuve el placer de leer, esta profusa y bellamente ilustrada, y las ilustraciones están en algunos casos entre los párrafos, lo que hace que un libro que tiene 290 páginas en realidad se lea como uno de 200. el nivel del texto y de las explicaciones es bastante general como para que pueda ser leído por personas que trabajamos en ciencias, así como por personas sin un conocimiento o interés particular por ellas. Esto lo hace un excelente regalo.
Me impresiono -gratamente- que el texto no tuviera una sección de referencias bibliográficas. Imagino que cuando eres un autor de la talla de Richard Dawkins una bibliografía final se hace superflua -las personas puristas dirán que eso es un "pecado" mortal en ciencias-. Yo personalmente disfruto cuando los libros carecen de esa pesada carga que a decir verdad casi nadie lee o consulta.
En suma: me quito el sombrero delante de Dawkins. Revisaré mis prejuicios sobre sus textos e intentare leer con otros ojos el puñado de libros suyos que tengo en mi biblioteca sin leer.
December 11, 2022
It could have been titled The Extended Book Chapter, as Dawkins said the flight portion of The Magic of Reality was too complex to condense for that book. And indeed it does feel like a continuation of that project. For my part, I am far more interested in the evolutionary and biological aspects of flight than a primary focus on the mechanics or physics, so I did gloss over the heavily human parts (i.e. airplanes!), but the book is still a nice overview of lots of facts without much of any particular deep diving (but leaves the reader with plenty more to think about). It is geared toward late middle school or high school aged readers, I think, and I am hoping my nephew will enjoy it.
The illustrations are superb.
The illustrations are superb.
December 8, 2021
Great book on how species evolved flight and how humans learned to fly through design. Great illustrations and writing make this a great book on flight and the evolution of flying.
December 28, 2024
The book is a perfect one for any first time reader who wants to read Dawkins. Agreeably this is one of his shortest works but I still liked it very much. Dawkins has tried to focus on flight and weaves a narrative around this very concept. He tries to incorporate various ideas related to flight and hence sometimes it looks like factoids compiled together.
I like the illustrations very much. It sort of makes it a very engaging and interesting read. Well I also managed to get it signed from Dawkins so of course it remains a special read irrespective of other considerations.
I like the illustrations very much. It sort of makes it a very engaging and interesting read. Well I also managed to get it signed from Dawkins so of course it remains a special read irrespective of other considerations.
November 11, 2022
Flights of Fancy would be an excellent introduction to Dawkins to a first time reader. It's an excellent, succinct, and to-the-point book about the history of flight (and gliding) in the animal kingdom, including the relatively short history of human flight. He even touches on how plants use air currents to spread their seeds and pollinate.
While relatively short by Dawkins' standards, less than five hours in audio divided in to short chapters, the book is packed with a ton of great biological information and interesting observations, all read to you by the world's preeminent evolutionary biologist. As always his prose is smooth and satisfying, and he manages to sprinkle some humor in here and there for good measure. When it comes right down to it, it's really amazing that animals can fly so efficiently considering the amount of energy required and physical traits needed to overcome the Earth's gravity.
After looking at the previews of the Kindle and print additions I regret not buying the physical version of the book. The illustrations are fantastic and numerous. I'll have to spend a lunch hour at Barnes and Noble with it to take them all in.
Richard is 81 now and I hope he has some more books in him. I've seen him speak in person twice, in Rochester MN and Dallas. My wife and I flew to Dallas in 2018 and bought the meet and greet passes for his appearance with the great Carolyn Porco. It was a thrill for me to chat with him and get a picture of the two of us. He is one of humanity's brightest minds.
While relatively short by Dawkins' standards, less than five hours in audio divided in to short chapters, the book is packed with a ton of great biological information and interesting observations, all read to you by the world's preeminent evolutionary biologist. As always his prose is smooth and satisfying, and he manages to sprinkle some humor in here and there for good measure. When it comes right down to it, it's really amazing that animals can fly so efficiently considering the amount of energy required and physical traits needed to overcome the Earth's gravity.
After looking at the previews of the Kindle and print additions I regret not buying the physical version of the book. The illustrations are fantastic and numerous. I'll have to spend a lunch hour at Barnes and Noble with it to take them all in.
Richard is 81 now and I hope he has some more books in him. I've seen him speak in person twice, in Rochester MN and Dallas. My wife and I flew to Dallas in 2018 and bought the meet and greet passes for his appearance with the great Carolyn Porco. It was a thrill for me to chat with him and get a picture of the two of us. He is one of humanity's brightest minds.
