A review by artemishi
The Science of Witchcraft: The Truth Behind Sabrina, Maleficent, Glinda, and More of Your Favorite Fictional Witches by Kelly Florence, Meg Hafdahl

informative fast-paced

1.0

This book is incredibly mistitled and desperately needs an editor. It has nothing to do with the science of witchcraft, which might explore the topic of botany, mineral formation, altered states of consciousness, or a number of themes in most neo-Pagan practices. Instead, it's a tangential collection of science-based sound bytes loosely categorized around popular media with a witchcraft theme. For example, it starts with the Wizard of Oz and gives a very brief background on the role of the Wicked Witch of the West within the movie, and how Margaret Hamilton's portrayal shaped our modern perception of 'the evil witch'. But then it non-sequitors into whether a tornado can move a house and whether smelling poppy flowers can make you sleep, while neglecting to get into the actual science behind the phenomena. Lather, rinse, repeat in every single chapter, each one based around a different popular media witch story. 

These science factoids aren't held together by a common thread, often are general overview statements with no backing data, and each one is preceded with a banal question. For example: "Why do some people have a fear of getting older? A study found people view aging negatively and equate it with a decline in life. The study provided ways to address societal ageism. When the worry about getting older starts to affect your well-being, it becomes a diagnosable condition called gerascophobia. This can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy."

Both the repeated question phrasing and the very surface-level answers make this a book intended for audiences that are too young to grasp complex topics. Which is a shame, because the concept of exploring the science behind elements of witchcraft portrayed in popular media would be a fun one to read (and write, frankly), but the authors have instead presented a ramble. Every now and then, they throw in multi-page interviews with various people who might touch tangentially on the something related to the topic at hand, including the authors' own responses of "Wow! I didn't know that! That's very interesting."

Overall, a pretty awful stab at pop science. I'm gonna have to go read some Mary Roach to get the taste out of my brain.