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A review by sarahrosebooks
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins
3.0
There are some good and bad points about this book. The good:
1. It's excellent for children (especially those interested in science or who just ask a lot of questions). I'd say from the age of 12 and up, because even though the language is easy to understand, a couple of the references wouldn't be appropriate for a child of a younger age.
2. It's clear and concise. Dawkins says what he wants to say and wastes no time in doing it. The questions at the beginning of each chapter usually lead to a summary of myths surrounding the question and then a scientific explanation in answer to it. It's good even for adults who are just starting out on the subject, or who have children and want to know what they're talking about when they bring their homework to them for help!
3. The subject matter - don't expect any pandering to religion here. This is Dawkins you're reading - anyone who knows even the slightest bit about this man will know that religion gets harsh treatment from him. It's no different here, even if it is less aggressive. Religious stories are treated as just that: stories. Fiction. If you are deeply religious then I'd suggest only reading this if you can take it and not get angry. You should know what you're getting into when you read someone like Dawkins, or if you are buying this for your child to read.
4. The illustrations are nice, but not really big enough in the paperback version. I don't even know if there was a hardback copy first. There's an advert for an app in the back of the paperback, which I believe is quite good. Plus, it's Dave McKean illustrating - if he did the app, too, then of course it will be good!
The bad:
1. The language is a little condescending, especially if you're an adult reading this.
2. It's not marketed very well! I had no idea that this was a book aimed at children until I actually started reading it. The reviews on the cover are mostly correct - it can be taken as a book for all ages. But the language is clearly aimed at children, and the subject matter, though not exactly dumbed down, is kept simplistic to a certain extent - it has to be for a book of this size.
1. It's excellent for children (especially those interested in science or who just ask a lot of questions). I'd say from the age of 12 and up, because even though the language is easy to understand, a couple of the references wouldn't be appropriate for a child of a younger age.
2. It's clear and concise. Dawkins says what he wants to say and wastes no time in doing it. The questions at the beginning of each chapter usually lead to a summary of myths surrounding the question and then a scientific explanation in answer to it. It's good even for adults who are just starting out on the subject, or who have children and want to know what they're talking about when they bring their homework to them for help!
3. The subject matter - don't expect any pandering to religion here. This is Dawkins you're reading - anyone who knows even the slightest bit about this man will know that religion gets harsh treatment from him. It's no different here, even if it is less aggressive. Religious stories are treated as just that: stories. Fiction. If you are deeply religious then I'd suggest only reading this if you can take it and not get angry. You should know what you're getting into when you read someone like Dawkins, or if you are buying this for your child to read.
4. The illustrations are nice, but not really big enough in the paperback version. I don't even know if there was a hardback copy first. There's an advert for an app in the back of the paperback, which I believe is quite good. Plus, it's Dave McKean illustrating - if he did the app, too, then of course it will be good!
The bad:
1. The language is a little condescending, especially if you're an adult reading this.
2. It's not marketed very well! I had no idea that this was a book aimed at children until I actually started reading it. The reviews on the cover are mostly correct - it can be taken as a book for all ages. But the language is clearly aimed at children, and the subject matter, though not exactly dumbed down, is kept simplistic to a certain extent - it has to be for a book of this size.