January 29, 2022
This book was a lot of fun (don't be fooled by reading time... I read slower in the winter).
So starting out: Dawkins had an illustrator on board! And the images in this book were pretty darn delightful. For the first time, I missed having an Amazon Fire Kindle because the colors were also really nice.
Onto the content, this is just a topic that appeals to me as much as the author. Flight and the evolution of flight is just a great topic (side note: Flying Dinosaurs: How Fearsome Reptiles Became Birds was a book I really enjoyed). Dawkins basically travels through all of the ways humans, animals, and plants achieve flight, ending with the evolution and future of flight.
I always enjoy the animal aspects of it, like comparing bat flight to bird flight and pterosaur flight. There are also reasons to fly, limits to flight (being small helps), and how animals and planes fly. I actually even enjoyed the man-made flight examples, especially the aeronauts. Hot air balloons are just kind of cool to me. I hope to fly in one, one day...
All of the chapters are really short and palatable. It's not the most dense book of Dawkins, but a lovely little read. Recommended.
So starting out: Dawkins had an illustrator on board! And the images in this book were pretty darn delightful. For the first time, I missed having an Amazon Fire Kindle because the colors were also really nice.
Onto the content, this is just a topic that appeals to me as much as the author. Flight and the evolution of flight is just a great topic (side note: Flying Dinosaurs: How Fearsome Reptiles Became Birds was a book I really enjoyed). Dawkins basically travels through all of the ways humans, animals, and plants achieve flight, ending with the evolution and future of flight.
I always enjoy the animal aspects of it, like comparing bat flight to bird flight and pterosaur flight. There are also reasons to fly, limits to flight (being small helps), and how animals and planes fly. I actually even enjoyed the man-made flight examples, especially the aeronauts. Hot air balloons are just kind of cool to me. I hope to fly in one, one day...
All of the chapters are really short and palatable. It's not the most dense book of Dawkins, but a lovely little read. Recommended.
Read
April 18, 2023No rating. DNF
Too much meandering.
Too much meandering.
October 2, 2023
A lot of great factoids in this one but not one of my favourites of Dawkins’ books. Usually his books tie different subjects together (biology, some physics, art and philosophy) this one seems to be very specific to flight and the physics of flight, jumping from creature to creature with never-failing-to-interest facts that might save your butt at trivia night one day.
The book was very beautifully illustrated and definitely worth a spot on my bookshelf.
The book was very beautifully illustrated and definitely worth a spot on my bookshelf.
October 17, 2023
Entretenido ensayo en el que, a través de conceptos relacionados con la biología, la fisiología, la ingeniería y, por supuesto, con la evolución, Dawkins nos intenta contar cómo la vida conquistó en varias ocasiones el ecosistema aéreo y cómo se ha desarrollado el 'milagro', la fantasía de poder volar. El libro tiene abundantes ilustraciones que ayudan, en algunas ocasiones, a entender mejor el texto y en otras a adornarlo. Sin embargo, me parece que el conjunto es escaso, creo que se le podía haber sacado más jugo a cada uno de los aspectos que toca, que podía haber hecho un texto más profundo; además, parece deslavazado, trata de la fantasía de volar, pero toca otros temas que quizá deberían estar en otro libro, como si se quedara sin saber por dónde llevar el capítulo de turno y se pusiera a escribir para rellenar. No digo que lo que escribe sea poco interesante, es que no sé por qué está ahí. Le he puesto tres estrellas, pero quizá sean tres y media.
October 31, 2023
Українського читача в 2023 насторожить присвята книги маску, але першовидання було в 2021 🥴
Вважаю, що мені пощастило придбати цю книгу саме в папері: в аудіоформаті книга могла б стати колекцією дещо розрізнених фактів про найрізноманітніші види польоту, в папері ж це неймовірно гарне видання із естетичними та доповнюючими ілюстраціями, яке запрошує читача фантазувати разом над способами здолання гравітації.
Вважаю, що мені пощастило придбати цю книгу саме в папері: в аудіоформаті книга могла б стати колекцією дещо розрізнених фактів про найрізноманітніші види польоту, в папері ж це неймовірно гарне видання із естетичними та доповнюючими ілюстраціями, яке запрошує читача фантазувати разом над способами здолання гравітації.
