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

You said in another comment below that others were treating you as a troll or an idiot. I don't think that's necessarily the case: many of us are just trying to present the facts, and may be a little bit frustrated due to how YECs typically react. For example, my earlier comment about how creation science does not count as science, and how Geocentrism is incorrect, I did not set out to treat you like an idiot (and if I did, I'm sorry). I did treat you as ignorant, which isn't as bad as it sounds. I'm ignorant to a lot of things. Everyone is. But I love to learn, because I love to expand my knowledge.

Ignorance can be cured. Stupidity can't. We encounter wilful ignorance a lot, and it gets very frustrating, so that colours what we say.

If you're genuine about your desire to learn more, I'll drop some suggestions for further inquiry. Some of the language may be abrasive, but please keep an open, skeptical mind:

• AronRa's Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism, a 17-video series just shy of 3 hours in total.
  
• potholer54's Our Origins Made Easy, 14 videos, about two hours. Includes the history of the universe, origin of life, the age of our world, natural selection, human evolution, and more.
  
• AndromedasWake's Creationist Astronomy Propaganda Debunked, just over an hour.
  
• Lawrence Krauss' A Universe From Nothing
  
  I'll give you fair warning on this next one: it may have a profound effect on you. At the very least, it will help you understand our philosophical position better as atheists.
  
  
• Evid3nc3's Why I Am No Longer A Christian, 22 videos, 3 hours and 45 minutes. Describes his journey from an evangelical Christian to atheist.
  
  For reading:
  
  
• Jerry Coyne: Why Evolution is True
  
• Richard Dawkins: The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution, The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
  
  Hopefully that gets you started.

> She is wanting to learn more about Atheism and I was hoping to get some information from anyone that is willing to help me/us out.

(Be aware: atheism is spelled with a lower-case a. It's not a proper noun.)

A few book recommendations that aren't terribly anti-religion (or even pro-atheism) but are instead pro-skepticism:

• The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan. Basically introduces the reader to scientific skepticism. A brief synopsis is available here. This is often a very cheap book and can be found at most used bookstores. Even if she continues to be religious, she'll be better equipped to identify pseudo-science in many forms. If you only get her one book, make it this one.
  
  
• The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins. A beautifully illustrated book aimed at teens, it contains a whole bunch of myths from around the world and explains how science has shed light on what actually is happening. It acknowledges that myths and legends aren't completely useless and are good for teaching things like moral lessons, but that when it comes to actually knowing the nature of reality, such myths usually fall short.
  
  Really, though, any book on world religions or mythology, like this one, would be appropriate. Examining what others believe and why they believe it is an important hurdle in becoming confident with your own beliefs.
  
  
  

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

I don't know which age groups it's for.

Alternatively you can give them books about lots of different myths and legends. Greek mythology is great.

Dawkins' book, The Magic of Reality

Yes, God hates you and your car now that you've gone to the dark side. Here's an idea. Take it to a mechanic and find out the real reason, and after you get your car back, go buy the book The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True, by Richard Dawkins and put your mind at ease. :) But seriously, I hope you get your car on the road soon.

Not OP, just helping out with some formatting (and links!) because I like these suggestions.

> 1) The Magic Of Reality - Richard Dawkins
>
> 2) The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins
>
> 3)A Brief History Of Time - Stephen Hawking
>
> 4)The Grand Design - Stephen Hawking
>
> 4)Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari (Any Book By Daniel Dennet)
>
> 5)Enlightenment Now - Steven Pinker
>
> 6)From Eternity Till Here - Sean Caroll (Highly Recommended)
>
> 7)The Fabric Of Cosmos - Brian Greene (If you have good mathematical understanding try Road To Reality By Roger Penrose)
>
> 8)Just Six Numbers - Martin Reese (Highly Recommended)

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

It sounds like you two are discussing the basics of epistemology.


>I told her that I would have to think about it, but that you can't be scared to learn about things that disagree with your beliefs. I told her that a lot of times it feels bad to have your beliefs challenged, and that this can cause you to avoid learning things that you don't like or immediately discounting them.

