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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I remember when I was a kid owning large format hardbacks books about natural history and astronomy with great photos and illustrations, published by companies like Reader's Digest and Time Life. They were books I could go back to over and over and were inspiring to my young mind. I think this book would have fitted in very well with them. I wish I'd had it then. It's a thing of beauty as well as being interesting and educational, with glossy pages with gorgeous illustrations. Highly recommended to adults and kids!
The audio version of this book is read by Richard Dawkins and some other Lalla Ward. This is mainly relevant because it meant that I got to spend 5 hours listening to British accents. =)
The book itself was good. Each chapter poses a question, gives some answers provided by traditional myths, and then talks about the real scientific answer. I'll lay out up front, that yes, Dawkins does use the Bible for some of his examples of myths, but except to the biblical literalists (especially of the Creationist variety), these are the parts of the Bible that are generally taken to have a mythical element.
Also, while I'm on the disclaimers, this book focuses on where Dawkins does best -- explaining science in a manner accessible to the lay reader -- but it does veer just a little into rantiness in one of the later chapters.
Moving along, the questions and answers presented in this book should be broadly familiar to anyone who had an retained a decent science education, but there was the occasional moment of "so that's how it works!" illumination. For me, one such moment was the explanation of why the angle of the earth relative to the sun makes such a difference in perceived temperature [1]. From an educational standpoint, I think that this would be a really great book to get for a high school student or even an advanced middle school student.
[1] When the sun hits the earth at a shallower angle, the same amount of solar energy is spread over a wider area, so the energy received per square inch is decreased.
The book itself was good. Each chapter poses a question, gives some answers provided by traditional myths, and then talks about the real scientific answer. I'll lay out up front, that yes, Dawkins does use the Bible for some of his examples of myths, but except to the biblical literalists (especially of the Creationist variety), these are the parts of the Bible that are generally taken to have a mythical element.
Also, while I'm on the disclaimers, this book focuses on where Dawkins does best -- explaining science in a manner accessible to the lay reader -- but it does veer just a little into rantiness in one of the later chapters.
Moving along, the questions and answers presented in this book should be broadly familiar to anyone who had an retained a decent science education, but there was the occasional moment of "so that's how it works!" illumination. For me, one such moment was the explanation of why the angle of the earth relative to the sun makes such a difference in perceived temperature [1]. From an educational standpoint, I think that this would be a really great book to get for a high school student or even an advanced middle school student.
[1] When the sun hits the earth at a shallower angle, the same amount of solar energy is spread over a wider area, so the energy received per square inch is decreased.
A nice introduction to science and a nice discussion of superstition and myth.
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I really like Dawkins’ style and approach. He explains the importance of science so well, and so clearly. I loved the chapter on Miracles.
A fun book with an easy approach which ambles along nicely. A little repetitive in a couple of places but a book everyone, especially youngsters, should read
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True is a science book written by renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, aimed at explaining complex scientific concepts to a general audience. The book explores a range of topics, from the Big Bang and evolution to quantum physics and genetics, and seeks to demystify these subjects by presenting them in an accessible and engaging way.
Dawkins draws on the latest scientific research and theories to explain how we know what we know about the world, and challenges common myths and misconceptions along the way. He also explores the role of science in society, and argues that a scientific worldview can provide a sense of wonder and meaning that rivals traditional religious beliefs.
Dawkins draws on the latest scientific research and theories to explain how we know what we know about the world, and challenges common myths and misconceptions along the way. He also explores the role of science in society, and argues that a scientific worldview can provide a sense of wonder and meaning that rivals traditional religious beliefs.