June 25, 2024
Цікава книжка з купою дуже красивих ілюстрацій на майже кожній сторінці. Насолода для очей! Я вражена, що отаку! (гарний папір, кольоровий друк) книжку у нас переклали і видали. ❤️🪽❤️
PS. Папір у книги схожий на папір брошур свідків єгови, і стиль картинок такий же приємний, от тільки з трохи іншими акцентами 🤗
PS. Папір у книги схожий на папір брошур свідків єгови, і стиль картинок такий же приємний, от тільки з трохи іншими акцентами 🤗
April 10, 2023
alustuseks selline huvitav fakt, et kuulus evolutsioonibioloog on selle raamatu pühendanud mehele, kes lubas Marsi koloniseerida, aga nüüd veedab oma päevi sotsiaalmeediaplatvormi mikromanageerides.
raamat ise on muidu hea. kõige rohkem tahtsin, aga samas kartsin lugeda, kas ja mida kirjutab Dawkins selle kohta, kuidas lennukid õhus püsivad. ma nimelt olen seda teemat piisavalt palju uurinud, et teada, mis selgitused ei ole õiged (aga on ahvatlevalt lihtsad, nii et inimesed kipuvad õnge minema), ja et mitte enam loota õiget JA arusaadavat JA ammendavat seletust. Dawkins läbis mu testi ses mõttes kenasti, et valesti ei seletanud ja nentis ka, et õige seletus ongi nii keeruline, et sellest arusaamiseks normaalse inimese füüsika- ja matemaatikateadmistest ei piisa. ja siis andis... lihtsa, mitteammendava, aga vähemalt mittevale seletuse.
huvitavaid asju sain teada ka lindude, putukate ja taimede lennuomadustest ja siis veel ühtteist maailma lennundusajaloost (nt ma ei teadnud, et üks õnnetu jalgrattur ikkagi suutis napilt ühe lennumasina üle La Manche'i väina pedaalida täitsa minu eluajal). sain teada, kui suured tiivad peaks inglitel olema, et nad lennata suudaks, ja hämmastavaid asju kirpudest. ja ei saanud päris kindlalt teada, miks ikkagi kormoranid tiibu kuivatavad, sest Dawkins ütleb, et kõik ornitoloogid ei ole ses osas ühel nõul.
pildid olid muidugi ka ilusad.
raamat ise on muidu hea. kõige rohkem tahtsin, aga samas kartsin lugeda, kas ja mida kirjutab Dawkins selle kohta, kuidas lennukid õhus püsivad. ma nimelt olen seda teemat piisavalt palju uurinud, et teada, mis selgitused ei ole õiged (aga on ahvatlevalt lihtsad, nii et inimesed kipuvad õnge minema), ja et mitte enam loota õiget JA arusaadavat JA ammendavat seletust. Dawkins läbis mu testi ses mõttes kenasti, et valesti ei seletanud ja nentis ka, et õige seletus ongi nii keeruline, et sellest arusaamiseks normaalse inimese füüsika- ja matemaatikateadmistest ei piisa. ja siis andis... lihtsa, mitteammendava, aga vähemalt mittevale seletuse.
huvitavaid asju sain teada ka lindude, putukate ja taimede lennuomadustest ja siis veel ühtteist maailma lennundusajaloost (nt ma ei teadnud, et üks õnnetu jalgrattur ikkagi suutis napilt ühe lennumasina üle La Manche'i väina pedaalida täitsa minu eluajal). sain teada, kui suured tiivad peaks inglitel olema, et nad lennata suudaks, ja hämmastavaid asju kirpudest. ja ei saanud päris kindlalt teada, miks ikkagi kormoranid tiibu kuivatavad, sest Dawkins ütleb, et kõik ornitoloogid ei ole ses osas ühel nõul.
pildid olid muidugi ka ilusad.
December 27, 2022
Did you know that when a hornet invades a colony of bees that the bees gather around the hornet, rub their tummies together to cause the temperature to rise to 47C and then that heat kills the invading hornet? No, me neither. What a guy!! 🐝
February 9, 2024
Es un hecho: A Richard Dawkins o lo amas, o lo odias. Es un sujeto que suele despertar todos los ánimos entre los creyentes y los ateos sin importar si lo han leído o no. Pero lejos de eso, Dawkins es uno de los biólogos evolutivos más importantes del mundo y un referente actual de la divulgación científica, campo que vuelve a cosechar en esta, su Fantasía de volar.