That's a very good place to start.

>At this point she basically said "Yeah you have to make sure you aren't just accepting something because it agrees with what you already think."



She seems to have discovered confirmation bias on her own. Well done her!

Maybe introduce her to some information on critical thinking.


Given her parents and your desire not to ruffle their feathers too muck, I'd avoid The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True for now. Maybe have a copy at your place that she might accidentally find on your bookshelf?

Perhaps The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark would be a good choice?

Protection as she grows up.

Maybe Yes, Maybe No (LINK)

by Dan Barker

In today's media-flooded world, there is no way to control all of the information, claims, and enticements that reach young people. The best thing to do is arm them with the sword of critical thinking.

Maybe Yes, Maybe No is a charming introduction to self-confidence and self-reliance. The book's ten-year-old heroine, Andrea, is always asking questions because she knows "you should prove the truth of a strange story before you believe it."

"Check it out. Repeat the experiment. Try to prove it wrong. It has to make sense." writes Barker, as he assures young readers that they are fully capable of figuring out what to believe, and of knowing when there just isn't enough information to decide. "You can do it your own way. If you are a good skeptic you will know how to think for yourself."

Another book is "Me & Dog" by Gene Weingarten.

And Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story : Books 1, 2, 3

Here Comes Science CD + DVD

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins

Bang! How We Came to Be by Michael Rubino.

Grandmother Fish: A Child's First Book of Evolution

Also:

Greek Myths – by Marcia Williams

Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs – by Marcia Williams

God and His Creations – by Marcia Williams

"I Wonder" by Annaka Harris

"From Stardust to You: An Illustrated Guide to The Big Bang" by Luciano Reni

"Meet Bacteria!" by Rebecca Bielawski

See also Highlights for Children - this has materials for younger children.

Atheism books for children by Courtney Lynn

"It Is Ok To Be A Godless Me", "I'm An Atheist and That's Ok", "I'm a Freethinker", "Please Don't Bully Me" and "I'm a Little Thinker" etc.

Courtney Lynn has a couple more for grown ups as well.

Grandmother Fish, free in PDF form online

A child's first book of evolution.

15 Holiday Gift Ideas for Secular Families

Bedtime Bible Stories by Joey Lee Kirkman - for mature teens only

Coming up: TINY THINKERS is a series of books introducing popular scientists to children, by telling their stories as if the scientists themselves were kids!

Might help: http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

It's all about the kids.

Your kids deserve a great education. Don't force them into an environment where they get nothing but one-sided indoctrination. Teach your kids about religion (not just your own, although that's a great start.) Learning stories about different religions is great http://www.amazon.com/God-His-Creations-Tales-Testament/dp/0763622117/ is wonderful, so are similar books about Greek myths http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Myths-Marcia-Williams/dp/0763653845/ Indian gods, etc. It's an important part of our culture, current events, literature, world news and history, etc. to understand different faiths.

If your 12 year old is old enough to be into a book like http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046 that could be great, too... or tell him/her about cool stuff on reddit, related to any given interest. Internet access does wonders for broadening people's horizons.

>There are times when I wish my world was a bit larger

Your kids might wish this as well. Think about what you could do for them -- are there options for student exchange, travel, getting involved in anything, anywhere that broadens their circle of friends and acquaintances outside of a homogenous community? That should be a goal in raising your kids.

Not so much Evolution, as reality inself:

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

Good old Richard Dawkins does what he does best.

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

It says 12 years and upwards, but I don't think we should write off the younger readers so quick. They soak up information like sponges. The hardback is illustrated according to a customer review, which might make it more accessible for the younger readers.

>The hardback is profusely--almost to excess--illustrated with colorful pictures and diagrams all over every single page, often under the text. The paperback has NO pictures. None at all. It's on cheap paper too, the kind that will discolor in a few years. The hardback is, I suggest, much more appealing to younger readers. The paperback, perforce, focuses entirely on the text.

