The Magic of Reality

How We Know What's Really True

By: Richard Dawkins

Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward

Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Richard Dawkins, the world’s most famous evolutionary biologist, presents a gorgeously lucid, science book examining some of the nature’s most fundamental questions both from a mythical and scientific perspective.

Science is our most precise and powerful tool for making sense of the world. Before we developed the scientific method, we created rich mythologies to explain the unknown. The pressing questions that primitive men and women asked are the same ones we ask as children. Who was the first person? What is the sun? Why is there night and day? The myths that address these questions are beautiful, but in every case their beauty is exceeded by the scientific truth.

With characteristic clarity and verve, Dawkins answers these big questions. Looking first at some of the myths that arose to answer the question, he then, dazzles us with the facts. He looks at the building blocks of matter, the first humans, the sun - explaining the life and death of stars; why there’s a night and a day - ranging from our solar system to the inner workings of our planet; what a rainbow really is—going from the rainbow in your backyard to the age of the universe; and finally, he poses a question that still baffles scientists: When did everything begin?

©2011 Richard Dawkins, Ltd. (P)2011 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"I wanted to write this book but I wasn't clever enough. Now I've read it, I am." (Ricky Gervais)

“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 Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ and 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, separating often too-little known facts from too-frequently believed fictions. For this reason it should be a powerful resource for people of all ages, written with the masterful and eloquently literate style of perhaps the best popular expositor of science, Richard Dawkins, and delightfully illustrated by Dave McKean. What more could anyone ask for?” (Lawrence Krauss is Foundation Professor and Director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University and the author most recently of Quantum Man, and A Universe from Nothing)

worthy

Would you consider the audio edition of The Magic of Reality to be better than the print version?

This is an easy recommendation to even the "believer" bc of the title. If the dumbass doesn't know who the author is than it's a slam-dunk....what's not to be captivated by?

A short interesting book on the awes of nature.

What did you love best about The Magic of Reality?

I enjoyed the unique angles and perspectives on some of natures "magic". I enjoy complex phenomenon that is presented in bite size, easily digestible nuggets.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The chapter on stellar evolution was very well presented. The exobiology was a little too short, I would have enjoyed a longer more speculative chapter.

Which scene was your favorite?

The chapter on evolution was well presented with imagery that was easy to grasp considering it covered millions of years.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Watch me pull a natural phenomena out of my hat.

Any additional comments?

I wish the book was longer and more expansive.

Fantastic!

Where does The Magic of Reality rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would rank this as my second favorite audio-book so far, it's not too long, and it is very informative.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved how he explains everything in a simple straight-forward way, it is easy to understand and follow even if you don't know much about science.

Have you listened to any of Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, I have listened to The God Delusion (my favorite), this book The Magic of Reality (second favorite), and The Selfish Gene (a little harder to follow without previous scientific knowledge, but still very good). ( I am about to start The Greatest Show on Earth, then The Blind Watchmaker.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wanted to, I really did. I just don't have time to listen to it all in one sitting. (I went through the whole book in 3 sittings) Once I started I didn't want to stop.

Any additional comments?

A must buy! I learned so much from this book. He does a great job of telling how other cultures explained things, and what really happens/ how it really is. The rainbow was something I learned a LOT about, saying it was very interesting is a huge understatement.

One of Dawkins' easiest books to read

A bit basic in the material, but full of honest wonder and fascination at the beuaty of the natural world. A must read for anyone without a well grounded education in science, as well as children, and adolescents.

Amazing

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The science class I should have had in school.

What does Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The passion and knowledge of the subject.

Dawkins never fails.

Every adolescent and young adult should listen to this book, so as to establish a strong foundation for real and unreal, and to develop the necessary mental skills to recognize the like.

great book

love the book. great read. and eye opening
great for work as back round sound

Learned some things

Easy to follow laid-out method of book. Both narratorss enjoyable to listen to. Why does Audible require a certain amount of words or characters to provide a review? Why not just let us rate with stars?

Reality is not a Religion

For anyone seeking to know more about our universe, how we got here, and why reality is more fulfilling and amazing than any myth or holy book, this is for you.

If facts and evidence don't matter to you, this book will do nothing for you. Then again, no book will do anything for you.

A Great Introduction to Reality!

Although the target audience is adolescents, you will almost certainly learn a thing or two as well. Even if you don't, the very skillfull and engaging narration by Dawkins and Ward makes for an enjoyable listen.

This is the book God would have written if there were one!