A lo largo de 15 capítulos Dawkins hace un recorrido por las maneras de volar que han descubierto los humanos y otros animales. Intenta dilucidar los beneficios de volar dentro del reino animal, los orígenes evolutivos de las alas y del vuelo en diversos grupos, la coevolución y el vuelo, el planeo, el vuelo propulsado y la ingravidez. Todas estas cuestiones abordadas con el mismo nivel de detalle en los humanos y los otros animales que han logrado volar.
Para mí fue una sorpresa encontrarme con este libro, pues hace al menos una década que Dawkins no publicaba nada que abordara temas biológicos. Así que obviamente lo quería leer pronto. Cuando lo pude hojear, me llevé tamaña sorpresa al descubrir que el libro viene ilustrado y que la diagramación del libro ha buscado incluir de forma muy orgánica las ilustraciones entre el texto, dándole un nivel más alto al resultado final.
Es un libro lleno de datos fascinantes sobre el vuelo. Y cuando hablo de vuelo, lo digo en todo el sentido extenso de la palabra, pues Dawkins habla con la misma propiedad de los órganos voladores de los demás animales, como de las mil y una máquinas que los humanos han inventado a lo largo de su historia con el fin de vencer a la gravedad.
Es un libro lleno de referencias a la cultura y con muchos datos, que no siempre hilan muy bien entre ellos, pero que son una joyita por sí solos. Naturalmente, no es un libro para aprender a volar, pero sí da ideas sobre el papel fundamental que ha jugado el movimiento para la vida en el planeta. Es un libro para asombrarse, para contemplar con otros ojos y dejarse de nuevo sorprender por la fascinante aventura que es volar, así hoy día nos parezca lo más común en nuestras vidas.
Y como era de esperarse, en La fantasía de volar, Dawkins saca a relucir sus conocimientos evolutivos para zanjar un par de ideas creacionistas que aún pululan en nuestros días y que siguen haciendo tanto mal a diario. Es un libro que también tiene el humor tan fino de él y que me sacó un par de carcajadas en los lugares más imprevistos.
Dos ideas que me dejó muy latente el libro: “Somos por nuestros antepasados”, así suene tonto, es primera vez que pienso en el sentido evolutivo del asunto. El papel fundamental de la apoptosis —o, muerte celular programada— durante el desarrollo embrionario. Seguro si tienen la oportunidad de leerse el libro se van a detener un momento a mirarse sus manos.
Sin duda, La fantasía de volar hará las delicias de cualquier apasionado por el vuelo, por la evolución, por la física o por la tecnología. ¡Es un libro con mucho por decir!
Nota: Tuve la inmensa fortuna de leer el libro mientras surcaba los cielos rumbo a pasar uno de los mejores fines de semana que he tenido en los últimos tiempos. Y la verdad, no cambio por nada la sensación de leer un libro sobre el vuelo, mientras iba surcando los cielos.
A lo largo de 15 capítulos Dawkins hace un recorrido por las maneras de volar que han descubierto los humanos y otros animales. Intenta dilucidar los beneficios de volar dentro del reino animal, los orígenes evolutivos de las alas y del vuelo en diversos grupos, la coevolución y el vuelo, el planeo, el vuelo propulsado y la ingravidez. Todas estas cuestiones abordadas con el mismo nivel de detalle en los humanos y los otros animales que han logrado volar.
Para mí fue una sorpresa encontrarme con este libro, pues hace al menos una década que Dawkins no publicaba nada que abordara temas biológicos. Así que obviamente lo quería leer pronto. Cuando lo pude hojear, me llevé tamaña sorpresa al descubrir que el libro viene ilustrado y que la diagramación del libro ha buscado incluir de forma muy orgánica las ilustraciones entre el texto, dándole un nivel más alto al resultado final.
Es un libro lleno de datos fascinantes sobre el vuelo. Y cuando hablo de vuelo, lo digo en todo el sentido extenso de la palabra, pues Dawkins habla con la misma propiedad de los órganos voladores de los demás animales, como de las mil y una máquinas que los humanos han inventado a lo largo de su historia con el fin de vencer a la gravedad.
Es un libro lleno de referencias a la cultura y con muchos datos, que no siempre hilan muy bien entre ellos, pero que son una joyita por sí solos. Naturalmente, no es un libro para aprender a volar, pero sí da ideas sobre el papel fundamental que ha jugado el movimiento para la vida en el planeta. Es un libro para asombrarse, para contemplar con otros ojos y dejarse de nuevo sorprender por la fascinante aventura que es volar, así hoy día nos parezca lo más común en nuestras vidas.
