The Atheist Book Club discussion

We'll be reading The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins through July 16th.

This thread can be used to give book reviews as well as for a general discussion of the book. Please feel free to start a new discussion in the book club folder if you'd like to focus on specific aspects of or ideas from the book.

I'm excited! Have you read the book, Donegal? I'm currently in the middle of a long fiction book, but I'll start reading the Dawkins book along side it.

Ι LOVED this book! Everyone should read it, and then pass it on to a child.

Yes, and had I read books like this as a child I'm sure I would have been a better student; it would definitely affect my choices concerning my future studies and career. Unfortunately I fell in love with science way too late in my life.

By coincidence I just finshed reading it last month. I found it really interesting with a simple and patient approach to science. While not as deep as other books, it does a perfect job introducing science to the general reader. I found the introduction and the final chapter particularly well-written as a case for science against superstition, but you generally don't expect less from Dawkins.

And I really liked the illustrations too; very original!

I listened to a few chapters of the audio on a roadtrip and thought the readers did a fantastic job -- but then I got the hardcover and saw the illustrations and thought "Wow, these are awesome". I think they're very helpful -- like the depiction of the stack of photos that would represent our ancestors. You're never too old for a visual aid.

Reading it now. Love its simplicity (reading it to my 11-year old) and yet new info I am getting. Well, I should say old info, new details? Great book for anyone.

This is probably a stupid question, but I'm getting stumped by some of the info on page 51 (near the end of chapter 2). It says that "Monkeys are closer to us [humans] than mice but further from us than chimpanzees" (in sharing an ancestor). It then says that "baboons [monkeys] are exactly as distant from chimps as they are from us". I've been staring at this paragraph for a while now -- it seems to contradict itself. Assistance would be appreciated. Thanks!

Erin, imagine a branch with a monkey/baboon sitting on it. Then imagine further out on the branch it splits into two smaller branches. Down one branch are humans and down the other branch are chimpanzees. Does that make sense?

Kimberly wrote: "Erin, imagine a branch with a monkey/baboon sitting on it. Then imagine further out on the branch it splits into two smaller branches. Down one branch are humans and down the other branch are chimp..."

Sorry for the loooong delay! Yes, that helped a lot, Kimberly. Thank you! I had to draw it on a piece of paper :)