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The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True Audiobook
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(4.00) - 4,224 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
An elegant, text-only paperback edition of the New York Times bestseller that’s been hailed as the definitive authority on…everything.
Richard Dawkins, bestselling author and the world’s most celebrated evolutionary biologist, has spent his career elucidating the many wonders of science. Here, he takes a broader approach and uses his unrivaled explanatory powers to illuminate the ways in which the world really works. Filled with clever thought experiments and jaw-dropping facts, The Magic of Reality explains a stunningly wide range of natural phenomena: How old is the universe? Why do the continents look like disconnected pieces of a jigsaw puzzle? What causes tsunamis? Why are there so many kinds of plants and animals? Who was the first man, or woman? Starting with the magical, mythical explanations for the wonders of nature, Dawkins reveals the exhilarating scientific truths behind these occurrences. This is a page-turning detective story that not only mines all the sciences for its clues but primes the reader to think like a scientist as well.
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"Not your typical Dawkins book, this one could be read by an inquisitive 5th-8th grader. Yet it is very engrossing reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this book-reviewing scientific facts I already knew, and learning new ones. Dawkins opens most chapters with accounts of world myths and then ties them in to the scientific proofs related to those myths."
— Bettye (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Exhilarating. The clearest and most beautifully written introduction to science I’ve ever read. Again and again I found myself saying ‘Oh! So that’s how genes work!’ (or stars, or tectonic plates, or all the other things he explains). Explanations I thought I knew were clarified; things I never understood were made clear for the first time. My favourite adjective of praise has always been ‘clear,’ and this book has clarity all the way through.”
— Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy -
“I am often asked to recommend good books on science for young people. From now on, I will not have to hesitate. The Magic of Reality provides a beautiful, accessible, and wide ranging volume that addresses the questions that all of us have about the universe…masterful and eloquently literate.”
— Lawrence Krauss, Foundation Professor of the School of Earth and Space Exploration; director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University; and author of A Universe from Nothing -
“The great virtue of this volume…is that it leads the young along the path of logical thinking instead of piling fact upon fact in an effort to tell children what they should think.”
— Washington Post -
“Outstanding…Rather than oversimplifying things, Dawkins’ explanations demonstrate that life on earth is magical enough without tricks of the eye or supernatural theories…This book may be exactly what’s needed to increase science literary for readers of all ages.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
The Magic of Reality Listener Reviews
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Don Monchil, 5/9/2018
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" This book if for my son. "
— Darrin, 2/6/2014 -
" Science's explanation can be more beautiful and amazing than any myth, miracle, or magic: Dawkins makes this point by picking up a series of questions (like: what is real? what is a rainbow? why do we have night and day, summer and winter? who is the first person? why are there so many kinds of life-forms? etc.), which haunt many of us time and again, and then he presents what the myths have to offer as the answer to each of those questions and what science has to offer; and through this journey one is introduced to a lot of important stuffs about science and moreover the way scientists go about applying scientific method to come up with answers. I liked Hume's neat idea for evaluating the plausibility of a "stated" miracle. The writing is lucid and often witty; should be a great read for youngsters even. "
— Mohammad, 2/5/2014 -
" While the author does not pit myth against science, he does a miraculous job of explaining the scientific truths behind what appears to be magical, without destroying the beauty. For those of you with iPads, there is an amazing app to download it. "
— Tina, 1/30/2014 -
" I read this chapter by chapter with my precocious 10 year old and it was a great refresher of basic science for me as well as opening the door for discussions between her and I regarding science, religion, human development and critical thinking. Worth checking out. "
— Gretchen, 1/29/2014 -
" I happily give this one a 5 start rating. Very entertaining, widely informative, and above all, so beautifully written. "