Y como era de esperarse, en La fantasía de volar, Dawkins saca a relucir sus conocimientos evolutivos para zanjar un par de ideas creacionistas que aún pululan en nuestros días y que siguen haciendo tanto mal a diario. Es un libro que también tiene el humor tan fino de él y que me sacó un par de carcajadas en los lugares más imprevistos.
Dos ideas que me dejó muy latente el libro: “Somos por nuestros antepasados”, así suene tonto, es primera vez que pienso en el sentido evolutivo del asunto. El papel fundamental de la apoptosis —o, muerte celular programada— durante el desarrollo embrionario. Seguro si tienen la oportunidad de leerse el libro se van a detener un momento a mirarse sus manos.
Sin duda, La fantasía de volar hará las delicias de cualquier apasionado por el vuelo, por la evolución, por la física o por la tecnología. ¡Es un libro con mucho por decir!
Nota: Tuve la inmensa fortuna de leer el libro mientras surcaba los cielos rumbo a pasar uno de los mejores fines de semana que he tenido en los últimos tiempos. Y la verdad, no cambio por nada la sensación de leer un libro sobre el vuelo, mientras iba surcando los cielos.
July 28, 2024
Mixed, very mixed.
I’m generally ignorant of the Life Sciences but, usually at my biologist sister’s prompting, I have dabbled with reading some popular science in this field. I believe it to be the science of the future, far surpassing the future value of Physics, for example. And some Dawkins books have greatly impressed me; The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design; Climbing Mount Improbable.
But this is more bitty. A collection of observations about why creatures have evolved the ability to fly, to glide, even extended hops, but collected together in a disjointed way, I thought. Almost more like distinct episodes from a David Attenborough TV documentary. It didn’t grip me with a unifying narrative, which probably isn’t there anyway, and skipped through a lot of facts about the differing ways animals, plants and humans can take to the air. Powered flight, and its high energy expenditure where it can be justified for an animals benefit, is a most amazing feature that nature has evolved but it occupied only a limited part of this book.
I liked that the author didn’t overdo similarities between the powered flight humanity has engineered and nature’s choices - there’s limited overlap which he also discusses. As a former aerospace engineer my profession admired the manoeuvrability of most birds but it’s often deliberately unstable flight and wouldn’t suit the tastes of most travellers who like straight and steady - and safe!
One of the more interesting chapters, though tangential to flight, covered ‘plant flight’ really meaning seed dispersal. Less interesting and out of place, I thought, was flight via balloons, which the author points out isn’t something nature has used (excepting swim bladders in fish), and just gave the excuse for historical anecdotes on balloons and airships.
And although I’m not an expert I think there’s a mistake that jumped out at me. Almost heresy to say it about this author! He states several times that all vertebrates that use powered fight (not gliders) have hollow bones and he included bats, the only mammals that have powered flight, in that category. I’m sure I’d heard different for bats, and I triple checked, quadruple checked, different sources online and they were unanimous in declaring bats to have solid, mammal, bones different from birds. Flimsy, light, but solid. As opposed to hollowed out, though stiffened, bird bones which evolved differently in any case to include air sacs for efficient breathing, probably before flight for them evolved, and something only they and dinosaurs share.
The author has been developing some tendencies as a grumpy old man, which I sometimes see in acquaintances of my age too. I just hope that’s not a sign that he’s lost his touch as a good science populariser.
Strange dedication to Elon Musk too, because it appears the author thinks Musk’s plan for a ‘bolt hole’ for humanity on Mars, an insurance against future catastrophe on Earth, is a good idea?!
Torn between 3* and 4*.
I’m generally ignorant of the Life Sciences but, usually at my biologist sister’s prompting, I have dabbled with reading some popular science in this field. I believe it to be the science of the future, far surpassing the future value of Physics, for example. And some Dawkins books have greatly impressed me; The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design; Climbing Mount Improbable.
But this is more bitty. A collection of observations about why creatures have evolved the ability to fly, to glide, even extended hops, but collected together in a disjointed way, I thought. Almost more like distinct episodes from a David Attenborough TV documentary. It didn’t grip me with a unifying narrative, which probably isn’t there anyway, and skipped through a lot of facts about the differing ways animals, plants and humans can take to the air. Powered flight, and its high energy expenditure where it can be justified for an animals benefit, is a most amazing feature that nature has evolved but it occupied only a limited part of this book.
