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britineurope 's review for:
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
by Richard Dawkins
I did really like this book, however I gave it theee stars due to the amibuous nature of the narrative voice. I was unsure whether it was aimed at children, teenagers, adults or beginners of all kinds and that didn't sit well with me as I read.
Other than that Dawkins does a fantastic job of outlining first the mythical interpretations of phenomena or events. He makes very cogent links between the similarities across much myth systems to show how in different places and in different times fantastical explanations have been reached about rainbows for example or the sun. He then clearly dispells this with a scientific explanation that provides just the right level of knowledge to undertand for example how light is bent in raindrops to form rainbows rather than through breaking an egg at the beginning of time. He admits when there is a lack in his own knowledge and cleverly stops discussion from becoming too tehnical to ensure hos points are stream-lined and meaningful. Altogether a handy primer of basic scientific fact that refutes mythical and religious interpretation at its most ridiculous.
I felt that overall Dawkins did a good job of not ridiculing religious believers but gently showing them empirical evidence. The only real criticism I have (and area that I can speak with knowledge about) is that I thought his explanations of earthquakes was very flimsy and actually danced around the point, not really explaining earthquakes in any meaningful way. Whether this is the same for other points and I'm too scientifically ignorant to discern I can't say however.
Other than that Dawkins does a fantastic job of outlining first the mythical interpretations of phenomena or events. He makes very cogent links between the similarities across much myth systems to show how in different places and in different times fantastical explanations have been reached about rainbows for example or the sun. He then clearly dispells this with a scientific explanation that provides just the right level of knowledge to undertand for example how light is bent in raindrops to form rainbows rather than through breaking an egg at the beginning of time. He admits when there is a lack in his own knowledge and cleverly stops discussion from becoming too tehnical to ensure hos points are stream-lined and meaningful. Altogether a handy primer of basic scientific fact that refutes mythical and religious interpretation at its most ridiculous.
I felt that overall Dawkins did a good job of not ridiculing religious believers but gently showing them empirical evidence. The only real criticism I have (and area that I can speak with knowledge about) is that I thought his explanations of earthquakes was very flimsy and actually danced around the point, not really explaining earthquakes in any meaningful way. Whether this is the same for other points and I'm too scientifically ignorant to discern I can't say however.