Religion has discovered that it's better to get them young to indoctrinate and brainwash them, which is why they're so hell-bent(!) on getting into schools for children. But that can go both ways. The younger the better, to lay good skeptical foundations for later life.

>It is a graphic science book aimed primarily at children and young adults. Dawkins has stated that the book is intended for those aged around 12 years and upwards, and that when trialling the book prior to publishing, younger readers were able to understand its content with additional adult assistance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_of_Reality

I borrowed "The Magic of Reality" by Richard Dawkins (https://amzn.com/1451675046) from our local library and devoured it. It made me realize just how much religion had shut off my brain when thinking about people, history, science, and the natural world around me. The beauty and wonder of the real world as described in the book drove me to tears. There is so much left to learn and discover!

Now I can't shut up about it. I now talk about science and history with more passion than I EVER did about the Church. :D

The Magic of Reality
http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

• Why Evolution is True is said to be the "best" layperson-oriented book available on the topic. I haven't read it because I learned this stuff in High School 40 years ago, so this is one of my few recommendations not based on my own reading.
  
• I bought The Magic of Reality for my mother and read it out of interest. It's extremely well written, in a warm friendly tone, with lots of pretty pictures and great explanations. It's aimed at kids as young as 12, but it's not condescending or down-talking at all. Very enjoyable for a factual book on science - recommended!
  
• As a Christian, you may be interested in this book written by Christian biologist Ken Miller: Finding Darwin's God. Can't accuse this guy of being biased against God! Also a great explainer, considered a classic. It's not 100% up to date but most of the information remains valid.

Reciprocate.

http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

Congratulations!
Since I just recently was looking into what's out there to help parents raise kids to think critically, I'll pass on some of the books I found that you might find helpful:

http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046/

http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Freethinkers-Practical-Parenting-Beyond/dp/0814410960/

http://www.grandmotherfish.com

You could try this, but I wouldn't expect to get very far regardless of what you offer them.

Dawkins' "Magic of Reality" is well regarded.

Magic of Reality - http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381342929

>I'm worried that my kids are going to be indoctrinated! What do I do?

Give them all the information. Give them books about myths and legends, they are very interesting. Teach your kids critical thinking skills. This book comes highly recommended. I think only the hardcover is illustrated. Give one to your In-Laws as a warning to not interfere too much.

Tell your In-Laws that you will take your children to Mosques, Synagogues, and places of Satanist worship to round out their religious education.

The Magic of Reality This book is by Richard Dawkins, very well-known scientist (if you've somehow never heard of him). It's written for a younger audience with pictures and looked really beautiful when I saw it in a bookstore.

EDIT: The hardback version comes with beautiful illustrations, not the paperback one.

Richard Dawkin's "The Magic of Reality".

Awesome book for kids and adults.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

So send her a gift, but don't make it religiously themed. May I make a suggestion?

Picture books about dreams are almost exclusively around specific dreams -- fantasy adventures -- rather than explaining dreams. An explanatory book is likely to focus on nightmares, a challenging parenting topic.

It's an important issue because fantasy-reality confusion is a leading cause of nighttime fears. Here's another article with a gazillion citations.

You might instead look for picture books about fantasy vs. reality.

But, I think, most likely, you're going to need to talk it out, and reinforce the idea that dreams are not real, on a daily basis. Dreams are pretend stories your mind tells itself while you're sleeping.

There is a book that covers fantasy and reality/science in depth, The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True, but it reads more like a textbook. It might give you some ideas though. There is a paperback version at half the cost.

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|




This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting).

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins. An easy read describing some of the most fundamental forces in the world. Don't think for a second the world is any less amazing without spirituality or God. This book will show you exactly how disbelief in a creator can open your mind to the wonders of the universe.

If you ever think you're losing something, this book will convince you otherwise without even mentioning religion.

Doesn't perfectly answer your questions, but I plan on getting this for my kids.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

I love getting science books for my religious niece and nephew for Xmas. I do it every year and love their annual look of frustration when they see I spent money on something they never plan to read. I'm ever hopeful though as they are approaching that rebellious age where kids question everything.