I liked that the author didn’t overdo similarities between the powered flight humanity has engineered and nature’s choices - there’s limited overlap which he also discusses. As a former aerospace engineer my profession admired the manoeuvrability of most birds but it’s often deliberately unstable flight and wouldn’t suit the tastes of most travellers who like straight and steady - and safe!
One of the more interesting chapters, though tangential to flight, covered ‘plant flight’ really meaning seed dispersal. Less interesting and out of place, I thought, was flight via balloons, which the author points out isn’t something nature has used (excepting swim bladders in fish), and just gave the excuse for historical anecdotes on balloons and airships.
And although I’m not an expert I think there’s a mistake that jumped out at me. Almost heresy to say it about this author! He states several times that all vertebrates that use powered fight (not gliders) have hollow bones and he included bats, the only mammals that have powered flight, in that category. I’m sure I’d heard different for bats, and I triple checked, quadruple checked, different sources online and they were unanimous in declaring bats to have solid, mammal, bones different from birds. Flimsy, light, but solid. As opposed to hollowed out, though stiffened, bird bones which evolved differently in any case to include air sacs for efficient breathing, probably before flight for them evolved, and something only they and dinosaurs share.
The author has been developing some tendencies as a grumpy old man, which I sometimes see in acquaintances of my age too. I just hope that’s not a sign that he’s lost his touch as a good science populariser.
Strange dedication to Elon Musk too, because it appears the author thinks Musk’s plan for a ‘bolt hole’ for humanity on Mars, an insurance against future catastrophe on Earth, is a good idea?!
Torn between 3* and 4*.
April 10, 2023
I received this book for review a while back but never got around to it till now. No particular reason for that, just busy. However we are studying flight this month in our homeschool so I thought it was the perfect time for me to review the book.
This is a beautiful book about flight with colour illustrations. The book covers flight in animals as well as man-made contraptions.
Chapter headings are: Dreams of Flying, What is Flight Good For?, If Flying is So Great Why do some animals lose their wings?, Flying is easy if you are small, if you must be large and fly increase your surface area out of proportion, unpowered flight parachuting and gliding, powered flight and how it works, powered flight in animals, be lighter than air, weightlessness, aerial plankton, wings for plants, differences between evolved and designed flying machines, what is the use of half a wing, the outward urge beyond flying.
As you can see from the headings, different types of flight are discussed. I marked many pages to read from or show illustrations from during our flight unit. It’s a great resource for homeschooling but it’s also just plain interesting. I would never have thought to read a book about flight but I found it intriguing.
If you love learning about science including animals, this is a great book to learn about how animals and people fly.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is a beautiful book about flight with colour illustrations. The book covers flight in animals as well as man-made contraptions.
Chapter headings are: Dreams of Flying, What is Flight Good For?, If Flying is So Great Why do some animals lose their wings?, Flying is easy if you are small, if you must be large and fly increase your surface area out of proportion, unpowered flight parachuting and gliding, powered flight and how it works, powered flight in animals, be lighter than air, weightlessness, aerial plankton, wings for plants, differences between evolved and designed flying machines, what is the use of half a wing, the outward urge beyond flying.
As you can see from the headings, different types of flight are discussed. I marked many pages to read from or show illustrations from during our flight unit. It’s a great resource for homeschooling but it’s also just plain interesting. I would never have thought to read a book about flight but I found it intriguing.
If you love learning about science including animals, this is a great book to learn about how animals and people fly.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
December 11, 2024
Czy wiedzieliście, że:
motyle nocne i nietoperze prowadzą między sobą wyścig zbrojeń?
Skrzydła części motyli z grupy ciem pokrywają łuski rezonujące z ultradźwiękami wydawanymi przez nietoperze?
U niektórych gatunków mrówek królowa odgryza sobie skrzydła po tym, gdy zostaną już wykorzystane?
Wieloryby pochodzą w linii prostej od zwierząt parzystokopytnych, a w Australii występowały niegdyś ptaki nazywane demonicznymi kaczkami zagłady?
Ja nie wiedziałam i dużo radości sprawiło mi poznawanie tych i wielu innych ciekawostek związanych z lataniem.
“Na skrzydłach wyobraźni” to fascynujące połączenie opowieści o naturze, ludzkich odkryciach i zdobyczach technologicznych.
A wszystko to po to, by zyskać zdolność oderwania się od ziemi.