— M, 1/22/2014 -
" An accessible and engaging overview of the BIG questions for curious younger readers. An excellent science primer that dismisses the usual supernatural mumbo jumbo kids are exposed to without talking down to them. Plus, fun illustrations by frequent Gaiman collaborator, Dave McKean. If I ever have kids, I'd buy this book for them. "
— Frank, 1/22/2014 -
" Interesting myths, but even better (and more clear) descriptions of reality. A fun scientific read... "
— Larry86, 1/15/2014 -
" This book will be brilliant for children, 10+ years. It's written simply enough to be understandable to young minds, and the illustrations are lovely. "
— Millie, 1/15/2014 -
" Pretty great. It's basically about how exciting science is. A little more accessible and more of a broader range of topics are covered than in his other book that I've read, "The Selfish Gene." I want to read more by him. I like the way this man's brian works. "
— Rambles, 12/26/2013 -
" this was a good book,it told us about the world around us.It also told us about some of the worlds history. It some very interesting facts in the book. Overall the book was interesting and fun to read. "
— Jacob, 12/14/2013 -
" a must read if you're new to science and interested to learn to view our world scientifically. "
— Ichsan, 11/24/2013 -
" Incredible. Aimed for young Europeans or American adults. Highly recommended for your high school student, or junior high if they aren't a complete moron "
— Dj, 11/4/2013 -
" A great introduction for kids - there are some things to think about "
— Kariss, 8/24/2013 -
" A good book to teach school age children how to have an open mind and understand the wonders of skepticism. "
— Leo, 7/20/2013 -
" Dawkins is less doctrinaire but still preaches his religion with fervor. This is about the beautiful and fascinating nature without him demanding that you believe in his theology "
— doug, 12/1/2012 -
" It is a remarkable book that I share with my kids. I love how it teaches thinking and perception. Kids always ask deep questions and it helps us think how to answer in a way that allows kids to come to their own conclusions through observation. "
— Susan, 11/20/2012 -
" I love the idea behind this book, but the same issue I had while reading The Greatest Show on Earth I had with this Richard Dawkins book. If I have to read, "but I'm not going to go into that right now" or "Let's skip that" one more time I swear I will puke. "
— Jaki, 5/24/2012 -
" Loved it!!! Should have been longer! "
— Kari, 4/23/2012 -
" Targeted more to the YA crowd. Ethan is really liking this one. "
— Eric, 10/27/2011 -
" Pretty great. It's basically about how exciting science is. A little more accessible and more of a broader range of topics are covered than in his other book that I've read, "The Selfish Gene." I want to read more by him. I like the way this man's brian works. "
— Rambles, 10/26/2011 -
" I'll be posting a full review over at SLJ, but for now, suffice to say that (as always) Dawkins is a great scientist (and writer of science) and a very very poor philosopher. "
— Mark, 10/26/2011 -
" A very good introduction to science for non-scienctists. "
— Max, 10/18/2011 -
" As much as I enjoyed the book and reading Dawkins in general, I didn't really think it was written well for the younger audience he intended. Perhaps he could have used a more critical editor. Razor blades indeed! <br/> <br/>PS, I didn't care much for the artist's picture of Newton either! "
— Greg, 10/15/2011 -
" Incredible. Aimed for young Europeans or American adults. Highly recommended for your high school student, or junior high if they aren't a complete moron "
— Dj, 10/15/2011 -
" I only wish that it had more pictures in it. "
— Ernest, 10/14/2011 -
" Of course I don't need Mr Dawkins to convince me. This is an elegant addition to his work promoting scientific procedures. "
— Larry, 10/11/2011 -
" A fantastically written and brilliantly illustrated introduction to the basics of science. It dismisses myths without insulting their believers and explains the basic sciences behind some of the most basic questions you could ask. "
— Michael, 10/10/2011
About Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins, an acclaimed biologist, is a fellow of the Royal Society and was the inaugural holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair of Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. He is the author of numerous books, including The Selfish Gene, Climbing Mount Improbable, Unweaving the Rainbow, The Ancestor’s Tale, The God Delusion, and The Greatest Show on Earth.
About Richard Dawkins
Lalla Ward is an actress and audiobook narrator who is best known for her role as Romana in Doctor Who, a popular BBC television series. She has also appeared in several other television shows, including The Protectors, Quiller, The Professionals, and Hazel. She is the former wife of actor and costar Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who.