BOOK OF THE MONTH: JUNE 2011

                                                                                 

Title          : The Magic of Reality: 
                    How We Know What's Really True

Author      : Richard Dawkins

Illustrator : Dave McKean

Publisher  : Free Press

Pages       : 288

ISBN        : 978-1439192818

Price        : $19.59

Evolutionary biologist, author, and outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins, the Oxford evolutionary biologist, has a new book coming out. This time, it’s a children’s book called The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True. Each chapter is a question like: What is an earthquake? What is a rainbow? What is the sun? Each chapter begins with a series of myths seemingly answering those questions, and then I counter that with explanations about the true nature of things. 

Richard Dawkins’s The Selfish Gene revolutionized the way we see natural selection. His blockbuster The God Delusion provoked worldwide debate. Now this master science writer has teamed up with David McKean, a master of the graphic novel, to create a new genre: the graphic science book. 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; and finally, he poses a question that still baffles scientists: When did everything begin?

The book is much needed, particularly for young kids who don't, thanks to the high stakes testing-driven emphasis on reading and math, get much science instruction in school at all. By not answering their questions, we're essentially creating a generation of kids who don't see the point of independently investigating the truth or asking "why?" about anything. Without thorough, scientifically sound answers, students natural curiosity about our universe simply withers. The book is a frame-by-frame look at the infinite beauty behind everyday phenomenon.

Will school librarians stock the book? There will be some school communities that balk at putting it on shelves out of fear of angry letters from parents who feel the book conflicts with their religious beliefs. But, kids do need to know the scientific facts, and if parents disagree, the book at least provides a chance to have a discussion with their children about what they believe and why they believe it.

Review Text Courtesy     : http://www.openculture.com, http://www.good.is, http://www.amazon.com 
To know the release date: http://richarddawkins.net/