Richard Dawkins (możecie kojarzyć go z takich tytułów jak “samolubny gen” czy “bóg urojony”) bierze na warsztat wszelkie procesy obliczone na to, żeby pokonać grawitację.
ta pełna niesamowitych ciekawostek książka, to lekki i przyjemny w odbiorze przewodnik po tym, jak rozmaite istoty w toku ewolucji radziły sobie z lataniem, jak człowiek próbował odbić się od ziemi i jakie wynalazki ostatecznie mu to umożliwiły.
znajdziemy tu opowieści o nietoperzach, sępach, kiwi, dinozaurach, Leonardo da Vinci i storczykach.
To wieloaspektowy, barwny i wciągający hołd dla pragnienia (lub potrzeby) latania.
No i do tego piękne ilustracje!
motyle nocne i nietoperze prowadzą między sobą wyścig zbrojeń?
Skrzydła części motyli z grupy ciem pokrywają łuski rezonujące z ultradźwiękami wydawanymi przez nietoperze?
U niektórych gatunków mrówek królowa odgryza sobie skrzydła po tym, gdy zostaną już wykorzystane?
Wieloryby pochodzą w linii prostej od zwierząt parzystokopytnych, a w Australii występowały niegdyś ptaki nazywane demonicznymi kaczkami zagłady?
Ja nie wiedziałam i dużo radości sprawiło mi poznawanie tych i wielu innych ciekawostek związanych z lataniem.
“Na skrzydłach wyobraźni” to fascynujące połączenie opowieści o naturze, ludzkich odkryciach i zdobyczach technologicznych.
A wszystko to po to, by zyskać zdolność oderwania się od ziemi.
Richard Dawkins (możecie kojarzyć go z takich tytułów jak “samolubny gen” czy “bóg urojony”) bierze na warsztat wszelkie procesy obliczone na to, żeby pokonać grawitację.
ta pełna niesamowitych ciekawostek książka, to lekki i przyjemny w odbiorze przewodnik po tym, jak rozmaite istoty w toku ewolucji radziły sobie z lataniem, jak człowiek próbował odbić się od ziemi i jakie wynalazki ostatecznie mu to umożliwiły.
znajdziemy tu opowieści o nietoperzach, sępach, kiwi, dinozaurach, Leonardo da Vinci i storczykach.
To wieloaspektowy, barwny i wciągający hołd dla pragnienia (lub potrzeby) latania.
No i do tego piękne ilustracje!
March 30, 2025
Thank goodness I’m in a book club because I never would have read this book! Enjoyable and thought-provoking.
One star removed because the editor effed up the formatting. This paperback is a smaller version of the hardback. While reading it I started noticing weird hyphenations in words that should not have been hyphenated. It was as if the hyphenated word in the middle of a sentence was really at the end of the sentence.
Another person in our book club has the larger version and that’s it. The text was hard-formatted for the larger edition and when it was scaled down to the smaller edition, nobody bothered to check it.
Srsly? I mean, wtf?
It’s a wonderful book. But those moments snap me out of the book. Like catching a modern-branded coffee mug in a period-piece movie or series set in a mythical place where these things don’t exist.
One star removed because the editor effed up the formatting. This paperback is a smaller version of the hardback. While reading it I started noticing weird hyphenations in words that should not have been hyphenated. It was as if the hyphenated word in the middle of a sentence was really at the end of the sentence.
Another person in our book club has the larger version and that’s it. The text was hard-formatted for the larger edition and when it was scaled down to the smaller edition, nobody bothered to check it.
Srsly? I mean, wtf?
It’s a wonderful book. But those moments snap me out of the book. Like catching a modern-branded coffee mug in a period-piece movie or series set in a mythical place where these things don’t exist.
February 20, 2023
Vean kihla, et sellest saab FB lugemise väljakutse veebruarikuu kõige populaarsem raamat, seda tänu teaduskirjanduse lugemise väljakutsele. Kui seal päris mitmes arvustuses kirjutati, et loeti peaaegu ühe hooga läbi, siis mina võtsin just vastupidi rahulikult aega. Iga päev peatükike, nii et lugemist jätkus kohe mitmeks nädalaks. On tõesti põhjalik ja lugejasõbralik ülevaade lendamise olemusest ja ajaloost ning seda nii looduse kui ka inimleiutiste osas. Sain teada päris palju toredaid asju, kuigi seda peatükki, kus lennuki õhuspüsimist selgitati, lugesin vist liiga väsinud peaga ja vaatamata sellele, et olen seda üritanud endale ka varem selgeks teha, siis puust ja punaseks selgekssaamist ikka veel pole. Pildid olid ka muidugi klass omaette, alates kolossaalsetest õõvalindudest (nimi on tore, aga sarnaselt autorile on veidi hea meel, et nemad välja surnud on) ja lõpetades numpsikute kapibaaradega, keda küll ka pärismaailmas kohata võiks. Igal juhul võiks selliseid raamatuid rohkem olla.