I think the best book is probably Richard Dawkins Magic of Reality but I'm sure the author's name alone will turn off a longtime religious person. One of my other favorites is a Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson. It is very approachable as he is not a scientist but the book is not as rigorous as Dawkins. Both books are written for a pre-teen reading level for maximum readability.

Along with Cosmos, there is a fantastic episode of Stephen Hawking's "Genius" that is a great intro to evolution. https://youtu.be/Gcaep3KER-o

My favorite entry level book is Dawkins "The Magic of Reality". https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

The best youtube series is this one https://youtu.be/zZlrNtB1NXU, episodes 6 through 12 cover evolution.

The best overall documentary showing how it all comes together is this,
https://youtu.be/RQm6N60bneo

I would recommend getting a copy of Richard Dawkin's The Magic Of Reality out of the library for your mom and going through the chapter explaining evolution with her. There should be some great illustrations and it's written very clearly for people who have no prior science knowledge. The explanation given there makes total sense even if you've never taken a science class before!


Also, it's not necessarily a children's book, so it won't insult your mother's intelligence. It's just a very easy read with illustrations for people who are just starting to explore basic science.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

If you're willing to spend money on the book, I heard the Kindle version is really cool and well-illustrated.

If you're not willing to spend money and your local library doesn't have a copy, they should be able to have it sent in from another branch, or you can try visiting a local university to see if the university system has a copy you can borrow.

Welp, time for Christmas presents!

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

Get the hardcover.

if she still wants to stay within christianity, I suggest UU or TEC (the episcopal church) both are fairly progressive non-indoctrinational churches. We go to TEC, and my girls love it the two oldest got to go to their first sleep away camp and they loved it, they are even open to the fact that even tho I am still Christian, my spirituality is more closely align with agnostic theist and my hubby is Secular humanist/agnostic atheist. but as with everything it would also depend on your parish, not all churches are made equal even within a particular denomination. also I suggest helping her develop her own critical thinking. have her read [the magic of reality] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406185178&sr=8-1&keywords=magic+of+reality), and [Philosophy for kids] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1882664701/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) also read [Raising Freethinkers] (http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Freethinkers-Practical-Parenting-Beyond/dp/0814410960/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406185579&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=raisin+free+thinkers).. Edited: for grammar and to add one more book suggestion..

I was also given this book for Christmas. I'm not looking forward to reading it, but I said I would--on the condition that the giver read the book I sent to him.

I had read a similar book years ago, The Case for Christ, back when I was still working through my doubts but hadn't yet made a full secular transition. A book like that...I think it works mostly to reaffirm those who already believe the premise on some level.

Here are two-

http://www.amazon.com/The-God-Delusion-Richard-Dawkins/dp/0618918248/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348771577&sr=8-2&keywords=dawkins

http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348771577&sr=8-1&keywords=dawkins

Here is a good kids book, not specifically on atheism (more skepticism and science), but written by a famous atheist.

http://www.amazon.ca/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046/

I think your question has been addressed in the other comments nicely. Defining "species" is one of the biggest discussions in biology. Most species we see today (extant) have gotten to that point gradually. There was no point at which a switch suddenly turned the chimpanzee-like primate ancestor into a human. If we could have access to all the forms in between, it would have been very difficult where to start calling it a human. (This is very nicely illustrated -literally, great illustrations by Dave McKean- in Richard Dawkins' book The Magic of Reality).

I only want to add this: given enough time and the right conditions, the human species can split into different species. Imagine a scenario in which we establish a human colony on Mars bu then loose access to this planet for a long long time. So, the two human populations (Earth and Mars) are isolated from each other for so long and they become different from each other (diverge) so much that, when they meet again hundreds of thousands of years later, they cannot breed anymore. This is when we might start calling the Mars population a different species.

Dawkins Magic of Reality

http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

I think for the most part, the other books recommended are at least as challenging to read as the God Delusion.