April 10, 2023
This was a palate cleanser audiobook.
There were, as you would expect, lots and lots of facts about birds and flying. There were also lots and lots of interesting tidbits about evolution, man-made flight, the development of the science of flying and how to explain to creationists why and how evolution is real.
I did get a bit distracted now and again, but I blame my busy mind more than the book. It was enough to keep me entertained while doing the dishes and the housework.
Would recommend if you’re a person that finds things in life to be generally interesting and likes having new facts to throw at your friends.
There were, as you would expect, lots and lots of facts about birds and flying. There were also lots and lots of interesting tidbits about evolution, man-made flight, the development of the science of flying and how to explain to creationists why and how evolution is real.
I did get a bit distracted now and again, but I blame my busy mind more than the book. It was enough to keep me entertained while doing the dishes and the housework.
Would recommend if you’re a person that finds things in life to be generally interesting and likes having new facts to throw at your friends.
March 11, 2023
A very good overview of the different ways animals and insects have evolved the different methods of flight. It has some great illustrations along the way which make the reading of it much smoother. Dawkins also has an almost conversational way of writing that adds to the entertainment.
It is probably aimed at a lay audience rather than the science/Biology audience who may find the common explanations of natural selection a little tiring to continue going over during the book, but this is only a small drawback. Overall, this is another worthwhile addition to my Dawkins library.
It is probably aimed at a lay audience rather than the science/Biology audience who may find the common explanations of natural selection a little tiring to continue going over during the book, but this is only a small drawback. Overall, this is another worthwhile addition to my Dawkins library.
August 6, 2024
Excelente obra sobre la evolución del vuelo en dónde pasamos de la biología a la física, mecánica e incluso el espacio. Porque volar es un mecanismo evolutivo que ha permitido a muchas especies poder prosperar para alcanzar una mayor propagación de sus genes, alimento, pareja etc. Incluso nosotros hemos empleado el vuelo para prosperar a través de la tecnología. Creo que otra cosa que destacar del libro es como el autor expresa sus ideas y la información de manera amena que no te cuesta mucho entender aunque no seas un experto en la materia.
Un libro 100% recomendado...
Un libro 100% recomendado...
August 12, 2023
A captivating book, written in Dawkins’s easy-to-understand manner and accompanied by beautiful drawings and images to explain the animals and concepts.
At several times I was awestruck at the information contained in this book, including how birds navigate, how animals and humans use thermals, the astonishing interactions between orchids and wasps, and the terrifying ‘flying’ snake (which I had to YouTube to believe, and ohh no no no).
Beautiful and captivating - an awe-inspiring book to own!
At several times I was awestruck at the information contained in this book, including how birds navigate, how animals and humans use thermals, the astonishing interactions between orchids and wasps, and the terrifying ‘flying’ snake (which I had to YouTube to believe, and ohh no no no).
Beautiful and captivating - an awe-inspiring book to own!
August 21, 2022
I loved this exploration of flight in all its forms. It's a hummingbird of a book - delightfully dazzling as it flits logically from one tasty morsel to another (pterodactyl fingers, birds and bees, stealth bats, why statues of angels are wrong, the oscillating engine of the humble midge, what squirrel's tails are for and the physics and evolutionary biology of wings, both real and manufactured)… but is only the size it needs to be.
I enjoyed listening to Dawkins read it on the audio version - haven’t tried him before and found his writing extremely clear, concise and funnier by far than I’d expected - but the gorgeous illustrations in the hard copy mean I’m probably going to have to buy one!
I enjoyed listening to Dawkins read it on the audio version - haven’t tried him before and found his writing extremely clear, concise and funnier by far than I’d expected - but the gorgeous illustrations in the hard copy mean I’m probably going to have to buy one!
August 31, 2022
Such an interesting treatment of how nature and man have come up with ways to ‘defy gravity’ and fly. Everything from birds and bees to pterosaurs and the physics and evolution of wings. I read the audiobook so I may need to seek out the hardback to appreciate the illustrations.
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