I might be downvoted but forget the philosophy part; that is mostly subjective and they are like two sophisticated twitter trolls are discussing a never ending topic. don't waste your time by pondering on such fruitless texts .

However, if you really want to read some philosopher, my pick would be "bertrand russell", who was also an expert mathematician , especially the book of "Religion and Science" is right for your taste : https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Science-Bertrand-Russell/dp/0195115511 his other books are worth reading as well.

as for science books, just pick any richard dawkins book and continue immersing them . but if you lack scientific background, I would advise "magic of reality" : https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046 I can assure you that your perception of the world will totally change in a scientific way. this book is targeted for all people from 7 to 70, and although I have a science degree I learnt a lot from it. the language of the book is simple, yet quite effective.


also, you should watch richard dawkins's documentaries, I learnt a lot watching them, they are just as beneficial as his books; here, "root of all evil" is my favorite one:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVy-0E1x620 (part 1)
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nAos1M-_Ts (part 2)
  
  
  
  I repeat, stay away from philosophy books, they will suck your passion and you will have left disappointed after reading their vague, and subjective, never-ending discussions. instead, lean towards science books written by atheist authors, they already cover enough philosophy when need arises. besides, these books are much more concrete than the abstract philosophy books.

If this is something you want to pursue further, I would strongly recommend picking up a copy of The Magic of Reality. It is beautifully illustrated, and a surprisingly light read for being so science filled, but it takes a look at common religious stories and myths (along with other environmental and social phenomenon that tend to be mysticised), gives them a bit of historical context for why we think people of the time may have believed that, then digs into what science can tell us about that thing. It is fairly unopinionated, for the most part, just taking the stance of here's a thing people claimed, here's what we can prove about that thing.

OP, if you can get hold of it, I'd recommend reading Richard Dawkins' book "The Magic of Reality", which has an excellent explanation of how evolution works and looks at why religious explanations of natural phenomena cannot be trusted.

No, you don't have to. That's something you really need to put your foot down. Explain that it's unethical and morally wrong to deceive kids about the nature of reality. I don't lie to my kids about Santa or the Tooth Fairy. Fairytales are fine in the context of it being a fun story that we know isn't real. If being presented with evidence and reality is enough to shake your faith, were those beliefs worth having in the first place? Truth withstands scrutiny.


Gravity is just a theory, but that seems to work pretty well. It's not just a "guess". You can tell her you're happy to tell them that "some people like to believe a story about a magic man in the sky that made everything. Other people believe the world is carried on the back of a giant turtle." It can be a good teachable moment that leads into asking them how we can figure out what stories are true and what ones are just for fun.


This is a really great book:
https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

Never teach your children that one or the other worldview is right and never to be questioned, be that religion or atheism. Inform them about everything and let them figure it out themselves. Don't think for them, let them do the thinking. Lie to them and do it so blatantly that they recognize it's a lie. Then be increasingly subtle about it, though always have some kind of "Simon says" safe word that tells them that you're not fucking around when they really need your honesty.

"Is there a god/Santa Claus/Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy?"

"What do you think?"

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

Le podes dar de leer este a un pibe de primaria

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

I'm a big fan of The Magic of Reality.

It's a children's book, but it does a great job talking about religious myths and how they compare to real life.

I would recommend "The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True" by Richard Dawkins. It isn't overtly atheist, but is certainly written with that viewpoint. Dawkins wrote it specifically for kids around that age, but the illustrations are so beautiful and the message is so clean and straight-forward that I bought a copy for myself. It is an awesome book, I hope you'll check it out!

Also, I'd like to add: any books which addresses philosophy can also greatly expand her mind. Learning about Descartes "I think therefore I am" had a role in my choice in religious belief (or lack of).

Lastly, kudos on letting her have her own choice in the matter. Truly rare.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Magic-Reality-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398130139&sr=8-1&keywords=the+magic+of+reality

I bought my kid Richard Dawkins book The Magic of Reality.
I explained to her never be afraid to ask question if something doesn't sound right.

https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046

LOL.